The Bullseye Framework is a simple but powerful method to figure out where your marketing efforts should go — and more importantly, where they shouldn’t.

It was introduced by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares in their book Traction, which focused on how startups can grow by finding and doubling down on the marketing channels that actually work. The idea is brutally simple: instead of spreading yourself thin across dozens of marketing tactics, use a structured way to test and identify the few that give you traction. Then, double down.

The Bullseye Framework is ideal for early-stage startups, side hustles, small teams, or honestly — any business that doesn’t have time or budget to waste on guesswork. It forces you to get focused, test fast, and make marketing decisions based on data, not vibes.

At Foundra, we’ve taken this framework and made it even easier to use with ready-to-go templates in PDF, Google Sheets, Slides, and Excel. The spreadsheet versions also include a scoring system to help you track and compare which channels are actually working. It’s designed for people who want to move fast, make smart bets, and spend their marketing budget wisely.

The big idea: Your goal isn’t to be present on every channel. It’s to find one that works, and go all in.

The Bullseye Framework has three rings, much like a dartboard:

🟡 Outer Ring – What’s Possible

Start by listing out all 19 traction channels (as defined in the Traction book). This includes things like SEO, PR, content marketing, viral loops, community building, and more. Think of this like a brainstorming session. No filtering yet. List any ideas, even bad ones.

🟠 Middle Ring – What’s Worth Testing

Now pick 3–6 channels that seem promising. These are channels that might work for your audience, your product, and your stage. For each one, write down a quick strategy.

For example:

• Email Marketing → “Create a 4-week welcome email course”
• Viral Marketing → “Add referral rewards for users who invite friends”

Then, rate each channel on four things:

• Lead Quality (Are the leads actually useful?)
• Impact (If it works, how big could the impact be?)
• Cost (Cheap or expensive to test?)
• Effort (How much time/people does it take?)

In our Google Sheet & Excel versions, we’ve made this easy. Just select your ratings from the dropdowns (1–3 scale). The sheet auto-calculates a score — lower score = more promising.

🔴 Inner Ring – What’s Working

Once you’ve tested the channels in your middle ring, pick the one (or maybe two) that are actually performing. You’ll know because the score is low and you’re seeing results: leads, signups, growth. This is your bullseye. Focus your time and budget there.

Rinse and repeat. Marketing evolves. So should your Bullseye.

Spreadsheet Tips

The spreadsheet version is your planning and decision-making dashboard.

Here’s how to use it:

• Add your strategy next to each channel
• Use the dropdowns to score each one based on status, lead quality, impact, cost, and effort
• The score column gives you a data-driven view of where to focus
• Add notes to track what worked, what didn’t, or what to try next
• Use filters to quickly sort channels by score or stage

• Test fast, not perfect. You’re not looking for the ideal campaign — just enough to know if the channel has legs.
• Kill bad ideas quickly. The goal is to eliminate what doesn’t work as fast as possible, so you can double down on what does.
• Don’t romanticize channels. Just because you want TikTok to work doesn’t mean it will. Let the data win.
• Start scrappy. A simple email series can beat a polished YouTube campaign. Focus on return, not polish.
• Update weekly. Check scores, test results, and gut feel. This isn’t a one-and-done doc — it’s a living decision-making tool.
• Use the spreadsheet if you’re serious. The PDF and Slides are great for ideation or pitching. But the spreadsheet’s where the real decisions get made.

With Foundra’s Bullseye Framework templates, you’re not just throwing darts in the dark — you’re testing with intention. Download the format that suits your style (PDF, Google Sheet, Slides, or Excel) and start figuring out what actually drives growth.