home / skills / ncklrs / startup-os-skills / performance-marketer
This skill delivers data-driven performance marketing guidance for paid acquisition, landing pages, A/B testing, and attribution to maximize CAC/LTV.
npx playbooks add skill ncklrs/startup-os-skills --skill performance-marketerReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: performance-marketer
description: Expert performance marketing guidance for paid acquisition, CRO, and growth optimization. Use when creating ad campaigns, writing ad copy, optimizing landing pages, setting up A/B tests, analyzing CAC/LTV, building attribution models, or planning retargeting strategies. Use for Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, conversion tracking, budget allocation, and funnel optimization.
---
# Performance Marketer
Expert performance marketing guidance for paid acquisition, conversion rate optimization, and data-driven growth — from ad creative to attribution modeling.
## Philosophy
Great performance marketing is a system, not a series of tactics:
1. **Measure what matters** — Vanity metrics kill budgets
2. **Test with intention** — Random A/B tests waste time and traffic
3. **Optimize the full funnel** — A great ad to a bad landing page burns money
4. **Compound learnings** — Every test teaches something for the next
## How This Skill Works
When invoked, apply the guidelines in `rules/` organized by:
- `paid-*` — Paid advertising strategy, creative, and copy
- `landing-*` — Landing page optimization
- `testing-*` — A/B testing and experimentation frameworks
- `analytics-*` — Attribution, CAC/LTV, and conversion tracking
- `budget-*` — Budget allocation and scaling
## Core Frameworks
### The Performance Marketing Loop
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ ADS │───▶│ LANDING │───▶│ CONVERT │ │
│ │ (Reach) │ │ (Hook) │ │ (Action) │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ ▲ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐ │ │
│ └──────────│ ANALYZE │◀─────────┘ │
│ │ (Learn) │ │
│ └──────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
### The CAC/LTV Equation
| Metric | Formula | Target |
|--------|---------|--------|
| **CAC** | Total Acquisition Cost / New Customers | Lower is better |
| **LTV** | Avg Revenue × Avg Lifespan | Higher is better |
| **LTV:CAC** | LTV / CAC | 3:1 or higher |
| **Payback Period** | CAC / Monthly Revenue | < 12 months |
### Funnel Math
```
Impressions × CTR = Clicks
Clicks × CVR = Conversions
Conversions × Close Rate = Customers
Customers × ARPU = Revenue
```
### Channel Selection Matrix
| Channel | Best For | Typical CAC | Intent Level |
|---------|----------|-------------|--------------|
| **Google Search** | High-intent capture | $50-200 | High |
| **Google Display** | Retargeting, awareness | $20-80 | Low |
| **Meta (FB/IG)** | B2C, visual products | $30-100 | Medium |
| **LinkedIn** | B2B, enterprise | $100-500 | Medium-High |
| **Twitter/X** | Tech audiences, awareness | $40-150 | Low-Medium |
| **TikTok** | Gen Z, viral potential | $20-60 | Low |
## Key Metrics by Stage
| Stage | Primary Metric | Secondary Metrics |
|-------|---------------|-------------------|
| **Awareness** | Impressions, CPM | Frequency, Reach |
| **Interest** | CTR, CPC | Time on site, Bounce rate |
| **Consideration** | Conversion rate | Micro-conversions, Scroll depth |
| **Purchase** | CPA, ROAS | AOV, Conversion value |
| **Retention** | LTV, Repeat rate | NPS, Churn rate |
## Budget Allocation Framework
### The 70-20-10 Rule
- **70%** — Proven channels and campaigns (scale what works)
- **20%** — Optimization tests (improve what's working)
- **10%** — Experimentation (test new channels/approaches)
### Scaling Checklist
Before scaling a campaign:
- [ ] LTV:CAC ratio ≥ 3:1
- [ ] Consistent performance over 2+ weeks
- [ ] Statistical significance on key metrics
- [ ] Landing page handles traffic spikes
- [ ] Tracking verified on all conversion events
## Anti-Patterns
- **Scaling too fast** — Doubling budget overnight breaks algorithms
- **Testing everything at once** — Can't learn what caused the change
- **Ignoring attribution** — Last-click lies, multi-touch tells the truth
- **Copy-paste ads** — Same creative across channels fails
- **Optimizing for clicks** — Clicks don't pay bills, conversions do
- **Set and forget** — Ads fatigue, audiences shift, competition changes
- **Vanity metrics** — Impressions feel good, revenue feels better
This skill provides expert performance marketing guidance for paid acquisition, conversion rate optimization, and growth optimization. It focuses on measurable outcomes across ad creative, landing pages, attribution, and budget allocation. Use it to design campaigns, run experiments, and build data-driven funnels that improve CAC, LTV, and ROAS.
When invoked, the skill applies a ruleset organized by paid, landing, testing, analytics, and budget categories to give prescriptive recommendations. It evaluates channel fit, creative and copy, landing page hooks, experiment design, and measurement approaches. It also uses funnel math and CAC/LTV frameworks to recommend budget splits, scaling guardrails, and attribution setups.
What LTV:CAC ratio should I target?
Aim for an LTV:CAC of 3:1 or higher, with a payback period under 12 months when possible.
How fast should I scale budgets?
Avoid doubling budget overnight; scale incrementally after 2+ weeks of consistent performance and confirmed tracking.