Pirate Metrics (AARRR)

Biological Parallel

The Pacific salmon's life cycle mirrors AARRR perfectly: Acquisition (fry emerge from gravel), Activation (they begin feeding), Retention (they remain in freshwater for months), Referral (adults return to spawn, attracting others via pheromones), and Revenue (successful spawning produces the next generation). Each stage has measurable conversion rates, and bottlenecks at any stage—predation during ocean migration, inability to navigate upstream—collapse the entire funnel regardless of success elsewhere.