← Ecommerce simulator · How turns are calculated
Idea Twin · illustrative simulation — builds judgment, not a forecast
Idea Twin Lab
Turn an idea into a playable twin in 5 minutes, then stress-test pricing, ads and cash before spending real money. Same engine as the simulator — judgment and mechanics, not a forecast of your real store.
- 1 · Describe
Enter your AOV, traffic, CAC and cash — or prefill from niche baselines.
- 2 · Compare
Read the 6-phase base case, then test price, CAC and retention forks.
- 3 · Play
Start a run from your numbers. Pick ≤3 actions per phase and survive 12 phases.
1 · Twin builder
Don't know your numbers yet? Start from an example:
Sanity check at these assumptions: ~256 orders/mo → $10,752 revenue on ~$4,608 ad spend.
Niche baseline — AOV $55 · CAC $20 · CR 3.5% · retention 45% · LTV $140.
2 · My twin — base case (6 phases)
No new initiatives — does the idea itself hold? Deterministic seed for now; randomness is illustrative. Upside down — rethink before spending
Break-even ≈ 208 orders/mo to cover $5,403 fixed monthly costs at 62% margin.
3 · What-if forks
Like a fork better than the base? Adopt it — your builder numbers update and the play run starts from that version.
Tests pricing power. Conversion dips ~4% in the model — watch margin vs volume.
End cash -$2,254 (+$466 vs base) · LTV/CAC 0.9x · 6-phase revenue $23,082
Lower CAC, slightly less reach (-3% traffic). The classic paid-efficiency trade.
End cash $1,082 (+$3,802 vs base) · LTV/CAC 0.9x · 6-phase revenue $19,023
Email + post-purchase flow. Slow burn — compounds LTV without more ad spend.
End cash -$2,720 (+$0 vs base) · LTV/CAC 0.8x · 6-phase revenue $22,870
4 · Play my twin — turn by turn
Same engine as the simulator, starting from YOUR numbers. Pick up to 3 actions per phase, execute, handle events, survive 12 phases to validate the idea. Start a run when ready.
5 · V2 — live update + AI debrief + classroom
Paste last month (recalibrate twin)
AI debrief (uses your generator API + local fallback)
Classroom fork
Class link (twin + seed) https://www.growthegy.com/ecommerce-simulator/idea-twin/?twin=eyJpZGVhTmFtZSI6IlJlZmlsbGFibGUgc2tpbmNhcmUiLCJuaWNoZSI6ImJlYXV0eSIsImFvdiI6NDIsIm1vbnRobHlUcmFmZmljIjo4MDAwLCJjYWMiOjE4LCJjb252ZXJzaW9uUmF0ZSI6My4yLCJncm9zc01hcmdpblBjdCI6NjIsInN0YXJ0aW5nQ2FzaCI6MTUwMDAsInJldGVudGlvblJhdGUiOjQ1fQ%3D%3D&seed=246813579
Main-sim assign link https://www.growthegy.com/ecommerce-simulator/?classroom=1&scenario=free-play&seed=246813579
Teaching toy, not a market forecast: no ad auction, stylized CAC curves, illustrative seasonality. Validate with store data before spending.
Want the full game?
The Idea Twin is the 5-minute version. The full simulator adds team, inventory depth, challenges, achievements, leaderboards, and classroom assignments.
Idea Twin questions
Is my Idea Twin a financial forecast?
No. The Idea Twin is a teaching toy that builds judgment about traffic, pricing, ads, and cash flow. Mechanics are simplified and stylized — validate with your store data and spreadsheets before spending real money.
How are the base-case projections calculated?
The twin reuses the Growthegy ecommerce simulator engine: your AOV, traffic, CAC, conversion, retention, margin, and cash seed an opening snapshot, then six phases run with no new initiatives on a fixed random seed. Same inputs always give the same projection.
How do I share my twin with a cofounder?
Use Copy share link in the builder. The link encodes your exact inputs, so opening it loads the same twin ready to inspect and play.
Can teachers use the Idea Twin in class?
Yes. Set a seed, then copy the class link (twin + seed). Every student who opens it plays the same twin with the same random events, so results are comparable in discussion.
What should I do after my twin validates?
Export the CSV, move your trusted assumptions into a spreadsheet for audit-ready modeling, then practice decision-making in the full ecommerce simulator before spending on ads or inventory.