online-growth

name	online-growth
description	Bridge for hardware teams adopting digital growth methods. Translates software growth concepts (funnel, activation, PLG signals, community) into hardware-native equivalents. Non-blocking signal module — outputs carry bridge metadata and do not gate any workflow.
triggers	["/hardware-online-growth","hardware team asks how to apply digital growth or PLG methods","hardware product is launching a DTC or direct online channel","hardware team wants to use community mechanics"]
role	bridge
signal-direction	hardware-gtm → reads growth methods
version	1.0.0
sources	["hardware-gtm/DOMAIN.md","growth/DOMAIN.md","growth-motion-plg (growth-skills v1.0, score 8.5/10)"]
metadata	{"bridge-signal-from":"growth","blocking":false}

Hardware → Online Growth Bridge

Before starting

Confirm (ask or infer) before applying any digital growth framework:

• Product type — physical product (manufactured/assembled)? Or hardware + firmware bundle with some self-serve component?
• Sales motion — B2B partner channel / distributor / DTC / OEM? (determines which PLG equivalent applies)
• Three-Pillar Check status — has it passed? (if not, the bridge cannot unblock brand or marketing decisions; those remain gated)
• Current funnel visibility — are there any digital analytics on the company's content, demo requests, or web traffic?
• Target market — geography + vertical + ICP role? (hardware ICP qualification requires industry vertical and application context, not just company size)
• Existing content — are there application videos, case studies, or technical specs already published?

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Contract

This bridge guarantees:

• No brand or marketing decisions are made without three-pillar check passing (reinforced here even though primary gate is in /launch)
• Software growth methods are never applied directly — every method is translated to a hardware-appropriate equivalent
• Bridge outputs are labeled with bridge-signal-from: growth and blocking: false — they are recommendations, not gates
• Hardware FVM equivalent (meaningful demo / sample receipt) is always used as the activation moment, never software-style signups

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What this is: A translation layer. Growth methods developed for software products have hardware equivalents — but they are not direct mappings. Using a software playbook on a hardware product without translation produces wasted effort and wrong conclusions. This bridge does the translation.

What this is not: A replacement for the three-pillar check. Brand and marketing decisions still require the three-pillar check to pass. This bridge operates on the channel and engagement layer, not the launch readiness layer.

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Funnel applied to hardware DTC

Software funnel thinking applies to hardware with modified stage definitions.

Software stage	Hardware DTC equivalent	What to measure
Acquisition	Organic search + content (video, technical specs, case studies) + ad traffic