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Module 01 — The Leak Method

Measure before you fix

You'll leave with one number for your biggest leak, a simple way to choose where to start, and a check-in rhythm that tells you whether a fix worked.

  • 3 min read + 30 min exercise
  • Lesson 3 of 3
  • Free · No sign-up

The problem

Without a "before", every fix is a feeling. You'll stop good changes too early because they don't feel different, and keep bad ones because you're used to them.

Why it matters

The number you write down today is how you'll know whether everything you build in this course is working. In lesson 7.2 it grows into a weekly scorecard for the whole system.

1 One number per leak

You don't need software. Each leak has one number you can measure by hand from records you already have.

Slow first replyMedian time to first reply, last 10 inquiries.
No follow-upShare of people who went quiet and got 2+ follow-ups.
Quiet quotesQuotes with no answer in the last 60 days.
Repeat questionsRepeats in your last 30 customer messages.
Missing reviewsReviews received vs. jobs finished, last 90 days.
No returnPast customers who came back within 12 months.

2 Choose where to start

Rank your leaks on two questions: how many customers does it touch? and how hard is it to fix? Start in the top-left corner.

Start hereTouches many customers · easy to fix
Plan nextTouches many · harder to fix
Quick winTouches few · easy to fix
LaterTouches few · harder to fix

For most small teams, the first reply lands in "Start here": every customer goes through it, and it can be improved in an afternoon.

3 The check-in rhythm

  1. TodayWrite the number down with the date and how you measured it.
  2. Day 7Measure again, the same way. Early signal, not the verdict.
  3. Day 30Measure once more. Keep the fix, adjust it, or drop it.

Want a second opinion on where to start? The free Scan ranks your leaks from seven questions.

Example · illustrative

The cleaning company's first baseline

Their trace from lesson 1.2 pointed at the first reply, which sits in “Start here.” They opened their last ten inquiries and wrote down how long each one waited: 20 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 6 hours, the next morning, the next afternoon. The middle of the list: about 4½ hours.

They wrote it on the baseline card with the date, set reminders for day 7 and day 30, and only then started changing anything. Lesson 4.2 is where that number starts to move.

Your exercise · about 30 minutes

Set your first baseline

Template · Baseline card
LEAK:
NUMBER TODAY:            DATE:
HOW I MEASURED IT:
DAY 7:                   DATE:
DAY 30:                  DATE:
DECISION (keep / adjust / drop):
NEXT LEAK:

If you didn't write the number down before, you can't prove anything after.

Your next action

Write today's number on the baseline card and set the day-7 reminder before you close this page.