Productivity glossary
Glossary of productivity, time management, & work-life balance terms.
A
A/B testing
A method of comparing two versions of a webpage, email, or feature to determine which performs better based on user behavior.
Acquisition cost (CAC)
Customer Acquisition Cost is the total expense required to acquire a new customer, including marketing, sales, and advertising costs.
Agile development
An iterative approach to software development that promotes collaboration, adaptability, and continuous delivery.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of protocols and tools that allow different software applications to communicate and share data.
B
Backlog
A prioritized list of tasks, features, or bugs waiting to be developed or addressed in future sprints.
Beta release
A pre-launch version of a software product released to selected users for testing and feedback.
Bootstrapping
Building and growing a company using personal savings or internal revenue rather than external funding.
C
Churn Rate
The percentage of customers who cancel or stop using a subscription service during a given period.
Cloud computing
The delivery of computing services including servers, storage, databases, and software over the internet instead of local infrastructure.
Conversion rate
The percentage of users who complete a desired action (such as signing up, purchasing, or upgrading) out of the total number of visitors.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software that helps businesses manage interactions with existing and potential customers to improve relationships and retention.
Customer lifetime value (CLV or LTV)
The total revenue a business can expect from a customer over the entire duration of their relationship.
D
Dashboard
A visual interface that displays key metrics, analytics, and performance indicators in real time for easy monitoring and decision-making.
Data analytics
The process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to uncover patterns, trends, and insights that guide business decisions.
Data migration
The process of transferring data from one system, platform, or storage type to another, often during upgrades or software transitions.
E
Engagement rate
A metric that measures how actively users interact with your product, content, or platform, often through clicks, time spent, or feature usage.
Enterprise SaaS
Software-as-a-Service designed for large organizations with advanced scalability, security, and customization needs.
Error Log
A record of issues, bugs, or failures that occur within a system, used by developers to diagnose and resolve problems.
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)
A process for collecting data from various sources, transforming it into a usable format, and loading it into a database or data warehouse.
Event tracking
Monitoring specific user actions within a product (such as clicks or form submissions) to analyze behavior and optimize experiences.
Evergreen content
Content that remains relevant and valuable over time, often used in marketing and SEO strategies to attract long-term traffic.
F
Feature flag
A software switch that allows teams to enable, disable, or test features without deploying new code.
Funnel
A marketing or sales model that illustrates the stages users go through before converting into paying customers.
Freemium model
A business model offering a basic product for free while charging for premium features or advanced functionality.
Full stack developer
An engineer skilled in both front-end and back-end technologies, capable of building complete web applications.
Functional requirements
Specific behaviors or functions a system must perform, defining how software should operate from the user's perspective.
Feedback loop
A process of gathering user feedback, analyzing it, and applying insights to improve the product or customer experience.
G
Gamification
The use of game-like elements (such as badges, points, or progress bars) in software to increase user engagement and motivation.
Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy
A plan that outlines how a company will introduce a product to the market, reach target customers, and achieve competitive advantage.
H
Headless CMS
A content management system that separates the backend (content repository) from the frontend (presentation layer), enabling flexible content delivery.
Help desk Software
Tools that manage customer support requests, tickets, and communication channels efficiently.
I
Ideation
The creative process of generating, developing, and refining new ideas for products, features, or improvements.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
A cloud computing model that provides virtualized computing resources like servers, storage, and networking on demand.
J
JavaScript
A core programming language used to build dynamic and interactive web applications, essential for modern SaaS interfaces.
Journey mapping
A visual representation of the steps users take when interacting with a product, used to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
K
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A measurable value that shows how effectively a company or team is achieving its business objectives.
Kanban
An agile project management method that visualizes work on a board to improve flow, efficiency, and task prioritization.
Knowledge base
A centralized collection of articles, guides, and FAQs designed to help users find answers and learn independently.
Kubernetes
An open-source system for automating the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
L
Landing page
A standalone webpage designed to convert visitors into leads or customers through focused messaging and a clear call-to-action.
Lean Startup
A methodology focused on building products quickly, testing hypotheses, and learning from user feedback to reduce waste.
Lifetime Value (LTV)
The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer throughout their relationship with the company.
Low-Code Platform
A development environment that enables users to create software with minimal manual coding through drag-and-drop tools and visual interfaces.
Load Balancing
A method of distributing network or application traffic across multiple servers to improve speed, reliability, and uptime.
M
Machine Learning (ML)
A subset of artificial intelligence that enables systems to learn and improve from data without being explicitly programmed.
Managed hosting
A hosting service where the provider handles setup, maintenance, security, and performance optimization on behalf of the user.
Market fit (Product-Market Fit)
The stage where a product successfully meets the needs and demands of its target audience, resulting in strong user growth and retention.
Marketing automation
Software that automates repetitive marketing tasks such as email campaigns, lead nurturing, and social media management.
