The document outlines strategies for fostering growth in early-stage startups, emphasizing the importance of achieving product-market fit (PMF) to facilitate scalable and predictable growth. It discusses various methodologies, including experimentation, data analysis, and optimizing channels, while highlighting the significance of understanding customer engagement and retention metrics. Additionally, it stresses the iterative learning process and the need to double down on successful strategies to fix leaks in the growth funnel.

1. Growth for Early Stage Startups
Chandini Ammineni
Distribution Partner
@ammineni
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Google Campus Exchange Program, Seoul
Oct 2016

2. GROWTH
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3. @ammineni #500STRONG
SO MUCH TO DO!!!

4. Shouldn't every startup be
doing “Growth”?
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5. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS Pivots (Product, Messaging,
Target Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
@ammineni #500STRONG

6. Product-Market Fit
A product that solves a problem “well enough”
for a “big enough” market
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7. Acquisition w/o Value != Growth
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8. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS Pivots (Product, Messaging,
Target Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
@ammineni #MHW #500STRONG

9. Engagement & Retention ?
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10. Engagement vs Retention
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Engagement
• Time Spent
• # of screens or pages
• avg visits/month
• DAU/MAU
Retention
how many users are still
visiting 30, 60, and 90 days
later?

11. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS
Pivots (Product,
Messaging, Target
Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
@ammineni #MHW #500STRONG

12. First 1000 rabid fans
ITERATE ON
Personas & Hooks
(Problem Statement, Solution Statement, Language, Emotions -
Frustrations, Fears, Aspirations, Motivations, Goals)
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DEFINE
Who Are They?
Where Do They Hangout?
What is their Problem?
TEST
Qualitative Data Collection
Quantitative Data Collection
USE THEIR LANGUAGE!
IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT’S ABOUT THEM!

13. Macro Iterations
Non-Scalable work
• product features
• target audience
• messaging
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14. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS
Pivots (Product,
Messaging, Target
Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
@ammineni #MHW #500STRONG

15. • Double down on what’s already working
• Fix leaks in your AARRR Funnel
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Optimization & Expansion

16. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS Pivots (Product, Messaging,
Target Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
@ammineni #500STRONG

17. Qualitative Data
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18. Qualitative Data
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• Why did you sign up/download/buy?
• How would you feel if you can no longer use the
product?
• What alternate solutions do you use to solve this
problem?
• What is the primary benefit you have received from x?
• Have you recommended this product to anyone?
• How would you describe this product to your friend?
• What type of person do you think would benefit from
this?
• How can we improve this to better meet your needs?

19. Quantitative Data
Img credit: Brian Balfour @bbalfour coelevate.com
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20. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS Pivots (Product, Messaging,
Target Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
@ammineni #500STRONG

21. Scalable Predictable Repeatable
Japanese Manufacturing
TPS Kaizen 5 Whys Lean Kanban
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22. Adoption in Business
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23. Adoption in s/w
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24. Focus on Fast Learning
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25. No Goals / No Process
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(Disclaimer: No turkeys were hurt in the of making this headless turkey gif)

26. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS Pivots (Product, Messaging,
Target Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
@ammineni #500STRONG

27. Growth Mindset
• NO FAILURE
• Everything is a lesson learnt
• Hypotheses validated or invalidated
• Move Fast, Break Things, take Calculated Risks
• Momentum in experimentation required to outrun failures
• Faster Learnings = Faster Earnings
Most of your growth strategies won’t work. The ones that
do will eventually stop. Growth is never done.
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28. Pre P/M Fit Post P/M Fit
GOAL Get to P/M fit
Scalable, repeatable,
predictable growth
METRIC
Engagement &
Retention
Growth Rate
EXPERIMENTS
Pivots (Product,
Messaging, Target
Customer)
Optimization + Expansion
METHOD
Hustle/ Non-Scalable
Work
Scalable channels &
processes
DATA Qualitative + quantitative Quantitative + qualitative
FOCUS Fast Learning Fast Learning
PROCESS LeanStack/SCRUM Growth Machine/SCRUM
@ammineni #MHW #500STRONG

29. Double down on what’s already working
Fixing leaks in your AARRR Funnel
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Optimization & Expansion

30. Identify what already works
Product:
Core Value of product, Magic Moment - obvious post P/M fit
Acquisition:
Customer Segmentation
Acquisition Channel Segmentation
If applicable, Segment Product Category
Other:
Customer Service, Brand Value - Qualitative feedback
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31. Doubling Down - How?
Doubling down on Product
Reducing friction, referrals, push notifications…
Doubling down on Acquisition
Spend more money, broader reach, expanding keyword
list…
Doubling down on Most Valuable Customers
Evangelists, heavy spenders, better acquisition
targeting…
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32. Optimization & Expansion
Double down on what’s already working
Fixing leaks in your AARRR Funnel
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33. @ammineni #MHW #500STRONG@ammineni #500STRONG

34. The Pirate Funnel
ACQUISITION
RETENTION
REVENUE
REFERRAL
ACTIVATION
1000 Visitors
750 performed core action
300 tagged/invited friends
50 came back a week later
10 paid accnt
Example
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Order can change depending on business model

35. The Pirate Funnel
ACQUISITION
REFERRAL
REVENUE
RETENTION
ACTIVATION
1000 Visitors
500 Accnts created
100 Users
50 Advocates
10 Customers
10/1000 = 1%
conversion rate
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36. The Pirate Funnel
ACQUISITION
REFERRAL
REVENUE
RETENTION
ACTIVATION
1000 Visitors
cvr = 50%
cvr = 20%
cvr = 10%
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37. Funnel Optimization
Fixing Leaks or Removing Friction = Funnel
Optimization
• Asking for signup/login after/during product value
delivery
• Exit pop-up survey
• Login with social credentials
• Ad landing pages
• Personalized user experience (geo, return user)
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38. Growth Equation
ACQUISITION
REFERRAL
REVENUE
RETENTION
ACTIVATION
1000 Visitors
cvr = 50%
cvr = 20%
cvr = 10%
Revenue = Visitors x activation cvr x retention cvr x revenue
cvr x AOV
$2500 = 1000 x 0.5 x 0.2 x 0.1 x $250
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39. Bottom of funnel = Higher impact
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40. Thank You
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