growth-loops

name	growth-loops
description	Find your growth loop or stay stuck in linear acquisition hell. Identify viral, content, network, and paid loop opportunities using Elena Verna's framework.

Growth Loops

If you're buying all your growth, you're doing it wrong.

Most PMs think about growth as a funnel: spend money → acquire users → hope they stick. That's expensive and doesn't compound.

Growth loops are different: users create value → that value attracts more users → they create more value. It compounds.

Philosophy: "Growth isn't a funnel that leaks. It's a loop that compounds." - Elena Verna

Entry Point

When this skill is invoked, start with:

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 GROWTH LOOPS ANALYSIS
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Growth that compounds beats growth you pay for every time.

What do you want to do?

  1. Identify loop opportunities
     → Analyze your product for potential loops

  2. Design a specific loop
     → Deep dive on viral, content, or network loop

  3. Optimize loop velocity
     → Make existing loops cycle faster

  4. Map current growth mechanics
     → Understand what's driving growth today

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What This Does

Identifies if your product has (or could have) compounding growth:

• Viral loops - Users invite users
• Content loops - User-generated content attracts organic traffic
• Network effects - More users = more value
• Paid loops - Revenue funds acquisition (only if efficient)

Then tells you which loop fits your product and how to build it.

Usage

/growth-loops [product/feature]

Examples:

• /growth-loops - Analyze current product for loop opportunities
• /growth-loops "referral program" - Design loop for specific feature
• /growth-loops --map - Map existing user flows to loop types
• /growth-loops --velocity - Focus on loop speed optimization

What Happens

1. Understands your product:

   • What's the core value proposition?
   • Who are the users?
   • What's the typical user journey?
   • Where does viral potential exist?

2. Identifies loop opportunities across 4 types:

   • Viral loops (users invite users)
   • Content loops (UGC attracts organic traffic)
   • Network effects (more users = more value)
   • Paid loops (revenue funds acquisition)

3. Maps the loop structure:

   • Input → Action → Output → New Input
   • Where does the cycle reinforce?
   • What makes the loop sustainable?

4. Analyzes loop velocity:

   • How long does one loop cycle take?
   • Faster loops compound faster
   • Optimization opportunities

5. Returns growth loop design with implementation suggestions

Growth Loop Types

1. Viral Loops

Users invite users directly.

Examples:

• Dropbox referral (both get storage)
• Slack (team invites)
• Figma (share designs)

When it fits:

• Product has multi-player value
• Users naturally want to invite others
• Network size increases value

Velocity: Fast (hours to days)

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2. Content Loops

User-generated content attracts organic traffic.

Examples:

• Yelp reviews (rank in Google)
• Pinterest pins (visual search)
• Stack Overflow answers (SEO)

When it fits:

• Users create public content
• Content is searchable/shareable
• Long-tail SEO opportunity

Velocity: Slow (weeks to months)

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3. Network Effect Loops

More users = more value for everyone.

Examples:

• Marketplaces (more buyers → more sellers → more buyers)
• Social networks (more friends = more value)
• OpenTable (more diners → more restaurants)

When it fits:

• Multi-sided platform
• Value scales with total users
• Critical mass required

Velocity: Medium (weeks)

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4. Paid Loops

Revenue funds acquisition.

Examples:

• SaaS with positive CAC/LTV
• E-commerce with repeat purchases
• Subscription products

When it fits:

• LTV > CAC (healthy unit economics)
• Reliable conversion rates
• Scalable acquisition channels

Velocity: Medium to slow (30+ days)

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Loop Velocity Analysis

/growth-loops --velocity

Focuses on how fast loops cycle:

Why velocity matters:

• Faster loops compound faster
• More cycles per year = more growth
• Small velocity improvements = big compounding gains

Example:

• Loop A: 7-day cycle (52 cycles/year)
• Loop B: 2-day cycle (182 cycles/year)
• Loop B compounds 3.5x faster

Optimization strategies:

• Reduce friction in invite flow
• Automate parts of the loop
• Incentivize faster action
• Remove approval/review delays

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Integration Options

With Linear

• Analyzes product/feature issues for loop potential
• Tags issues with loop type (viral, content, network, paid)
• Creates loop optimization backlog

Manual

• Describes your product and gets loop analysis
• Outputs loop diagrams in markdown
• Provides implementation checklist

Common Use Cases

Product Strategy Review

/growth-loops

Identify which loops your product should build

Feature Prioritization

/growth-loops "referral program"

Validate growth impact before building

Growth Audit

/growth-loops --map

Map all existing user flows to loop types, find gaps

Velocity Optimization

/growth-loops --velocity

Speed up existing loops for more compounding

Learn More

Full frameworks:

• frameworks/growth/growth-loops.md - Elena Verna's complete framework
• frameworks/growth/four-fits.md - Brian Balfour's validation (complements loops)
• frameworks/growth/product-led-sales.md - Elena Verna on PLG + loops

Related commands:

• /four-fits - Validate product-channel fit for viral loops
• /lno-prioritize - Leverage tasks often = building loops
• /now-next-later - Roadmap loop implementations

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Framework: Growth Loops (Elena Verna) Best for: Designing sustainable, compounding growth Key insight: "Growth isn't a funnel that leaks. It's a loop that compounds." Remember: Retention is the foundation. Without retention, loops won't compound. Fix retention first.