The lifecycle of effective growth strategies
How to stay ahead of your growth cycle
Growth is rigged; tactics work best before others use them. Here's how product growth expert Aakash Gupta stays ahead, pivots early, and catches the next wave before it’s overplayed. 👇
Every growth channel starts as a gold mine. Then, inevitably, it fades into a ghost town as every thought leader on LinkedIn espouses its magic.
Aakash explained why in a recent conversation we had on LaunchPod, pointing to Andrew Chen’s "Law of Shitty Click-Throughs." More importantly, though, he talked about how to stay ahead.
So, how do you win in a game where every tactic has a shelf life? Let’s break it down:
1. Ride the Wave Early 🏄
The biggest wins come when you're ahead of the curve. Aakash points to the golden age of referral programs — think Dropbox, Uber, and Airbnb — where users were so excited that they asked for links to share with friends.
As former Director of Growth at ThredUP, Aakash saw this firsthand:
“We had people writing in to say, ‘Do you have a referral program? I want to tell my friends, but I also want credit for it.’ Now if you have a referral program, you're in the umpteenth wave.”
🔭 Lesson: Be an early adopter. The best time to capitalize on a new channel is before the market floods with competition.
2. Recognize When the Wave Is Crashing 🌊
Nothing lasts forever. Referral programs, once a marketing darling, became the digital version of banner ads — easy to ignore and full of system gamers.
Aakash compares this to display advertising: once everywhere, now practically invisible as people tune them out.
⌛ Lesson: Don’t cling to old tactics. Watch ROI closely and pivot as soon as effectiveness drops.
3. Forget the Playbook — Let User Behavior Guide Your Strategy 📓
Winning in growth isn’t about recycling old tactics. You can’t just say, “It worked before, so it’ll work again.” You need to understand why it worked, what problem it solved, and whether those conditions still exist.
User behavior, expectations, and emerging habits shape what sticks.
📊 Lesson: Don’t just repeat what worked before. Dig into the why and make sure it aligns with current user behavior before betting big.
4. Experiment Your Way Out 🧪
Before a tactic fizzles, be ready. Aakash shared how ThredUP experimented with 99-cent sales tied to referral bonuses. Some worked. Others didn’t.
Ride the wave while it’s hot, but always be looking for what’s next.
🧪 Lesson: Experimentation isn’t optional — it’s survival. Test often, fail fast, and always be searching for your next growth lever.
🔑 Takeaway
The “Law of Shitty Click-Throughs” is a reminder: no tactic lasts forever. But the leaders who stay ahead are the ones who move fast, adapt, and always keep an eye on what’s next.
Check out my full conversation with Aakash here: https://tinyurl.com/3xxpy4ss
So, do growth channels have shorter lifespans than they used to? What’s the best growth channel you’ve seen go from goldmine to ghost town?