Chapter 9 of 11

Chapter 9: Required Artifacts Overview - Lean Vault Integration

Complete listing of artifacts for Growth Systems Architecture, Conversion Optimization, Retention Engineering, Acquisition Systems, and Expansion Revenue.

What You'll Learn The docs you need for Series B due diligence—and why investors care about each one.

Proof You're Ready to Scale

Series B investors don't just want growth. They want proof it's repeatable—not luck.

Keep these docs in your Lean Vault. Update them often. When due diligence starts, you'll be ready.

Growth Systems Architecture

Proof you know how growth works in your company.

growth-system-architecture.pdf

A visual map of your growth engine:

Primary growth loops (Viral, Content, Paid)
How loops interconnect and reinforce
Conversion rates at each stage
Current constraint highlighted

flywheel-momentum-analysis.md

How strong are your loops:

How many users each user brings in
How fast each loop spins
What's slowing things down
Getting better or worse?

bottleneck-priority-list.md

Your top blockers, ranked:

Current #1 constraint and fix plan
Impact if resolved (modeled)
Resources required
Historical constraints resolved

Conversion Optimization

Proof you're getting better at turning visitors into users.

conversion-funnel-blueprint.pdf

Your funnel now:

Stage-by-stage conversion rates
Drop-off points identified
Quarterly targets for improvement
Segment-level breakdowns

ab-testing-results-dashboard.md

Your A/B test history:

What you tested and how
Was the result real or just noise?
What you shipped, what you killed
What you learned

micro-conversion-opportunities.md

Small wins that lead to big wins:

Key actions users take
Which actions predict who stays
How many users complete each
Which to focus on first

Retention Engineering

Proof you can keep customers and grow them.

retention-strategy-framework.pdf

Your retention plan:

How long each group of users stays
Plans to keep users longer
What you spend vs. what you save
Revenue from existing users (trend)

habit-formation-design.md

How you build habits:

Triggers (external → internal)
Actions (less friction)
Rewards designed
Investment loops built

churn-prediction-model.md

Spot risk early:

Risk scoring algorithm
Variables and weights
Intervention playbooks
Save rate by risk tier

Acquisition Systems

Proof you can get customers at scale without wasting money.

channel-scalability-analysis.pdf

How much each channel can grow:

What you spend and what you get
When more spend stops helping
How much room is left
New channels to try

investment-allocation-optimizer.md

Where to put your next dollar:

Where money goes now
Where it should go
What that would change
What if you're wrong

attribution-model-report.md

How users found you:

Models used and why
Credit by channel
First vs. Last touch comparison
Insights and actions taken

Scaling Infrastructure & Team

Proof you can handle fast growth without breaking.

infrastructure-scaling-roadmap.pdf

Tech scaling plan:

Current architecture state
Migration plan
Load capacity and headroom
Trigger points for changes

team-scaling-playbook.md

Team scaling plan:

Squad/Tribe structure
Hiring plan by function
Onboarding curriculum
Culture tactics

process-documentation-library.md

Knowledge base index:

List of documented processes
Owner and update schedule
Coverage percentage
Training materials linked

Expansion Revenue & Unit Economics

Proof your money engine works.

expansion-revenue-strategy.pdf

Path to high NRR:

Ways to sell more to existing users
Milestones that trigger upgrades
Scripts for upsell conversations
Revenue from existing users (trend)

pricing-tier-optimization.md

Pricing strategy:

Your pricing tiers
What's free vs. paid
Pay-as-you-go parts
What you plan to change

growth-system-health-dashboard.md

Executive metrics:

Customer value vs. cost to get them
How much you burn per dollar earned
Revenue from existing customers
Ready to scale fast?

Artifact Readiness Checklist

Pre-Fundraise Checklist

Before talking to Series B investors, check:

Category	Artifacts	Status
Growth Architecture	System map, flywheel analysis, bottleneck list	Complete
Conversion	Funnel blueprint, A/B results, micro-conversions	Complete
Retention	Strategy framework, habit design, churn model	Complete
Acquisition	Channel analysis, allocation model, attribution	Complete
Scaling	Infra roadmap, team playbook, process library	Complete
Economics	Expansion strategy, pricing optimization, health dashboard	Complete

Lean Vault Organization

Store all artifacts in your Lean Vault with:

Version control: Date stamps, version numbers
Access: Who can edit, who can view
Update schedule: Weekly, monthly, or quarterly
Owner: One person per artifact

Investors will ask for these. Having them ready speeds up the deal.

