Unlocking Growth: The Journey of GrowthHackers and Its Founders
Company profile
Company business details
Motivation to build the product
The founders were motivated by the need for a collaborative space where marketers and growth professionals could share their experiences and insights. They recognized that many businesses struggle to find effective growth strategies and wanted to create a platform that encourages experimentation and learning from one another.Problem that their product solves
GrowthHackers addresses the challenge of finding effective growth strategies for businesses. The end users are marketers and growth professionals who need a reliable source of insights and tools to drive growth. Solving this problem is important as it helps businesses optimize their marketing efforts and achieve sustainable growth.Their unfair advantage
GrowthHackers has a large and active community of growth experts, which provides a wealth of shared knowledge and resources that competitors may not offer.Strategies
Pre-Launch (Product Development & MVP)
Market Validation through Surveys
Sean Ellis emphasized the importance of collecting survey information about products during the early stages of his ventures. He implemented a systematic approach to gather user feedback on various products, which helped him understand user needs and preferences. This data-driven strategy allowed him to refine product offerings and ensure they met market demands before launching, ultimately increasing the chances of success.
Sha Ellis Test
The Sha Ellis Test is a simple yet powerful tool designed to assess product-market fit by asking users how they would feel if they could no longer use the product. Users are given three options: 'very disappointed', 'somewhat disappointed', or 'not disappointed'. The goal is to identify the percentage of users who would be 'very disappointed', with a threshold of 40% indicating a strong product-market fit. This test allows founders to gauge user sentiment early in the product development process, enabling them to make informed decisions about product adjustments and marketing strategies.
Leveraging Existing Networks for Growth
When Sean Ellis moved to Silicon Valley, he leveraged his network from previous roles to gain access to opportunities at Dropbox and Eventbrite. His connection with the founder of Xobni, who was a fraternity brother of Dropbox's CEO, helped him secure a role at Dropbox during its early days. This strategy of utilizing personal connections and demonstrating value through past successes allowed him to enter high-potential companies and contribute to their growth.
Launch Stage
Building a Community Around Growth
Sean created Growth Hackers as a platform to share growth-related articles and foster a community of growth experts. This initiative not only served as a marketing tool for his survey business but also positioned Growth Hackers as a go-to resource for entrepreneurs seeking insights on growth strategies. By leveraging content marketing and community engagement, he was able to attract a large audience and establish authority in the growth hacking space.
Blogging for Knowledge Sharing
Sean Ellis began blogging around 2009 to share his insights and experiences in growth marketing. This initiative was not just about self-promotion; it was a way to crystallize his thoughts and improve his understanding of growth strategies. By sharing valuable content, he aimed to build his reputation and open doors to new opportunities, which ultimately led to the publication of his book 'Hacking Growth'. His blogging laid the groundwork for a community of marketers who could learn from his experiences, fostering a culture of transparency and knowledge sharing in the marketing field.
Learn more about GrowthHackers
Sean Ellis | GrowthHackers
The original growth hacker reveals his secrets | Sean Ellis (author of “Hacking Growth”)
Mind Loom Podcast Interview with Sean Ellis - Father of Growth Hacking
