Growth Hacking
A data-driven, experiment-focused approach to rapidly growing a user base with limited resources.
Definition
Growth hacking, coined by Sean Ellis in 2010, combines marketing, product, and engineering to find scalable growth channels through rapid experimentation. Growth hackers run hundreds of small experiments across the full funnel (acquisition, activation, retention, referral, revenue) to find the few that produce outsized results. The mindset prioritizes speed, measurement, and iteration over brand building.
Growth hacking is most effective at early stages when you need creative, low-cost acquisition methods. As companies mature, it evolves into a more structured growth engineering function.
Why it matters for founders
Startups can't outspend incumbents on marketing. Growth hacking levels the playing field by finding creative, often free, distribution channels. The experimental mindset also prevents wasting budget on channels that don't work.
Example
Dropbox's referral program (give 500MB, get 500MB) is the canonical growth hack. It cost nearly nothing per acquisition, drove 3,900% growth in 15 months, and became their primary acquisition channel. The hack worked because the incentive was the product itself (storage) and both parties benefited.
How Foundra helps
Foundra's Outreach Script + Plan card helps you design and test growth experiments before you have a marketing budget, finding your highest-leverage growth channel.
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Related terms
Viral Coefficient
The number of new users each existing user generates through referrals or sharing.
Referral Program
A structured system that rewards existing users for bringing in new customers.
A/B Testing
Comparing two versions of something to determine which performs better based on data.
Product-Led Growth (PLG)
A growth model where the product itself drives acquisition, retention, and expansion.