Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)

Zack Onisko
Zack OniskoCEO at Dribbble
Zack Onisko 
Chief Growth Officer, Creative Market 
zack@creativemarket.com 
@zack415
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
MUST HAVE DRUMS
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
$7/hr
$75/hr
HUSTLED 
UP SOME 
DRUMS!
3 stageTsh eorfe sartea 3r tSutapg egsr oof wGrtohwth 
Source: http://www.startup-marketing.com/the-startup-pyramid/
3 stages of startup growth 
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
1) Product Market Fit
Photo by @willsh
3 stages of startup growth 
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
1) Product Market Fit 
3) Scalable growth stage
3 stages of startup growth 
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
1) Product Market Fit 
2) The Hustle Stage 
3) Scalable growth stage
“Startups take off because the founders make 
them take off. A good metaphor would be the 
cranks that car engines had before they got 
electric starters. Once the engine was going, it 
would keep going, but there was a separate and 
laborious process to get it going.” 
— Paul Graham
20 
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
non-scalable ways to 
HUSTLE 
your way to 
scalable growth
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
1) Manually invite your first 
customers. Start in a niche.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
2) Invite friends and family 
(and other connections)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
3) Join the conversations at 
target niche communities and 
forums.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
4) Ask your competitor’s 
customers to try your new 
service & give feedback.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
5) Go directly to your users. 
Ask them to sign up in person.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
6) Speak directly with 
users to understand how 
your product can better 
meet their needs.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
7) Community engagement. 
Reply to every comment.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
8) Aim for 100% customer 
satisfaction. Everyone leaves 
happy!
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
9) Go above and beyond to 
delight customers.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
10) Give away free stuff for 
signing up.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
11) Allow users to give their 
friends free stuff.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
12) Give away new free 
stuff weekly (retention)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
13) Content is king. 
Distribution is queen. 
Always be writing and 
sharing.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
14) Write guest posts on 
other people’s blogs.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
15) Forge Partnerships.
There are 3 Stages of Growth
There are 3 Stages of Growth
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
16) Trade co-promotions
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
17) Throw Parties
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
18) Run a roadblock 
campaign across a network 
of sites in your industry.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
19) Seed content on your 
site yourself to get it going.
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
20) Private Beta. 
Sorry, invite only.
There are 3 Stages of Growth
There are 3 Stages of Growth 
Study the tactics of 
your competitors. 
Become inspired, 
but don’t copy. 
Be more clever!
HAPPY 
GROWING!
THANKS! 
Zack Onisko 
Chief Growth Officer, Creative Market 
zack@creativemarket.com 
@zack415
1 of 68

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Gaining Early Traction by Doing Things that Don't Scale (Hustling)

  • 1. Zack Onisko Chief Growth Officer, Creative Market zack@creativemarket.com @zack415
  • 10. 3 stageTsh eorfe sartea 3r tSutapg egsr oof wGrtohwth Source: http://www.startup-marketing.com/the-startup-pyramid/
  • 11. 3 stages of startup growth There are 3 Stages of Growth 1) Product Market Fit
  • 13. 3 stages of startup growth There are 3 Stages of Growth 1) Product Market Fit 3) Scalable growth stage
  • 14. 3 stages of startup growth There are 3 Stages of Growth 1) Product Market Fit 2) The Hustle Stage 3) Scalable growth stage
  • 15. “Startups take off because the founders make them take off. A good metaphor would be the cranks that car engines had before they got electric starters. Once the engine was going, it would keep going, but there was a separate and laborious process to get it going.” — Paul Graham
  • 16. 20 There are 3 Stages of Growth non-scalable ways to HUSTLE your way to scalable growth
  • 17. There are 3 Stages of Growth 1) Manually invite your first customers. Start in a niche.
  • 19. There are 3 Stages of Growth 2) Invite friends and family (and other connections)
  • 22. There are 3 Stages of Growth 3) Join the conversations at target niche communities and forums.
  • 24. There are 3 Stages of Growth 4) Ask your competitor’s customers to try your new service & give feedback.
  • 26. There are 3 Stages of Growth 5) Go directly to your users. Ask them to sign up in person.
  • 29. There are 3 Stages of Growth 6) Speak directly with users to understand how your product can better meet their needs.
  • 31. There are 3 Stages of Growth 7) Community engagement. Reply to every comment.
  • 33. There are 3 Stages of Growth 8) Aim for 100% customer satisfaction. Everyone leaves happy!
  • 35. There are 3 Stages of Growth 9) Go above and beyond to delight customers.
  • 38. There are 3 Stages of Growth 10) Give away free stuff for signing up.
  • 42. There are 3 Stages of Growth 11) Allow users to give their friends free stuff.
  • 44. There are 3 Stages of Growth 12) Give away new free stuff weekly (retention)
  • 47. There are 3 Stages of Growth 13) Content is king. Distribution is queen. Always be writing and sharing.
  • 49. There are 3 Stages of Growth 14) Write guest posts on other people’s blogs.
  • 52. There are 3 Stages of Growth 15) Forge Partnerships.
  • 53. There are 3 Stages of Growth
  • 54. There are 3 Stages of Growth
  • 55. There are 3 Stages of Growth 16) Trade co-promotions
  • 57. There are 3 Stages of Growth 17) Throw Parties
  • 59. There are 3 Stages of Growth 18) Run a roadblock campaign across a network of sites in your industry.
  • 61. There are 3 Stages of Growth 19) Seed content on your site yourself to get it going.
  • 64. There are 3 Stages of Growth 20) Private Beta. Sorry, invite only.
  • 65. There are 3 Stages of Growth
  • 66. There are 3 Stages of Growth Study the tactics of your competitors. Become inspired, but don’t copy. Be more clever!
  • 68. THANKS! Zack Onisko Chief Growth Officer, Creative Market zack@creativemarket.com @zack415