the signature
requires a proposal with a defined scope
the proposal
requires one call where the actual problem got named
the call
requires a reason to accept the invitation, which is almost never the pitch
the reason
requires something you published that solved a real problem for free
that publication
requires knowing which problem, which comes from support logs and repeated questions
the whole chain runs on one input: what people actually askBuilt forwards, this becomes: content, then traffic, then a form, then hope.
Built backwards, every stage has a job defined by the stage above it, and any stage that cannot name its successor gets cut.
Try it on your current funnel this week. Most teams find two stages that exist because they are conventional, and one missing stage that explains everything.
