When I have recently gone on vacation, I have taken a book with me. I always do that with better or worse results. This time it has been "Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth" written by Gabriel Weinberg that had been recommended to me. I have read it all so I have decided to write a review.
Traction
Traction is winning enough customers or attention to move the business to the next level. It is crucial to all or at least most startups. Without traction it is almost impossible to win investors or get incomes high enough to allow for company growth.
Target group
As the title suggests, it was written for startup owners and is focused on attracting customers. It interested me because I am a technical person, a software engineer, and I knew almost nothing about marketing before reading that book. I was tempted to experience getting into an absolutely different world. I write this so you know my level of knowledge in that area. You can think - he is like me; he liked it, so I should too ... or it is a totally different case.
The startup may operate in various industries. It is not restricted to IT. The author explains methods that might work for an online business, but some will work only for local businesses like a small grocery store. Not all tips will work for all kinds of companies. But everyone should be able to find something for them.
Book language
Although I read a Polish translation, which is terrible by the way, it was easy to read. The author does not assume that the reader has big knowledge on the topic. Moreover, it explains all the terms and techniques mentioned in the book. That approach is justified because startup owners do not necessarily are marketing experts. They may just be engineers, barbers, etc.
Content
The book contains one general approach to getting traction - how to find the right method and execute it. Once the concept is briefly but well explained, the rest of the time you will read about various methods of getting traction. The author provides real life examples from very well-known world-wide businesses. Not all methods will work for each business, but you need to have an overview of them, to choose wisely, and to adjust them to your case. It is half educational, half inspirational.
Final impression
If you think that marketing is just paying Google for ads in the search engine, you will be surprised many times when reading that book. If you have a business or at least an idea, you almost have to read it.
