The hottest Growth Strategies Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

How To Give Yourself A Promotion And Grow Your Business Beyond Solo Freelancing

VERY GOOD PRODUCTIZED GUIDES • 99 implied HN points • 09 Sep 24
💼 Business Freelancing Entrepreneurship Marketing Management Growth Strategies
  1. To grow beyond solo freelancing, you need to stop doing everything yourself. Focus on what you do best and outsource the tasks that take up too much of your time.
  2. It's important to package your services in a way that clients understand and can buy easily. This means creating fixed-fee services that have clear pricing and deliverables.
  3. You should regularly audit how you spend your time to figure out what tasks can be delegated. This helps free up your schedule for the high-value work that you enjoy.

How to Avoid Becoming a VC Meme and Actually Add Value

The Generalist • 700 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investment Strategies Entrepreneurship Startups Growth Strategies
  1. Venture capitalists should focus on actually helping founders by connecting them with great talent, customers, and funding. It's important not just to say you add value, but to really do something meaningful.
  2. It's better for investors to set realistic expectations about their contributions. Overpromising can damage relationships with founders, so honesty about what you can offer is key.
  3. Investors should respect the founder's role and not try to take over. They bring valuable insights but need to let entrepreneurs lead their own companies and make their own decisions.

LinkedIn

Public Universal Friend • 79 implied HN points • 02 Sep 24
💼 Business Marketing Customer Engagement Data Analysis Growth Strategies
  1. Using a customer engagement platform like Customer.io can help marketers improve their targeting and maximize growth. It offers better data management and less need for technical support.
  2. Spring is a great time for businesses to focus on improving conversions through digital marketing strategies. Real-time data can help companies get more return on their investment.
  3. Personal connections and genuine interactions are valuable, even in business communication. Taking the time to show real interest can make a difference.

Managing Expand Projects

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1193 implied HN points • 02 Jan 25
💼 Business Project management Software Development Risk management Growth Strategies
  1. In a phase of rapid growth, problems can emerge suddenly, and it's crucial to focus on quick fixes instead of getting bogged down in perfect plans. This might mean using basic solutions to keep things running.
  2. When facing high demand and limited resources, the goal is to delay or prevent resource shortages. This can involve spending more money or reducing the growth rate to manage resources better.
  3. It's important to stay calm and creative during crises. Experimenting with new ideas in small, parallel teams can help find solutions quickly, which is necessary to continue growing without causing irreversible problems.

Growth vs Scaling

Fish Food for Thought • 10 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Management Finance Growth Strategies
  1. Growth means increasing output by adding more resources, like hiring more staff or spending more money, but it can lead to higher costs too.
  2. Scaling is about growing efficiently without raising costs much. It focuses on making processes better and using technology wisely.
  3. Companies need to know when to grow and when to scale. Successful ones keep checking and adjusting their approach to keep things running smoothly.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The 10 biggest mistakes I made bootstrapping to $1M ARR

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 788 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
💼 Business Startups Marketing Sales Entrepreneurship Growth Strategies
  1. Launching on Product Hunt was a big effort, but it didn't really help with getting customers. It was a good learning experience, though, and helped shape our messaging.
  2. Hiring digital marketing agencies didn't work out well because we didn't understand marketing ourselves. We realized we needed to learn the basics to direct our strategy effectively.
  3. Spending a lot on affiliate marketing and event sponsorships didn't pay off. Having a great product isn't enough; you need a solid plan to get others to promote it effectively.

The emerging startup playbook

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 962 implied HN points • 09 Oct 24
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Marketing Product Development Growth Strategies
  1. Create a minimum remarkable product that really stands out. This means your initial product should be good enough to impress people right away, as getting their trust back later is tough.
  2. Use storytelling to engage your audience. Instead of a big launch event, try to build a community around your product through authentic content and personal stories.
  3. Stay lean by using automation and AI to keep things efficient. It's better to have a small, skilled team that can innovate rather than hiring lots of people to get things done.

