# 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.