What are the jobs of early PM's and Founders?

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 :)

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.