Metrics dashboard
A visual overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytics used to track progress and business health.
Microservices
An architectural approach where software is built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate through APIs.
Minimum viable product (MVP)
The simplest version of a product that allows teams to test core assumptions and gather feedback from early users.
Mobile optimization
The process of designing and adjusting websites or applications to deliver a seamless experience on mobile devices.
Monthly recurring revenue (MRR)
A key SaaS metric that represents predictable monthly income from active subscriptions.
N
Net promoter score (NPS)
A customer satisfaction metric that measures how likely users are to recommend a product or service to others.
No-code platform
A development environment that allows users to build apps and workflows without writing code, using visual interfaces instead.
Notification system
A feature that sends alerts or updates to users about important events, changes, or actions within a product.
Niche market
A focused segment of a broader market with specific needs that a product or service is designed to serve.
O
Onboarding flow
A step-by-step process designed to help new users get started and experience the product's core value quickly.
Open source
Software whose source code is publicly available for modification, enhancement, and distribution.
Opt-In
A user's consent to receive communication, notifications, or marketing materials, typically via email or in-app prompts.
Outbound marketing
Marketing efforts that actively reach out to potential customers through channels like ads, cold emails, or events.
Optimization
The practice of improving a system, design, or process for better performance, speed, or conversion.
P
Paywall
A system that restricts access to content or features until the user pays or subscribes.
Persona (User persona)
A fictional profile representing a key segment of your audience, used to guide product design and marketing strategies.
Pipeline
A structured process of stages that leads prospects from initial contact to conversion, often used in sales and development contexts.
Plugin
A piece of software that adds specific functionality to an existing application or platform.
Prototype
An early, simplified version of a product used to test concepts and gather feedback before full development.
Product-Led growth (PLG)
A go-to-market strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, conversion, and expansion.
Q
Quality assurance (QA)
The process of systematically testing software to ensure it meets quality standards and is free from defects.
Query
A request made to a database to retrieve or manipulate specific information.
Quota
A set limit or target for performance, usage, or sales within a defined period.
R
REST API
Representational State Transfer API, a web service architecture that uses standard HTTP methods to enable communication between systems.
Refactoring
The process of restructuring existing code to improve readability, maintainability, and performance without changing its functionality.
Rate limiting
A technique that controls the number of requests a user or application can make within a specific time period to prevent abuse and ensure system stability.
Real-time processing
The ability to process data and deliver results immediately as events occur, enabling instant updates and interactions.
Recurring revenue
Predictable income generated from subscription-based services, providing financial stability and growth predictability for SaaS businesses.
Regression testing
Testing performed to ensure that new changes or updates don't break existing functionality in previously working features.
Repository
A storage location where code, data, or project files are kept and version-controlled, typically using systems like Git.
S
Retention rate
The percentage of customers who continue using a product over a specific period, indicating satisfaction and loyalty.
Roadmap
A visual plan outlining upcoming product features, improvements, and long-term goals.
ROI (Return on Investment)
A metric that measures the profitability or effectiveness of an investment relative to its cost.
Release Notes
Documentation detailing new features, bug fixes, or updates included in a product release.
Responsive design
A design approach that ensures websites and applications automatically adjust to different screen sizes and devices.
T
TAM
The total revenue opportunity available for a product or service if 100% market share is achieved.
Tech stack
The combination of software technologies and tools a company uses to build and run its applications.
Trial conversion rate
The percentage of users who convert from a free trial to a paid subscription.
Telemetry
Data collected from software usage to monitor performance and user behavior.
U
Uptime
The percentage of time a service or application is operational and available to users.
User journey
The path a user takes from first interaction with a product to achieving their goal.
Usage-based pricing
A pricing model where customers pay based on the amount they use a service.
UX (User experience)
The overall experience and satisfaction a user has while interacting with a product.
V
Viral coefficient
A metric that measures how many new users each existing user generates through referrals.
Venture capital (VC)
Funding provided by investors to startups with high growth potential in exchange for equity.
W
Webhooks
Automated messages sent from an app when a specific event occurs, enabling integrations between software.
Workflow automation
The use of software to automate repetitive tasks and processes within an organization.
White-label SaaS
A SaaS product that can be rebranded and sold by another company as its own.
X
XaaS (Anything-as-a-service)
An umbrella term for services delivered over the cloud, including SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.
XML (Extensible markup language)
A format for structuring and exchanging data between systems.
Y
Yield
The return or revenue generated by a product, feature, or marketing channel.
Year-over-year (YoY)
A growth metric comparing performance for the same period in consecutive years.
Young company metrics
KPIs used to measure growth and traction in early-stage startups.
Z
Zero downtime deployment
Deploying software updates without disrupting service availability for users.
Zapier Integration
Connecting apps and automating workflows using the Zapier platform. Z-Score: A statistical measure sometimes used to assess risk or financial stability.