Why it matters
Acquisition is how people first find you. Most teams start here, and most teams overspend here, because channels are easy to buy and hard to judge. The goal of this station is to learn how to pick a few channels, test them cheaply, and read the results honestly.
Channels also depend on your business model. A low-price consumer app can't pay for sales calls, and an enterprise product rarely grows from short videos. Before you learn any single platform, learn how to match channels to the product, the price and the customer.
After this station you can
- Shortlist channels for a product using the Bullseye method
- Explain CAC, CPC, CTR and ROAS, and read them in an ad report
- Tell when a channel fits your model and price point
- Plan a small, time-boxed test with a clear kill rule
Every resource below is free to read or watch online. Links open in a new tab.
5.1 Channel strategy
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do Things that Don't Scale — Paul GrahamWhy early users usually come from manual, unscalable effort before any channel works. | Essay | Beginner | 20 min |
| How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users — Lenny Rachitsky, Lenny's NewsletterSeven concrete ways well-known apps found their first users, with examples for each. | Newsletter | Beginner | 20 min |
| Product Channel Fit Will Make or Break Your Growth Strategy — Brian BalfourWhy a product must be shaped around a channel, and why you should focus on one or two. | Essay | Intermediate | 20 min |
| The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs — Andrew ChenWhy every channel's performance decays over time and what that means for your plans. | Essay | Intermediate | 8 min |
5.2 Paid ads
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Ads training on Skillshop — GoogleGoogle's own free courses and certifications for Search, Display, Video and Shopping ads. | Course | Beginner | Self-paced |
| Meta Blueprint course catalog — MetaMeta's free e-learning on Facebook and Instagram ads, from setup to measurement. | Course | Beginner | Self-paced |
| LinkedIn Marketing Labs — LinkedInLinkedIn's free on-demand courses on targeting, creative and measurement for B2B ads. | Course | Beginner | Self-paced |
| TikTok Academy — TikTok for BusinessTikTok's own courses on running ad campaigns and making creative that fits the platform. | Course | Beginner | Self-paced |
5.3 SEO & AEO
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO Starter Guide: The Basics — Google Search CentralGoogle's own explanation of how to help search engines find and understand your site. | Docs | Beginner | 45 min |
| SEO Course for Beginners — Ahrefs AcademyA short video course on keyword research, on-page SEO, links and technical basics. | Video | Beginner | 2 h |
| The SEO Roadmap with Free Resources & Tools — Aleyda Solis, LearningSEO.ioA step-by-step map of free SEO resources when you want to go deeper than this station. | Guide | Beginner | Self-paced |
| SEO Marketing Hub — BacklinkoA library of practical SEO topic pages, from keywords to link building. | Guide | Intermediate | Self-paced |
| AI features and your website — Google Search CentralHow Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode use your pages, and what site owners can control. | Docs | Intermediate | 15 min |
5.4 Content marketing
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Marketing Certification Course — HubSpot Academy [free with email]A structured video course on planning, creating, repurposing and measuring content. | Course | Beginner | 8 h |
5.6 B2B outbound
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| How today's fastest growing B2B businesses found their first ten customers — Lenny Rachitsky, Lenny's NewsletterHow founders of known B2B companies landed early customers through networks and outreach. | Newsletter | Beginner | 20 min |
| Avoid this tempting cold email mistake at all costs — Gong LabsData from real sales emails on what hurts cold email reply rates. | Article | Intermediate | 8 min |
5.7 Partnerships & affiliates
| Resource | Type | Level | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruit Your First 100 Revenue-Generating Partners — PartnerStackHow to find, recruit and activate the first partners for a B2B partner program. | Guide | Intermediate | 20 min |
| How to Build an Affiliate Partner Program With Integrity — PartnerStackSetting up an affiliate program with clear terms, fair payouts and quality control. | Guide | Intermediate | 20 min |
Exercise.txt — Run the Bullseye
- Write one idea for each of the 19 traction channels. Bad ideas are fine.
- Circle the 6 channels that look most promising. This is your middle ring.
- Choose the 3 you will test this month. This is your inner ring.
- For each of the 3, write one line: what you will try, the budget, the number that means success, and the number that means stop.
Not done yet
Installing Acquisition.exe
0 of 6 items done
Setup complete. Acquisition.exe is installed. Next stop: Station 6.
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Terms in this station
CACCPCCTRROASBullseye methodSearch intentAEO
On the bookshelf
Paid books that go deeper on this station: Traction by Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares, They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan, Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross & Marylou Tyler, Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. See the full bookshelf.
5.5 Social & community