Vanity vs signal (the quick smell test)
Vanity: grows when you post more.
Signal: grows when unchased users repeat value-creating behavior.
If your primary dopamine is impressions — you run a media project — fine if honest.
Field signal 1 — Unprompted return
Users come back without campaigns bribing them.
Measure weekly actives minus discount / retargeting surge confounders.
Field signal 2 — Language theft
Customers steal your phrasing — pain named the same way unprompted in calls.
Copy alignment > logo love.
Field signal 3 — Willingness to pay motion
Not “I would buy” — calendar + money movement toward truth: pilot, deposit, expense report.
Field signal 4 — Small-scale retention under stress
Churn after onboarding truth — not after hero hand-holding forever.
Support load per paying account trend matters — not NPS theater alone.
Field signal 5 — Channel micro-repeatability
One channel producing second-order leads without founder heroics every time.
If only CEO emails convert — you have a job, not GTM.
What to log weekly (minimum)
| Log line | Why |
|---|---|
| Unpaid return events | Honest habit |
| Paid conversion step timing | Truth vs story |
| Word-for-word customer pain quotes | Segment clarity |
Still fuzzy on philosophy — read weak signals canon.
Simulation pairing
Numbers lie politely — multi-role rehearsal interrogates what you refuse to instrument.
Run Lumor after updating logs — personas feast on cognitive dissonance.
Related reading
Weak signals whisper — vanity metrics shout — survival listens.