Productivity glossary
Glossary of productivity, time management, & work-life balance terms.
A
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.
C
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.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
Software that manages and integrates the entire organization such as customer relationships, sales, engineering, production, procurement, inventory and finance
Error Log
A record of issues, bugs, or failures that occur within a system, used by developers to diagnose and resolve problems.
Event tracking
Monitoring specific user actions within a product (such as clicks or form submissions) to analyze behavior and optimize experiences.
F
Feature flag
A software switch that allows teams to enable, disable, or test features without deploying new code.
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
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.
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
Help desk Software
Tools that manage customer support requests, tickets, and communication channels efficiently.
Help desk Software
Tools that manage customer support requests, tickets, and communication channels efficiently.
I
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
A cloud computing model that provides virtualized computing resources like servers, storage, and networking on demand.
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.
Knowledge base
A centralized collection of articles, guides, and FAQs designed to help users find answers and learn independently.
L
Landing page
A standalone webpage designed to convert visitors into leads or customers through focused messaging and a clear call-to-action.
Lifetime Value (LTV)
The total revenue a business can expect from a single customer throughout their relationship with the company.
Load Balancing
A method of distributing network or application traffic across multiple servers to improve speed, reliability, and uptime.
M
Managed hosting
A hosting service where the provider handles setup, maintenance, security, and performance optimization on behalf of the user.
Metrics dashboard
Software that automates repetitive marketing tasks such as email campaigns, lead nurturing, and social media management.
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.
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.
Notification system
A feature that sends alerts or updates to users about important events, changes, or actions within a product.
O
Onboarding flow
A step-by-step process designed to help new users get started and experience the product's core value quickly.
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
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.
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.
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.
T
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.
V
Viral coefficient
A metric that measures how many new users each existing user generates through referrals.
Viral coefficient
A metric that measures how many new users each existing user generates through referrals.
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.
Y
Young company metrics
KPIs used to measure growth and traction in early-stage startups.
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.