5 Lessons from Hacking Growth

Hacking Activation

The faster a user hits the aha moment, the more likely they stay.

Every step toward that moment should be optimised, simplified, and tested.

Break the onboarding process down. Identify where people drop off.

Friction kills conversion.

Desire – Friction = Conversion Rate.

Reduce friction:

1/ Simplify sign-ups.

2/ Let them use the product first – Sell value before commitment.

3/ Stored value – The more effort users put in, the more they stay.

Add gamification. Adobe’s LevelUp for Photoshop turned tutorials into missions which increase their retention.

Retention is the real profit driver.

The longer customers stay, the more they spend.

Retention comes in three phases:

1/ Initial Retention – Users decide if they’ll stay.

Get them to the aha moment as fast as possible. Reduce friction, improve onboarding, and offer immediate value.

2/ Medium-Term Retention – Product becomes a habit.

Introduce engagement loops: Trigger → Action → Reward → Investment. 

Encourage regular use through notifications, community, and content.

3/ Long-Term Retention – Users get more value over time.

Add features that enhance their experience, introduce loyalty rewards, and personalize the experience based on user behaviour.

Monetisation is about maximising lifetime value.

The Illusion of Traditional Growth

Most businesses think growth is always about spending more.

More ads. More outreach. More marketing budget.

The fastest-growing companies engineer growth from the inside.

Hotmail didn’t buy billboards but added a single line to every email: “P.S. Get your free email at Hotmail.”

Productivity Questions on Optimising Monetisation:

1/ Can you offer multiple price plans to gather more customer segments?

2/ How can you make it seamless for users to upgrade or purchase additional features without friction?

3/ How can you provide exclusive discounts or perks to long-term customers?

4/ How can you adjust pricing based on demand, usage, or user behaviour to maximise profitability?

5/ How can you package complementary products together to increase average order value and perceived value?

A Virtuous Growth Cycle

Complacency kills growth.

The biggest threat is stagnation.

Growth stalls when companies lose focus on core products and stop iterating.

How to prevent stagnation:

What worked yesterday won’t always work tomorrow. Keep testing new ideas.

Small tweaks compound over time.

Anticipate customer needs before they arise.

Skype stopped innovating after Microsoft acquired it and Zoom ate their market…

Amazon, on the other hand, didn’t stop at selling books. It built Prime, AWS, and one-click checkout.

The businesses that win drive change.

Growth stops when you stop moving.

The next 12 years won’t be kind.

Will you be growing…

or just trying to survive?

“Assumptions kill. Experiments win.” - Sean Ellis

A year from now,
you’ll stand where others fell.

Keep pushing.

March is ours to conquer.

Maxi | The Warrior’s Newsletter