How to Spot Secret Startup Traction
11 Overlooked Signs of Traction
As a founder, you're probably hyper-focused on metrics like MRR, churn, and conversion rates to gauge your startup's progress.
But in the earliest days, before you have enough data to calculate these figures, there are subtler qualitative signals that can indicate you're onto something big.
I've spent years working with early-stage founders, and I've noticed some counterintuitive signs of traction that are easy to miss when you're in the trenches.
Let's dig into some of these non-obvious indicators that your startup is gaining momentum, even if the numbers don't show it yet.
1. Customers are complaining (yes, really)
It might sound crazy, but an influx of customer complaints can actually be a positive sign.
Think about it - if users are taking the time to give you detailed feedback, it means they care enough about your product to want it improved.
Silence is much worse than criticism at this stage.
Eddy Lu, CEO of GOAT Group, learned this the hard way when their Black Friday promo crashed their site, leading to a barrage of angry social media posts.
While stressful in the moment, it revealed there was serious demand for their product. As Lu put it, "At our company's stage, it's better to be hated than unknown."
Similarly, when Gong was in beta, co-founder Eilon Reshef started getting complaints that the product wasn't recording all sales calls - even though that wasn't its intended purpose. This showed users were relying on Gong as a critical tool, not just a nice-to-have.
The takeaway: Don't get discouraged by negative feedback early on. It often means you're onto something valuable.
2. Cold outreach is working
When you're first validating your idea, it's tempting to tap your personal network as early users. But this can give you false positives.
A better gauge is how strangers respond to cold outreach.
Ryan Glasgow, founder of Sprig, recommends cold emailing founders and PMs at Y Combinator companies during customer development.
If they're willing to take a meeting with someone they don't know, it's a strong sign you're solving a real pain point.
In B2B especially, time is more valuable than money.
If busy professionals are carving out time in their schedule for you, you're likely onto something promising.
3. Feature requests are flooding in
A deluge of feature requests might seem overwhelming, but it's actually a great sign that customers are invested in your product.
When Clay started focusing on outbound salespeople as their ICP, co-founder Kareem Amin noticed an uptick in feature requests and bug reports.
This showed users cared enough to provide feedback and were actively using the product in their workflows.
Don't view feature requests as a sign your product is lacking - see them as validation you're building something people want.
4. You catch your product "in the wild"
Sometimes, the best validation comes from seeing your product used in the real world.
Andrew Ofstad, co-founder of Airtable, had an "aha" moment when visiting WeWork's office and seeing Airtable open on nearly every monitor.
If you're selling to enterprises, try to arrange an on-site visit with a major customer.
Seeing your product integrated into their daily workflows can be incredibly affirming.
5. Prospects are sold before seeing the product
When potential customers are ready to buy based on your idea alone, that's a powerful signal.
Christina Cacioppo of Vanta and Jack Altman of Lattice both experienced this phenomenon.
Vanta was getting inbound interest despite having only a barebones website.
Lattice had prospects signing annual contracts based solely on design mocks.
If your idea resonates so strongly that people want to buy before even seeing a demo, you're likely solving an urgent problem.
6. The startup community isn't roasting you
Launching on platforms like Hacker News can be nerve-wracking for founders.
But sometimes, the absence of negativity is the best feedback.
When Michael Grinich launched WorkOS on Hacker News, he was proud that the typical snark was replaced with genuine enthusiasm.
A positive reception from the notoriously critical developer community can be a strong indicator you're on the right track.
7. Your company name is catching on
It might seem small, but hearing others casually mention your company name can be a pivotal moment.
Laura Behrens Wu of Shippo found it validating when industry players started referring to "Shippo" in conversation.
It signaled they were becoming a recognized player in the shipping logistics space.
8. Smart competitors are emerging
While competition can be stressful, having intelligent people tackle the same problem actually validates your market.
Guillermo Rauch of Vercel felt more confident in Next.js when he learned respected engineers at companies like Redfin and Trulia were building similar tools internally.
If multiple smart teams are independently trying to solve the same problem, it's a good sign there's a real market need.
9. You're starting to relax (a little)
The path to product-market fit often feels like constantly pushing a boulder uphill.
David Hsu of Retool describes reaching product-market fit as finally being able to relax slightly without worrying about losing all momentum.
While you might not experience a "geyser exploding" moment, noticing that marginal customer acquisition feels less like a constant struggle is a positive sign.
10. You genuinely want to use your own product
If you find yourself eagerly using your own product, that's a great sign.
Jessica McKellar of Pilot felt affirmed when their bookkeeping software caught errors in Pilot's own financials.
Bryant Chou of Webflow was blown away watching his co-founder build a site in minutes using their tool.
Genuine enthusiasm for your own product is contagious and often translates to customer excitement.
11. Your mood is trending upward
While it might seem unscientific, tracking your own emotions as a founder can reveal a lot.
Hubert Palan of Productboard created a "founder mood meter," rating his mood three times daily.
When he noticed his mood consistently trending upward, it correlated with more positive customer feedback and market validation.
Don't discount your intuition - if you're feeling more optimistic about your startup's direction, there's likely a good reason.
The Bottom Line
Building a startup is a rollercoaster, and it's easy to get discouraged when traditional metrics aren't showing hockey stick growth.
But by tuning into these subtler signals, you can gain confidence that you're on the right track, even in the earliest stages.
Remember, product-market fit often reveals itself gradually rather than in one dramatic moment.
Stay attuned to how customers, the market, and even your own mood are responding to your product.
These qualitative signals can provide the motivation to keep pushing forward until the quantitative results catch up.
And hey, if you want to dive deeper into strategies for growing your agency with recurring revenue, or getting your SaaS business unstuck, grab some time and let’s chat.