Are You Doing Reps or Just Posing? A Startup Fitness Test
Introduction
In this energizing episode of Zero to Traction, JDM and Cameron Law flex a new metaphor for startup progress: fitness. Not the kind with treadmills and protein shakes (though JDM tries), but the kind that forces founders to ask a tough question:
Are you putting in real reps that build strength and validate your business?
Or are you just posing—looking like a startup, talking like a startup, pitching like a startup—without doing the actual work of building one?
Startup Gym: The Metaphor That Hits
We all know the founder who shows up with a slick deck, a clean cap table, and a wall of advisors... but can’t answer basic questions about their go-to-market. Looks like a pro, swings like a beginner.
That’s posing.
In contrast, the founder who’s got call logs from 30 customer interviews, a messy MVP running manual behind the scenes, and a half-tested CAC-to-LTV ratio? They’re doing reps.
Cameron nails it: good founders don’t just talk about their theory—they run the play, sweat through the data, and build the engine.
Reps Before Scaling: The Foundation Metaphor
The duo brings up another apt analogy: marathon training.
You don’t jump from a few neighborhood jogs into a 13-mile half-marathon without risking serious injury. Yet founders try to do this all the time by chasing revenue or scaling prematurely before they’ve validated the model.
Cameron puts it bluntly:
"You can hit revenue and still fail if it isn’t repeatable. You’ll break your business the same way you’d break your body."
The solution? Base-building. Early indicators. Evidence loops. Just like strength and endurance in training, startups must build durable foundations before adding weight.
Pitching Is a Data Point, Not a Strategy
JDM reminds us: a pitch is a single data point. Investors fund trend lines.
So while the temptation might be to polish your story and drop in the latest strategic idea mid-pitch, that alone won’t carry you.
"Don't confuse changing your pitch with changing your business model."
If a new idea emerges during strategy conversations or pitch reviews, don’t rush to add it to your deck. Instead, slow down and test:
What assumptions does this idea rely on?
What would evidence of success look like?
Can we run a low-cost, low-risk test in the market?
Reps = Experiments = Learning Loops
Founders often hesitate to run experiments because:
It feels bureaucratic
It seems basic
It exposes how little they actually know
But as JDM explains, real reps are structured loops:
Hypothesis: "I believe X is true."
Experiment: "If X is true, Y should happen."
Measure: Define success before you test.
Learn: Act based on what you find.
You don’t need sophisticated tooling. The Traction Lab uses Google Docs and bullets. What matters is intentionality.
"Write it down before you test. If you don’t, you’re not running an experiment. You’re running vibes."
The Posing Trap: Storytelling Without Evidence
This episode takes aim at a common founder behavior: communicating ideas without backing them up. It looks like:
Dropping a bold claim in a pitch without having tested it
Updating your positioning without updating your understanding
Focusing on investor communication over customer validation
"Don’t confuse the performance of traction with actual traction."
Building Toward the Trend Line
A good investor isn’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for a trend line headed up and to the right. And that line is built from:
Early signals
Repeatable behaviors
Patterned learning
Cameron adds:
"Revenue is a lagging indicator. What are your leading indicators of growth?"
It’s not about having one big customer or a flashy pilot. It’s about showing a system for reaching many more like them.
Final Thoughts: Do the Work, Not the Performance
You can pose and fool a few people for a little while.
But only doing real reps—real experiments, real evidence, real iteration—builds a business that investors will fund and customers will love.
So the next time you’re working on your pitch, your strategy, or even your "About" page...
Stop and ask yourself:
Am I doing reps?
Or am I just posing?
Listen to the full episode of Zero to Traction and subscribe for more hard-earned insights from founders who've done the work.
About Josh David Miller
Over the past decade, Josh David Miller has empowered over 100 startup founders and innovators to launch and scale their ventures. As the driving force behind the Traction Lab Venture Accelerator,
Josh specializes in guiding early-stage startups through the intricate journey from ideation to product-market fit. His expertise lies in transforming innovative concepts into viable, market-ready solutions, ensuring entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of the startup ecosystem with confidence and strategic insight.
About Cameron R. Law
Cameron R. Law is a Sacramento native dedicated to building community, growing ecosystems, and empowering entrepreneurs.
As the Executive Director of the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at California State University, Sacramento, he leverages his passion for the region to foster innovation and support emerging ventures. Through his leadership, Cameron plays a pivotal role in shaping Sacramento's entrepreneurial landscape, ensuring that innovators and builders have the resources and support they need to succeed.