Key Takeaways

    Remember
    Show systems, not just results. Prove your growth is repeatable.
Good docs signal a mature company. Investors notice.
Keep docs fresh. Stale docs are worse than none.
One owner per doc. Shared = none.
Start prep now. Don't scramble when the term sheet comes.

With these docs in place, you're ready for the final chapter. We'll wrap up and prep you for Playbook 08: Funding & Scale.

Failure Patterns Conclusion

Works Cited & Recommended Reading

Growth Systems & Loops

1. From traction to transformation: How ventures scale successfully. WhataVenture
3. ARR Benchmarks for IAM Startups. Qubit Capital
4. Two Metrics That Really Matter: Burn Multiple and Revenue per Dollar. Data Driven VC
5. Growth Loops: Transcending AARRR Frameworks. Reforge
6. Growth Loops: Engineering Exponential Growth in the AI Era. Medium
7. Growth Wins When Built On A Solid Foundation of Retention & Engagement. Reforge
8. Growth Flywheel Framework. Umbrex
9. The Wonder Years of SaaS: Balancing Growth and Sales Efficiency. Scale Venture Partners

Bottleneck Analysis & Conversion

10. 3 Ways to Identify a Bottleneck in Project Management. Asana
11. Bottleneck Analysis Explained - Steps, Benefits & Tools. ProcessMaker
12. Conversion Rate Optimization for Marketing & Product Teams. Heap.io
13. Funnel Analysis Examples and Case Studies in 5 Industries. Amplitude
14. The Beginner's Guide to SaaS Conversion Optimization. CXL
15. How To Track and Optimize In-App Micro Conversion in SaaS? Userpilot
16. What Are Micro Conversions, Why They Matter & 10 Examples. OptiMonk

Retention & Engagement

17. A 5% Retention Lift Can Boost Profits by Up to 95%. Social.plus
18. SaaS Retention Strategies That Stop the "Leaky Bucket". Freemius
19. How Your Pricing Strategy Impacts ARR and Valuation. Monetizely
20. How the Hook Model can give you better user retention. StriveCloud
21. Hooked: Build Habit Forming Products (Nir Eyal). Brand Master Academy
23. How to Build a Churn Prediction Model that Works. Custify
24. How to build a customer churn model: A guide. Stripe
25. Customer churn prediction for SaaS companies. Beyond the Arc

Marketing & Attribution

26. Optimize Your Ad Spend with Marketing Mix Modeling. Measured
27. Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns in Marketing. Eliya
28. Diminishing Returns: Accounting for Channel Saturation. Recast's MMM
30. Demystifying MMM. Marketscience
32. Marketing Mix Modeling is Back. Revology Analytics

Infrastructure & Scaling

33. Scaling your startup through cloud app modernization. AWS
34. Why Microservices Could Be Your First Big Startup Misstep. KITRUM
35. Microservices Patterns: Scalability and Resource Management. Paradigma Digital
36. Agile Spotify Model: Squads, Tribes, Chapters & Guilds. Echometer
39. What Is The Spotify Model? Product School
41. 9 Things About Hiring for Hypergrowth. Mogel
42. The Bottleneck Principle: Solving The Right Constraints. Forbes

Pricing & Expansion Revenue

43. Land and Expand: Pricing Models for Expansion Revenue. Monetizely
44. The In-Depth Guide to SaaS Pricing Models. Userpilot
45. Usage-Based Pricing: The next evolution in software. OpenView Partners
46. From Seats to Outcomes: Usage-Based Pricing. QuotaPath
47. SaaS Pricing Models: Choosing the Right Revenue Architecture. Rework
48. Customer health scores explained: Strategies for success. Moxo
49. Using Customer Health Score for Growth Opportunities. Kapta

This playbook synthesizes research from Reforge, leading SaaS operators, and academic sources. Some book links may be affiliate links.

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