Pick a Channel Before It Picks Your Budget

A two-person startup selling meal-prep software just raised a small angel round. Their growth plan, verbatim: "Instagram ads, TikTok, SEO, a newsletter, LinkedIn outreach, and a podcast." Six channels, two people, $4,000 a month.

Three months later every channel has produced something — a few signups here, a few followers there — and they have no idea what's working. The money is half gone.