Deploy fast, low-cost experiments to discover scalable acquisition and retention tactics, learning through iteration rather than big bets.
.webp)
Growth hacking is a fast, experiment-driven approach to finding reliable ways to grow a business. Instead of committing big budgets to a single plan, you run many small, low-risk tests landing pages, referral nudges, onboarding tweaks to see what moves leads, revenue or retention. Keep the winners, drop the losers, and repeat. It is less about tricks and more about systematic experimentation.
Growth hacking matters because conventional marketing channels become increasingly expensive and competitive as more companies pursue them, whilst creative alternatives often remain underexploited and disproportionately effective. When LinkedIn ads targeting CFOs cost £15 per click, the company that discovers a viral growth loop or strategic integration can acquire customers at fraction of competitors' costs, gaining decisive advantage. This efficiency particularly benefits resource-constrained organisations early-stage companies, bootstrapped firms, challenger brands that cannot outspend established players but can out-innovate them. Beyond cost savings, growth hacking builds a culture of experimentation that accelerates learning velocity: teams running ten experiments monthly discover what resonates 10x faster than those pontificating endlessly about single big campaigns. Research on breakout growth companies reveals they frequently deployed creative, unconventional tactics during early scaling rather than simply executing standard playbooks better. The methodology also creates compounding advantages: each successful experiment generates insights applicable beyond that specific test, building institutional knowledge competitors cannot easily copy. However, growth hacking requires discipline the temptation is chasing clever tricks rather than sustainable systems. Organisations that succeed treat growth hacking as systematic hypothesis testing, not random tactic generation, documenting failures as rigorously as wins to prevent repeated mistakes.
Start with simple, resource-light tests that fit client-facing workloads.
Focus on product touch-points and user referrals.
Use on-site tweaks and post-purchase loops to drive repeat orders.
These straightforward hacks keep risk low while uncovering what truly accelerates growth for each business model. Test, measure, adopt what works, and move on to the next idea.
The cockpit that sits above your four growth engines. Individual teams can excel at their own metrics, but without orchestration they're musicians playing different songs. This is where everything comes together and where improvements in one engine amplify gains in another.
The wrong tools create friction. The right ones multiply your output without adding complexity. These are the tools I recommend for growth teams that move fast.
Small improvements multiply. A 10% gain across twelve metrics doesn't add up to 120% - it compounds to 3x growth. This is the mathematical engine behind systematic growth.
%2520(1).webp)
Four decisions that shape everything else. When growth feels harder than it should, the problem is usually here. Get these right and execution becomes much easier.
Without rhythm, effort becomes scattered and progress invisible. A consistent operating cadence keeps your team aligned and your growth system continuously improving.
Gino Wickman
Rating
Rating
Rating
Rating
Rating
A practical operating system for small teams. Install a cadence, set priorities and create accountability that sticks.
Maintain an unchanged version in experiments to isolate the impact of your changes and prove causation rather than correlation with external factors.
Articulate the specific outcome customers get from your solution to communicate why they should choose you over doing nothing or using alternatives.
Clear mental clutter by transferring all thoughts, tasks, and ideas onto paper or screen, creating space for focused work.
Track campaign performance precisely by appending parameters to URLs that identify traffic sources, mediums, and campaigns in your analytics.
Define how you're different from alternatives in a way that matters to customers to guide all messaging and ensure consistent market perception.
Calculate how many users you need in experiments to detect meaningful differences and avoid declaring winners prematurely based on insufficient data.
Store information in browsers to track user behaviour across visits and enable personalised experiences without requiring login for every interaction.
Estimate the maximum revenue opportunity if you captured 100% market share to size your opportunity and prioritise which markets to enter first.
Choose one metric that best predicts long-term success to align your entire team on what matters and avoid conflicting priorities that dilute focus.
Track predictable yearly revenue from subscriptions to measure business scale and growth trajectory in B2B SaaS and recurring revenue models.
Structure experiments around clear predictions to focus efforts on learning rather than random changes and make results easier to interpret afterward.
Assign full conversion credit to the final touchpoint before purchase to identify which channels close deals but miss earlier influences that started journeys.
Measure the month-over-month growth in qualified leads to predict future revenue and catch pipeline problems before they impact revenue three months later.
Set ambitious goals and measurable outcomes that cascade through your organisation, creating alignment and accountability for strategic priorities.
Track revenue growth from existing customers through expansion and contraction to prove your product delivers increasing value over time.
Send a series of scheduled emails that educate prospects over time to stay top-of-mind without overwhelming them with aggressive sales pitches.
Systematically rank projects and opportunities using objective frameworks, ensuring scarce resources flow to highest-impact work.
Define events that start automation workflows so the right message reaches people at the right moment based on their actual behaviour not arbitrary timing.
Plan how you'll reach customers and generate revenue by choosing channels, pricing, and sales models that match your product and market reality.
Assemble tools that manage pipeline, automate outreach, and track performance to help reps sell more efficiently and managers forecast accurately.