growth skill

---
name: growth
description: Use this skill when working on growth strategy, marketing, app store optimization, content creation, competitive analysis, or product strategy. Activates on mentions of growth hacking, viral loop, referral program, ASO, app store optimization, SEO, content marketing, product-led growth, PLG, competitive analysis, market research, user acquisition, conversion optimization, A/B testing, or funnel optimization.
---

# Growth & Product

Ship features that grow and retain users.

## Quick Reference

### Product-Led Growth (PLG) Framework

**Time to Value < 15 minutes** - Users should hit their "aha" moment fast.

**PLG Pillars:**

1. **Freemium or free trial** - Let them try before buying
2. **Self-serve onboarding** - No sales call required
3. **Usage-based expansion** - Pay for what you use
4. **Built-in virality** - Product drives acquisition

**Key Metrics:**
| Metric | Benchmark |
|--------|-----------|
| Time to First Value | < 15 min |
| Activation Rate | > 40% |
| Day 1 Retention | > 50% |
| Week 1 Retention | > 25% |
| NPS | > 40 |

### Viral Loop Mechanics

**K-Factor Formula:** K = i × c

- i = invitations per user
- c = conversion rate of invites
- K > 1 = exponential growth

**Loop Types:**

1. **Incentivized Referrals**
   - Double-sided rewards (referrer + referee)
   - Reward tied to core product value
   - Example: "Refer a friend, both get $10"

2. **Content/UGC Loops**
   - User creates → shares externally → new users see → sign up
   - Example: TikTok watermarks, Canva designs

3. **Collaborative Loops**
   - Multi-user features require invites
   - Example: Figma team workspaces

### App Store Optimization (ASO)

**Title** (most important):

- Include primary keyword
- Brand name + value prop
- iOS: 30 chars, Android: 50 chars

**Keywords:**

- Long-tail > broad ("meditation for anxiety" > "meditation")
- Competitor names work but risky
- Update every 4-6 weeks based on performance

**Screenshots:**

- First 2-3 visible without scrolling
- Show core features, not onboarding
- Include social proof (ratings, awards)

**Conversion Factors:**

- Apps > 4.5 stars rank better
- Review velocity matters
- Reply to reviews (improves visibility)

### The 3-Second Rule (Video/TikTok)

63% of top-performing videos hook in 3 seconds.

**Hook Types:**
| Type | Example |
|------|---------|
| Question | "Want to know why your app isn't growing?" |
| Contradiction | "Everyone says you need ads. Wrong." |
| Visual Surprise | Dramatic reaction, unexpected scene |
| Bold Statement | "This one metric changed everything" |

### Content Repurposing Flow

```
Long-form (Blog/Video)
    ↓
Short-form (Tweets, Reels, TikToks)
    ↓
Quotes/Carousels (LinkedIn, Instagram)
    ↓
Newsletter
    ↓
Podcast
```

One piece of content → 10+ distribution points.

### User Research Quick Methods

**5-Second Test:**
Show screenshot for 5 seconds, ask:

- What does this app do?
- Who is it for?
- What would you do first?

**Jobs-to-be-Done Interview:**

- "Tell me about the last time you [task]"
- "What were you trying to accomplish?"
- "What did you do before finding our product?"

**Fake Door Test:**
Add button/feature that doesn't exist yet, track clicks.

### Competitive Analysis Framework

```markdown
## Direct Competitors

| Feature      | Us  | Comp A | Comp B |
| ------------ | --- | ------ | ------ |
| Core feature | ✅  | ✅     | ❌     |
| Pricing      | $X  | $Y     | $Z     |
| Unique value | ... | ...    | ...    |

## Indirect Competitors

[Alternative solutions to same problem]

## Positioning Opportunity

[Gap in market we can own]
```

### A/B Testing Rules

1. **Test one thing** - Don't change 5 things at once
2. **Statistical significance** - Use proper sample sizes
3. **Run long enough** - Min 1-2 weeks, full business cycles
4. **Document everything** - Hypothesis → result → learning

**Sample Size Calculator:**

- 5% baseline conversion
- 20% minimum detectable effect
- 95% confidence
- **~1,500 visitors per variant**

### Growth Experiments Template

```markdown
## Experiment: [Name]

**Hypothesis:** If we [change], then [metric] will [improve/decrease] by [amount] because [reasoning].

**Metric:** [Primary metric to measure]
**Duration:** [X days/weeks]
**Traffic:** [% of users]

**Results:**

- Control: X%
- Variant: Y%
- Lift: Z%
- Significant: Yes/No

**Learnings:** [What we learned]
**Next Steps:** [Ship/iterate/kill]
```

### Micro-Influencer Strategy

| Tier  | Followers | Engagement | Cost/Post |
| ----- | --------- | ---------- | --------- |
| Nano  | < 5K      | 3-5%       | $0-100    |
| Micro | 5K-50K    | 2-3%       | $100-500  |
| Mid   | 50K-500K  | 1.5-2%     | $500-5K   |

**5 nano-influencers > 1 mid-tier influencer** (same cost, 2x engagement)

### UGC Collection System

1. **Trigger moments** - Post-purchase, achievement, milestone
2. **Easy submission** - One-tap sharing, pre-filled templates
3. **Incentivize** - Features, discounts, recognition
4. **Curate & amplify** - Best UGC on your channels

UGC is **9.8x more impactful** than influencer content for purchases.

## Agents

- **growth-hacker** - Viral loops, PLG, acquisition experiments
- **app-store-optimizer** - ASO strategy, keyword optimization
- **content-strategist** - Multi-platform content, SEO
- **trend-researcher** - Market research, opportunity identification
- **product-strategist** - Competitive intel, feature prioritization

## Deep Dives

- [references/plg-playbook.md](references/plg-playbook.md)
- [references/viral-mechanics.md](references/viral-mechanics.md)
- [references/aso-guide.md](references/aso-guide.md)
- [references/content-strategy.md](references/content-strategy.md)

## Examples

- [examples/referral-system/](examples/referral-system/)
- [examples/aso-checklist/](examples/aso-checklist/)
- [examples/ab-test-framework/](examples/ab-test-framework/)