Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1356IR // #c1356Synthesis

"So the only thing I really did was give them access to our Google Analytics numbers so they could see what was under the hood."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

You have a metric that proves your value better than any presentation.

[Why it matters]

The data showed most readers typed in the URL directly and stayed, refreshing all day like it was a fantasy sports site. That stickiness made the case better than a deck could have.

Filed under situations:When the other side has more leverageWhen you need a yes and they’re not there yet

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1345"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."You need paying customers before you have a finished product. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.

Same situation, different book

#c1322Fill the reservoir of trust before you need itYou'll eventually need a deal with a rival and have no reason yet to talk to them.From Courage Can Save Us #c1279The Smarties test for adultsYou're sure the other side must see what you see.From Trade Outside the Box #c1277Listen and then thinkYou're preparing what to say in a meeting where you haven't yet heard the other side.From The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy #c1269Constituents need to know whyYou're closing a deal at the top that the wider team will have to carry out.From The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy