Hey friends 👋

Most founders think landing an LOI or pilot automatically equals traction.

Spoiler alert: it usually doesn't.

In this episode, we break down the difference between real evidence and validation theater. We dive into what makes an LOI actually worth something (hint: it's not the logo on your slide), why unpaid pilots are often just expensive consulting gigs, and how to front-load your sales process instead of kicking the can down the road.

Then we play "LOI or Lie?" — rating real examples from zero (pure vibes) to ten (shut up and take my money). From Fortune 100 logos that mean nothing to mid-market customers willing to pay upfront, we show you exactly what investors are really thinking when you pitch that "enterprise momentum."

Key insight: "Signal is found in specificity, so define all those terms in specificity. Leave them all vague, and all you have is noise."

Plus: Cameron shares safari etymology while JDM connects space elevators to Joseph Conrad. Because… why not?

Time to turn those validation theater tickets into real traction.

— Cameron and JDM

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zerototraction.substack.com