The Method — Measure
A real example of the measure phase in action
Here is Measure run end to end on a real engagement: putting numbers on the constraint: cost to acquire by source, lifetime value, payback period, finishing with a baseline nobody argues with.
8 min read · Reviewed by both partners
Details are changed; the sequence is not. This is what the Measure phase actually looks like when it is done properly.
Measure maps to Measure in DMAIC, which is why it refuses to move on until its own output exists.
Step by step
The owner arrives with a symptom
Revenue flat, effort rising, and three competing theories about why. All three were plausible and none had been tested.
We start from the numbers that exist
Not the numbers we wish existed. Measure works from real reporting, however incomplete, because that is what the business will still have next quarter.
The work of Measure
This phase’s job is putting numbers on the constraint: cost to acquire by source, lifetime value, payback period. Anything that does not serve that gets deferred to a later phase on purpose.
The output gets written down
A baseline nobody argues with — in a document, not a conversation. Undocumented conclusions do not survive a busy month.
Then, and only then, the next phase
Typical duration is two to four weeks. Moving on early is the most common way this phase gets wasted.
Common mistakes
Treating it as paperwork
Measure produces a decision, not a deliverable to file. If nothing changes as a result, it was not done.
Running it in parallel with the next phase
The order is the method. Parallelising it reintroduces exactly the guesswork the sequence exists to remove.
Frequently Asked Questions
A real example of the measure phase in action?
Details are changed; the sequence is not. This is what the Measure phase actually looks like when it is done properly.
How does this connect to the Growth Scaling Method, and what’s the next step with Growth-Scaling?
It sits under The Measure Phase in the Growth Scaling Method. The next step for an owner is the $1,500 Assessment, which reads your own numbers against everything described above.
Is pricing published?
Yes, and it does not move: $1,500 per Foundation step, $4,500 for all three, and a $5,000 monthly minimum for recurring programs.
Who works on the account?
The two founders, directly. David Mitroff, Ph.D., handles strategy; Steven Lockhart handles systems and measurement. Nothing is passed to a junior team.
References
- www.bbb.org — primary source
- www.score.org — primary source
- www.ftc.gov — primary source
Run Measure on your own numbers
The Assessment is where this starts, with both partners and two hours.
Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm. It is not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical and does not provide medical, legal, financial, or contracting services; all industry content on this site is marketing and growth guidance for owners in those fields. Figures describing past engagements refer to specific businesses under specific conditions and are not a prediction of any future result. No outcome is promised.
Written by Steven Lockhart, reviewed by David Mitroff, Ph.D. Figures and regulatory details reflect the cited public sources; requirements vary by state and situation. Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm, not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical.