In this month’s AMA, Hana in Kyoto writes in about her wellness startup blending traditional Japanese forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) with virtual reality for overworked office workers. Her question? How to convince investors that a seemingly niche concept has real commercial potential.

It’s a fair challenge. Novel ideas often generate early buzz among users but confusion among funders. Investors like clarity—and they want to see how passion translates into profit.

To start, Hana’s idea stands out precisely because it’s unusual. There’s strength in differentiation; the world doesn’t need another copycat business. What it does need is a bridge between innovation and credibility. When investors encounter something new, they look for one of three things: belief in the money, belief in the mission, or belief in the founder. Understanding which type of investor you’re talking to will help you tailor your story to their motivations.

Hana’s first move should be to clarify her long-term vision. Is she building a mass-market wellness brand powered by technology? A boutique therapeutic experience delivered through select partners? Or a replicable franchise model that blends physical and virtual serenity? Each version determines not only her growth plan but the kind of capital she should pursue.

It’s also worth remembering that not every startup needs outside investors immediately. Chasing equity when pre-revenue can mean giving up too much ownership, too early. Exploring non-dilutive options—grants, low-interest loans, competitions, or strategic sponsorships—can preserve both control and flexibility.

Investors love traction. A polished demo, pilot event, or proof of customer demand can tip the scales in your favour. That might mean organizing a guided forest bathing retreat and collecting testimonials, or showcasing the technology at a wellness expo. Tangible validation builds confidence that your vision can scale.

For Hana, and any builder reading this, the goal isn’t just to convince investors—it’s to align your story with the kind of belief that matches your mission. Whether that belief lives in numbers, strategy, or you, make sure it’s real.

Momentum’s contagious. Share this with someone who’s building too.

Read the full post or listen to the podcast edition here : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/ama-selling-serenity-convincing-investors

Are these models of marketing as mutually exclusive as we once believed?

Your model’s crap.

No, YOUR model’s crap.

If you both don’t simmer down, I’m going to turn this car around and then BOTH of your models will be crap!

The moral of the story? Sometimes people talk a lot of crap. Like I am right now. But that little car argument is a perfect metaphor for how people debate models of marketing—the flywheel versus the funnel.

Let’s rewind.

Arguing about what’s better, A or B, is as old as the letters themselves. Often we’re so dug in on defending our side that we forget multiple truths can exist at once. Mutual exclusivity isn’t the law of marketing physics—it’s just a habit we picked up along the way.

Once upon a time, I overheard two young marketing students in a cafeteria arguing about which model was better. One swore by the flywheel for its repeatability. The other insisted on the funnel for its focus. Both were right.

Because here’s the thing: these models aren’t rivals. They’re teammates. The funnel gives direction. The flywheel gives momentum. Together, they make growth sustainable.

The Funnel : Focus and Flow

A funnel is a visual map of the customer journey—from awareness to consideration to conversion. Its purpose is to focus energy on guiding people toward a specific, high-value outcome (usually revenue).

The weakness? When the funnel ends, so does the momentum. Once the campaign finishes or the cohort converts, the inertia leaks out.

The Flywheel: Retention and Repeatability

The flywheel model works differently. It runs perpetually—as long as effort keeps it spinning. Its genius lies in reusing momentum from previous activity. Once customers are inside your orbit, the cost of re-engaging them drops dramatically.

It follows four simple stages : Attract, Convert, Retain, and Create.

• Attract : Bring people into your orbit.
• Convert : Persuade them to take action.
• Retain : Keep their attention and trust over time.
• Create : Turn loyal customers into advocates.

The flywheel ensures every marketing activity reinforces the last. Its weakness, however, is altitude—it can miss the on-the-ground details that make sales work.

The Hybrid : Making It a “Funwheel”

The solution? Combine the two. Use the funnel for precision and the flywheel for persistence. Each stage of the flywheel contains micro-funnels guiding your audience from attention to action.

As you refine your systems and messaging, inertia builds—and the whole mechanism becomes easier to sustain.

In Practice : The Coffee Shop Example

Imagine you own a small café in a tourist town. You attract visitors through local ads, cross-promotions, and charming social media posts. Inside, clean spaces, friendly staff, and clever signage convert curiosity into sales.

Then you retain attention with a loyalty club, discounts, and personal touches. Over time, your biggest fans bring friends, expanding your customer base through advocacy.

That’s the flywheel and funnel working together—sales today, momentum tomorrow.

The Big Lesson

Doing what others don’t is a powerful differentiator. While big corporations rely on their size, your edge lies in agility, authenticity, and connection. You don’t need to conquer the market—you just need to capture enough of it to thrive.

And the best part? Once your systems align, every turn of the wheel multiplies the force behind your business.

Read the full post or listen to the podcast edition here : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/marketing-the-flywheel-and-the-funnel

Tracking what truly matters is an under-loved, yet critical part of building something lasting.

When it comes to marketing analytics, the line between insight and overload is razor-thin. Data is abundant, but understanding which numbers actually matter—and how to interpret them—takes experience, clarity, and discipline. In this second installment of Measuring the Flames, we dive into the tangible mechanics of marketing analytics for builders, founders, and marketers who want to move from guesswork to growth.

The post begins by addressing a common struggle : too much data and too little focus. Tools like Google Analytics can present hundreds of possible metrics, but without a framework, it’s easy to drown in the noise. The key lies in connecting metrics to outcomes. Align your measurements with your marketing mix (the Five Ps) and either your funnel or flywheel model to identify what truly influences growth.

Paul explains three broad groups of metrics that anchor any effective measurement system :

1. Outcome Metrics—financial health indicators such as revenue and cost.
2. Intermediate Metrics—signals that move the needle, like conversions or leads.
3. Origination Metrics—inputs like impressions or foot traffic that fuel your funnel.

From there, he outlines how each stage of the funnel (Awareness, Consideration, Conversion) and flywheel (Attract, Convert, Retain, Create) can be measured and optimized. The two models, often treated as rivals, are shown instead as complementary—each illuminating a different phase of customer interaction.

The article then moves into the heart of the craft : designing your own measurement program. Start small, document your funnel stages, list key activities, define how to measure each, and begin experimenting. After establishing a baseline, use your data to set goals and refine performance.

You’ll also find explanations of key marketing metrics—Conversion Rate, Cost per Lead, Customer Lifetime Value, Marketing Efficiency Ratio, Net Promoter Score, and more—each paired with plain-language formulas and reasons why they matter.

Finally, Paul closes with a crucial lesson: not every useful metric already exists. Builders should feel empowered to invent their own, tailored to their goals and customer behaviour. The example of a fictional coffee chain demonstrates how custom metrics can uncover powerful insights into product pairings and customer behaviour.

The Journey continues its mission to be the builder’s field manual—practical, hands-on, and rooted in experience. Read the full post or listen to the podcast edition here : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/measmeasuring-the-flames-marketing-analytics-p2

When you’re building something new, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making assumptions about your customers and your market. But assumptions only take you so far. The truth is, the businesses that thrive are the ones that learn to measure—carefully, thoughtfully, and consistently. Marketing analytics isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a discipline that transforms scattered data into usable insights that can fuel growth.

In this post, we dive into the why behind marketing analytics before worrying about the how. That shift in perspective makes all the difference. After all, understanding the tools is much easier once you know why they matter in the first place.

Consider the story of a Canadian coffee chain trying to carve out a niche in a crowded marketplace. Between national chains, local independents, and the rise of at-home barista machines, it wasn’t enough just to serve great coffee. To stand out, they had to truly understand their customers. By identifying basic behavioural segments—“grab-and-go” commuters rushing in before work, and “sip-and-sit” regulars looking for comfort and community—they were able to tailor experiences and operations. From adjusting service during peak hours to testing pastry samples in the afternoon, these small, insight-driven shifts drove real revenue gains.

This is the heart of marketing analytics: creating meaningful customer segments. It’s not just about clustering similar people together—it’s about clustering people in a way that you can act on. A “meaningful” segment leads directly to a clear, practical change in marketing or operations that benefits both your business and your customer.

Getting there doesn’t always mean investing in enterprise-grade tools. Sometimes, your point-of-sale data or a simple Google Sheet can reveal just as much as a pricey analytics platform. What matters is recognizing that any system generating reports can be a source of useful insights—and that integrating data from multiple sources can help you see the bigger picture.

Marketing analytics may not always feel glamorous, but it creates the conditions for smarter growth. And as competition intensifies, being able to measure what matters and turn those numbers into actionable strategies is what separates sustainable builders from struggling ones.

In Part 2, we’ll explore the specific types of metrics you can track, how to benchmark performance, and even how to create custom metrics tailored to your unique growth journey.

Read the full post or listen to the podcast edition here : https://6catalysts.substack.com/p/measuring-the-flames-marketing-analytics