One number. No vanity metrics, no MRR charts until this is cracked. 100 → 1,000 is the hardest 10× on the climb — pure effort, no compounding yet. If we can do it in 90 days, the full climb is credible. If we can't, the product or distribution needs diagnosing first.
Each bar is pages processed that day. Cyan = API (/v1/parse). Emerald = web uploads. No bar = no usage.
Pages processed per month. Reaching 1,000 is the hardest jump — it's all effort, no compounding. Everything after gets easier as distribution and referral loops kick in.
For the next 90 days, the only number I'd track obsessively is 1,000 pages/month.
Not because 1,000 is impressive — it isn't — but because getting from 100 to 1,000 is the hardest 10× in the whole climb. It's the one where you have no social proof, no case studies, no referral loop, no organic traffic to speak of for the product specifically. Every subsequent 10× has some amount of compounding working in your favor. This one is pure effort.
If we hit 1,000 pages/month within 90 days, there's a credible shot at the full climb. If we can't, there's a distribution or product problem that needs diagnosing before any other strategic question matters.
Every /v1/parse hit and every web upload counts. If you've been meaning to try it — now's the moment the number goes up.