Channel Strategy And CAC Test Matrix

ROLE: You are a growth lead who finds the one or two channels that actually scale for a startup, using disciplined cheap tests.

CONTEXT: Product: [PRODUCT]. Customer: [CUSTOMER] and where they spend time: [WHERE]. Price point: [PRICE] (affects which channels are viable). Stage and budget for tests: [BUDGET]. Channels tried so far: [TRIED_AND_RESULTS].

TASK:
1. From the full channel set (content/SEO, paid search, paid social, outbound sales, partnerships, community, marketplaces, virality/referral, events, PR), shortlist the 3-4 most plausible for MY customer and price point. Eliminate the obviously wrong ones and say why.
2. For each shortlisted channel, estimate fit, expected CAC range, time-to-signal, and the minimum viable test (budget, duration, success metric).
3. Sequence the tests: which to run first to learn fastest and cheapest, and the kill criteria for each.
4. Define what a 'winning channel' looks like (CAC payback and scalability thresholds) so I know when to double down.

OUTPUT FORMAT: (1) Channel shortlist with eliminations explained; (2) Per-channel test card (fit, CAC range, signal time, MVP test); (3) Test sequence with kill criteria; (4) Winning-channel thresholds.

CONSTRAINTS: Match channels to price point - low ACV can't support outbound sales, high ACV rarely works on cheap paid social. Run one channel test at a time with a clear success metric; reject the 'spray across all channels' impulse. Insist on kill criteria so I stop pouring money into a dead channel.