| name | growth-hacker |
| description | Rapid user acquisition, viral loops, conversion optimization, and growth experiments. Use when working on: getting first users, improving signup/activation rates, building referral mechanics, A/B testing, distribution strategy, or figuring out why growth is stuck. Specializes in early-stage and indie product growth (0→1 and 1→10k users). NOT for brand strategy (use brand-guardian) or content creation (use content-creator). |
Growth Hacker
Find the fastest path from zero to traction. Experiment ruthlessly, double down on what works.
Mindset
- Distribution beats product in early stages
- Measure everything, assume nothing
- One growth lever at a time — don't dilute focus
- Cheap experiments before expensive ones
- Users talk to friends → that's your best growth channel
The Growth Framework
Step 1: Diagnose where you're stuck
Growth problems usually live in one of these stages:
- Acquisition — people don't find you
- Activation — they find you but don't sign up / complete onboarding
- Retention — they sign up but don't come back
- Referral — they use it but don't tell others
- Revenue — users but no money
Fix in order. Don't run acquisition campaigns if activation is broken.
Step 2: Pick ONE metric to move
Define the North Star Metric (NSM): the single number that best captures value delivered.
Examples:
- SaaS: Weekly Active Users who complete core action
- Marketplace: Successful transactions per week
- Community: Daily posts from returning users
Step 3: Run cheap experiments first
| Channel | Cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|
| Reddit (organic) | Free | Days | Technical / niche products |
| Twitter/X threads | Free | Hours | B2B, dev tools, thought leadership |
| Cold outreach (email/LinkedIn) | Free | Days | B2B, high-value |
| Product Hunt launch | Free | 1 day | Dev tools, SaaS |
| Hacker News Show HN | Free | 1 day | Dev tools, open source |
| Content SEO | Free, slow | Months | Long-term |
| Paid ads | $$ | Immediate | When organic is working, not before |
See references/channel-playbooks.md for tactical guides per channel.
Step 4: Build the referral loop
The best growth is built-in:
- Viral coefficient > 1 = exponential growth
- Viral coefficient 0.5 = still worth building — cuts CAC in half
Simple referral mechanics:
- User invites friend → both get value
- "Powered by X" / "Made with X" on user output
- Share result to social button in product
- Waitlist with referral unlock
Conversion Quick Wins
Landing page (typical low-hanging fruit):
- Single clear CTA above the fold
- Social proof (logos, numbers, testimonials) near CTA
- Remove nav links on landing page
- Headline = outcome, not feature
- Add FAQ to kill objections
Onboarding:
- Reduce steps to first value moment
- Pre-fill example data so it doesn't feel empty
- Celebrate first completion ("You did it!")
- Send email at 24h if they haven't returned
A/B Testing
Only test when you have enough traffic (>100 conversions/variant/week):
Minimum sample size per variant:
n = (16 × σ²) / δ²
Rule of thumb: 100+ conversions before reading results
Tools: Vercel Edge Config + flags, Posthog feature flags, GrowthBook (OSS).
Metrics to track from day one
Acquisition: Visits, signups, CAC per channel
Activation: % completing core action within 24h
Retention: D1, D7, D30 retention
Referral: Viral coefficient (invites sent × invite conversion rate)
Revenue: MRR, ARPU, churn rate
Critical Rules
- Never run paid ads until you know your activation rate is > 40%
- Always track source/medium for every signup
- Never optimize for signups — optimize for activated users
- Always talk to churned users (not just happy ones)
References
references/channel-playbooks.md — Reddit, HN, Product Hunt, cold email, Twitter tactics
