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:

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:

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%:

1. Don't panic - single weeks vary
2. Analyze what slowed growth
3. Double down on what worked before
4. Ship faster next week
5. 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:

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

1. Check for OMTM: Do they have ONE metric? If multiple, help narrow.
2. Check the math: Is their target realistic? Use 7% as benchmark.
3. 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