The Method — Measure
How measure connects to the next phase of the method
Measure hands the next phase exactly one thing: a baseline nobody argues with. Engineer then takes a baseline nobody argues with and uses it to do finding the mechanism behind the constraint rather than its symptom.
7 min read · Reviewed by both partners
The phases are sequential because each one’s output is the next one’s input. That is the entire argument for the order.
Run out of sequence, the later phase substitutes an assumption for the input it never received — which is what the method exists to prevent.
Step by step
What this phase produces
A baseline nobody argues with. One artifact, written, dated.
Why the next phase cannot start without it
It would have to invent the input. Invented inputs are indistinguishable from good ones until the results arrive.
What gets lost when you skip ahead
Measuring what is easy to collect rather than what decides the business — and the cost surfaces two phases later, priced higher.
How to tell the handoff was clean
The next phase’s first meeting does not spend an hour re-deciding what this phase already settled.
What comes after
Engineer then takes a baseline nobody argues with and uses it to do finding the mechanism behind the constraint rather than its symptom.
Common mistakes
Overlapping the phases to save time
The saving is real and the rework is larger. This is the most common process failure we see.
Handing over a conversation instead of a document
Verbal handoffs decay. By the next phase’s second week, two people remember it differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How measure connects to the next phase of the method?
The phases are sequential because each one’s output is the next one’s input. That is the entire argument for the order.
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.
How much should we budget?
Budget $4,500 to find out what to build. Budget from $5,000 a month only if the Plan says a recurring engine is warranted — sometimes it says the opposite.
Who delivers the work?
Both founding partners, every time — strategy from David Mitroff, Ph.D., systems and measurement from Steven Lockhart.
References
- www.nfib.com — primary source
- www.consumerfinance.gov — primary source
- www.census.gov — primary source
Run the sequence properly
The Foundation is the first three phases, priced at $4,500.
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.