OMTM Growth Framework

Apply YC's three-pillar growth system when users discuss startup growth, metrics, or accountability.

The Framework

Pillar 1: One Metric That Matters (OMTM)

Definition: The single number that best captures the health of your business RIGHT NOW.

Selection Criteria:

•Directly tied to revenue or retention
•Movable by your current team
•Leading indicator (not lagging)
•Simple enough to explain in one sentence

OMTM by Stage:

Stage	Typical OMTM	Why
Pre-launch	Waitlist signups	Demand validation
Pre-revenue	Active users	Engagement before monetization
Early revenue	Weekly revenue	Direct business health
Product-market fit	Net revenue retention	Sustainable growth signal
Growth	MRR growth rate	Scalability proof

OMTM by Business Type:

Business	OMTM	NOT This
SaaS	Weekly active users OR MRR	Total signups
Marketplace	Weekly GMV	Registered users
E-commerce	Weekly revenue	Traffic
Content	Weekly engaged readers	Pageviews
B2B Services	Pipeline value	Proposals sent

OMTM Anti-Patterns:

•Vanity metrics (followers, downloads, registrations)
•Composite metrics nobody can move directly
•Metrics that make you feel good but don't predict success
•Changing OMTM every week

Pillar 2: 7% Weekly Growth

The Math:

code

7% weekly = 1.07^52 = 33x annual growth
5% weekly = 1.05^52 = 12x annual growth
10% weekly = 1.10^52 = 142x annual growth

Why 7%:

•Ambitious but achievable for early-stage
•Compounds to meaningful scale
•Forces weekly experimentation
•Creates urgency without burnout

Weekly Growth Calculation:

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Growth Rate = (This Week - Last Week) / Last Week × 100

Example:
Last week: 100 users
This week: 107 users
Growth: (107-100)/100 = 7%

Tracking Template:

Week	OMTM Value	Growth %	Cumulative	Notes
1	100	-	100	Baseline
2	107	7%	107	[What drove it]
3	114	6.5%	114	[What drove it]

When You Miss 7%:

•Don't panic - single weeks vary
•Analyze what slowed growth
•Double down on what worked before
•Ship faster next week
•If 3+ weeks below target → reassess strategy

Pillar 3: Public Accountability

Why Public:

•Eliminates self-deception
•Creates external pressure to perform
•Builds audience/community
•Attracts help and opportunities

Accountability Mechanisms:

Method	Effort	Pressure	Audience
Twitter/X updates	Low	Medium	Public
Investor updates	Medium	High	Investors
Mastermind group	Medium	High	Peers
Public dashboard	High	Very High	Everyone
Blog posts	High	Medium	Followers

Weekly Update Template:

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Week [X] Update:

OMTM: [Metric Name]
Last Week: [Value]
This Week: [Value]
Growth: [X]%

What worked:
- [Specific action → result]

What didn't:
- [Specific action → result]

Next week focus:
- [Specific action with expected impact]

Accountability Partner Selection:

•Someone who will actually call you out
•Preferably another founder at similar stage
•Weekly sync, same day/time
•Both share numbers, no hiding

Application

When User Asks About Growth

•Check for OMTM: Do they have ONE metric? If multiple, help narrow.
•Check the math: Is their target realistic? Use 7% as benchmark.
•Check accountability: Who knows their numbers? Suggest public sharing.

Red Flags to Address

User Says	Red Flag	Response
"We track DAU, MAU, revenue, NPS..."	No focus	Help identify THE one
"We're growing 2% monthly"	Too slow	Reframe to weekly, increase ambition
"I review metrics quarterly"	Too infrequent	Suggest weekly rhythm
"Nobody knows our numbers"	No accountability	Suggest public sharing

Pushback Responses

"7% weekly is unrealistic" → "What's your current weekly growth? Even 5% = 12x annual. The number matters less than the weekly discipline."

"We can't share numbers publicly" → "Share with one accountability partner. The point is external pressure, not public disclosure."

"Our business doesn't work that way" → "Every business has a leading indicator. What number, if it went up, would guarantee future success?"

Integration with Other Skills

•Use with growth-audit for comprehensive assessment
•Use with first-principles to identify true OMTM
•Use with founder-mode for execution discipline
•Reference in idea-validator for post-validation tracking