1) The document discusses tips for achieving growth for a startup, including focusing intensely on understanding customers' needs, validating ideas by charging for the product or service, nailing down one or two key distribution channels, providing an immediate "Aha moment" for new users, and making the product sticky to retain users. 2) It emphasizes the importance of reasoning from first principles rather than analogy when developing growth strategies. 3) The overall message is to focus on building a great product people want to use and pay for rather than pursuing funding, as the funding will follow successful growth.

1. The Art of Growth
Lloyed Lobo, Boast.AI

2. 1 Bootstrapped
3 VC Backed
Speakeasy (Bessemer & Salesforce backed)
TicketLeap (Acq. Patron)
AL Systems (Acq. SDI)

3. 12m users in 18 months by adding
“get your free email at Hotmail” at
the bottom of each email
Jumpstarted growth by
cross posting to craigslist
w/o open API
Everyone’s looking for a silver bullet

4. “It’s important to reason from first principles rather than by
analogy. [With analogy] we are doing this because it’s like
something else that was done, or it is like what other people are
doing. [With first principles] you boil things down to the most
fundamental truths… and then reason up from there.”
- Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla & SpaceX

5. =
Engagement + Revenue + Growth

6. You’re not ready to grow yet, if
1. No Ideal Customer. People don’t come to your
product to get a specific job done
2. Poor Retention. People don’t keep coming back to
your product anytime they want to get that job done

7. Tip #1 Set aggressive goals
$250,000 revenue in 3 months

8. Tip #2 Start by serving one audience
exceptionally well, with one product or service
Focus will give your messaging clarity that will lift the
conversion and performance of your marketing activities

9. 1. Who are your customers?
2. What are the key jobs they’re trying to do?
3. What are the smaller/ sub-jobs?
4. How do they do those jobs today?
5. What are the unnecessary steps? How can you
reduce them?
6. What does the delighted state look like?

10. Tip #3 Validate your idea by charging for it

11. Tip #4 Nail 1 or 2 channels
“If you can get even a single distribution channel to
work, you have a great business. If you try for several,
but don’t nail one, you’re finished. So it’s worth
thinking real hard about nailing one channel.”
- Peter Thiel, Cofounder, PayPal & top VC

12. Takeaways

13. 1. Brainstorm a few channels
2. Prioritize based on impact
and ease of execution
3. Split test
4. Double down on what works

14. Tip #5 Get users to an “Aha” moment right away
Users should complete the core action they came to your
product for, without any friction

16. Tip #6 Make your product sticky
The more I use your product, the better it gets or the more I
use your product, the more I lose if I were to leave

17. The more notes you add, the more value you get and
the harder it is to leave
New followers/ follows + your investment in your
identity makes it sticky

19. Takeaways
1. Pick an aggressive goal
2. Understand your customers’ jobs to be done
3. Validate your idea by charging for it
4. Focus on 1-2 distribution channels at a time
5. Once you acquire users, get them to an “Aha
moment” right away
6. Make your product sticky

20. Don't focus on funding. Focus on building a great product
that people want to use & pay for. The funding will follow

21. The Art of Growth
Lloyed Lobo, Boast.AI