Assumptions make traction-holes

In this episode, Cam and JDM trade the janitor-closet acoustics for a real-deal recording studio (thanks, Urban Hive!) to talk about one of the most expensive mistakes in startup land: skipping validation and building an entire house of cards on untested assumptions. They dig into how founders unintentionally build traction holes—big craters of activity that look like progress but collapse under scrutiny—and how to avoid falling into one. Using three real-world startup examples, they illustrate how teams often focus on the wrong milestones—polishing dashboards, obsessing over engagement metrics, or outsourcing sales—before they’ve validated the basic assumptions their entire model depends on. If you’ve ever sprinted headfirst into development just to avoid the scary unknowns… this one hits close to home. In This Episode * What “traction holes” are and why founders keep falling into them * How to identify your riskiest assumption using impact and uncertainty * Why you must validate the bottom of your “house of cards” first * The danger of progressivity: working on safe stuff instead of risky stuff * Three examples of founders building fast… in the wrong direction * Why SDRs and gamification features won’t save you if no one’s converting Frivolous Thoughts * Cam mourns the Kings’ Summer League loss and admits to obsessively checking for NBA trades… only to fall for clickbait headlines * JDM shares his deep-cut love for British sketch comedy duo Mitchell & Webb, quoting a classic bit about ironic viewership, ad revenue, and why you’re still giving The Apprentice attention 30 years later This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zerototraction.substack.com