Gaining traction. I think, that it is a key indicator of whether a product has potential to succeed in the market, and it can also help to attract investors and other stakeholders who are crucial for the product's growth and development. And I see it as an ongoing process that requires continuous experimentation and adaptation.
PMs:
* Understand the user lifecycle
* Gather as much product & usage analytics as possible
* Understand competition well
Founders:
* Ensure enough money in the bank
* Build a solid team
* Build a great culture
* Be absolutely hands on, whether it's Sales, Marketing or Finance.
PMs:
Validate the pain you're solving
Understand your north-star metric and make a plan to optimise for it
Founders:
As others have mentioned, build a great team, set the vision, and don't run out of money :)
Culturama