Revenue Lever Game
Close a revenue gap by testing the smallest high-impact business lever.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 94%
The Revenue Lever Game begins by turning a monthly ambition into a precise shortfall and deadline. The operator then ranks existing revenue sources by how quickly and reliably they could close that gap. Rather than launching an entirely new product, the business chooses a small controllable variable—a different call to action, more launch emails, focused content, an affiliate promotion, or renewed attention to a proven program. The team predicts what the change should produce, runs it, and measures the result. Framing the process as a game encourages curiosity and action without trivializing the financial stakes. Each experiment either adds revenue or teaches the company which levers have meaningful influence, improving future decisions.
Origin
Tori Dunlap described gamifying Her First 100K's business targets by identifying revenue gaps and testing marketing levers to close them.
Core principles
- 01Turn revenue targets into specific gaps and deadlines.
- 02Start with proven revenue sources before inventing new offers.
- 03Change one meaningful lever at a time.
- 04Treat each action as an experiment that produces learning.
- 05Take livelihoods seriously while keeping problem-solving playful.
How to run it
- 1
Define the gap
Calculate the difference between current revenue and the target, then note the exact number of days remaining. This creates a bounded problem rather than a general wish for growth.
Pro tip Use collected or highly probable revenue rather than optimistic pipeline totals.
Watch out A target detached from capacity or market reality can provoke reckless discounting.
- 2
Rank proven sources
List existing offers and revenue streams according to conversion history, speed, margin, and delivery capacity. Identify which could generate cash within the available period.
Pro tip Begin with customers and offers that already demonstrate demand.
Watch out Do not default to creating a new product when an existing one is under-promoted.
- 3
Choose one lever
Select a controllable change such as a new CTA, targeted social content, an extra email, an affiliate push, or a clearer offer.
Pro tip Prefer the smallest change capable of producing a measurable result.
Watch out Changing several variables at once makes it difficult to learn what worked.
- 4
Set the experiment
Define the audience, action, expected response, and measurement window. Produce the content or campaign directly connected to the selected revenue source.
Pro tip State the conversion path explicitly from attention to purchase.
Watch out Do not sacrifice customer trust for a short-term injection.
- 5
Run and measure
Launch the experiment and track response, conversion, revenue, and delivery implications. Compare the result with the original gap.
Pro tip Monitor leading signals while allowing enough time for the normal buying cycle.
Watch out Do not declare success from engagement if the objective was revenue.
- 6
Bank the learning
Record which lever was tested, what happened, and whether it should be repeated, refined, or retired. Use the evidence to make the next revenue decision faster.
Pro tip Maintain a simple lever log with dates, offer, channel, action, and result.
Watch out Repeating a tactic too frequently can reduce its effectiveness or fatigue the audience.
In the wild
A course business is $4,000 below its monthly target with ten days remaining. The team identifies its proven flagship program as the fastest route, updates the Instagram CTA, sends an additional email answering a common objection, and tracks purchases attributed to both actions rather than building a new offer.
→ The business either closes the gap or gains concrete conversion data about two controllable levers.
With five days left in the month, an entrepreneur needs an additional $10,000. She ranks current offers, chooses the one with the strongest recent conversion rate, and creates content specifically designed to move qualified followers toward that program.
→ Content production becomes tied to a measurable business objective rather than generic activity.
Common mistakes
Pulling every lever together
Simultaneous changes may create revenue but obscure which action caused it, limiting reusable learning.
Building instead of selling
Creating a new offer under time pressure is often slower and riskier than promoting something already validated.
Gaming revenue at customers' expense
Playful experimentation should never justify misleading urgency, harmful pressure, or offers the business cannot deliver well.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for operating businesses with existing offers, audience access, and enough data to identify likely revenue drivers.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for pre-revenue businesses that have not yet validated an offer or established access to prospective customers.
From the transcript
“what levers can we pull to get where we want to be?”
“I have gamified our business so much, and that especially is something that I encourage every entrepreneur to do, which is view money and your…”
“What are your easiest sources of revenue and how can you do a quick revenue injection.”
From the episode
How Women Reclaim Power Through Money with Financial Feminist, Tori Dunlap
Tori Dunlap