How 1440 scaled its newsletter to 4 million subscribers

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 374 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
💼 Business Media Marketing Entrepreneurship Growth Strategies Content creation
  1. Understanding the true value of a newsletter subscriber is crucial. Knowing how much revenue each subscriber brings helps in making smart decisions about how much to spend on acquiring new subscribers.
  2. Growing a newsletter takes strategic planning and iteration. Utilizing feedback from early subscribers and constantly improving the product can lead to high engagement and retention.
  3. Expanding beyond email can unlock new growth opportunities. Creating a platform for educational content helps connect curious learners with valuable resources, while also providing more inventory for advertisers.

Why Most Online Advertising Benchmarks Are BS (And What To Do Instead)

Nail It and Scale It • 119 implied HN points • 22 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing Advertising Data Analysis E-commerce Growth Strategies
  1. Many online advertising benchmarks are unreliable because they don't account for differences in pricing and offers. This means you might be comparing apples to oranges, leading to wrong conclusions.
  2. To get better benchmarks, focus on two key metrics: Cost-Per-Click (CPC) and Conversion Rate. These give you a clearer picture of how your ads are performing compared to others.
  3. Joining groups or talking to industry experts can help you find more accurate conversion rates for your products. Sharing data with peers is a good way to understand what's normal in your field.

How Scott Porch helps podcasters grow and monetize their audiences

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 349 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🎙 Podcasts Marketing Monetization Growth Strategies Audience engagement
  1. Scott Porch helps podcasters grow their audiences and make money. He connects them with advertising networks and helps them put their shows on YouTube.
  2. Growing a podcast can be tough because many advertising networks only work with shows that have a big following. Scott helps smaller shows get to the next level by fixing issues and improving strategies.
  3. He believes strongly in paid subscriptions for podcasts. The easier you make it for listeners to subscribe, the more likely they are to do it, especially on platforms like Apple Podcasts.

Why, When, and How to add Sales to your Product-Led Growth motion.

Elena's Growth Scoop • 786 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
💼 Business Sales Product-led growth Enterprise Competitors Growth Strategies
  1. Product-Led Growth (PLG) allows products to scale endlessly and adapt quickly to market changes.
  2. Adding sales to PLG is necessary for B2B companies to capture enterprise market and drive growth.
  3. When considering adding sales, focus on complex products, higher AOVs, and the need for sales assistance.

The Unmaking of a Modern Economy: Brexit, Austerity, and Britain's Great Retraction

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 376 implied HN points • 23 Nov 24
💰 Finance Economic Policy Macroeconomics Global Economy Financial Crisis Growth Strategies
  1. Britain's economy has struggled since 2008, missing out on a lot of potential growth. If things had gone differently, people would be much better off today.
  2. Policies like austerity and Brexit have hurt the economy, but they are not the only reasons for the decline. There have been many mistakes made over the years.
  3. The long-term effects of economic shocks, like the Great Recession, can have lasting impacts on growth. This shows how important it is to be careful with economic policies.

Don't hunt, set traps

Startup Real Talk • 291 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Sales Marketing Customer Acquisition Growth Strategies
  1. It's better to set up systems for getting customers rather than just trying to close individual sales. This way, you can get more customers efficiently over time.
  2. Once your product fits the market, focus on creating repeatable ways to attract customers. This is more valuable than closing one deal at a time.
  3. Like setting traps for hunting, having a continuous lead system helps your business succeed without relying on just one person for sales.

What we would’ve done differently in the first year of bootstrapping our company

Founders Confidential • 51 HN points • 28 Jul 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Finance Startups Growth Strategies
  1. Start content marketing early because it takes a long time to build an audience. This way, you can also learn what your users really need.
  2. Target specific keywords in your SEO content. This helps your articles show up in search results and reach the right audience.
  3. Understand your users' experiences more deeply. Talking to them can give you valuable insights to improve your product.

How we built a business out of recession - chapter 25 - we want a Gordon.

The ZIPster • 44 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Consulting Sales Growth Strategies
  1. Hiring experienced consultants can help a business grow quickly without long-term commitments. This helps you tackle competition and make informed decisions.
  2. Forming strong connections is important for business success. Having the right people with industry contacts can pave the way for new opportunities.
  3. Sometimes, it's hard to convince talented people to join your team. Offering them a share of the company can be an attractive incentive.

NPLG 1.25.24: Should You Use PLG as a Seed Startup? (Sendspark)

Notorious PLG • 98 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Growth Strategies Product-led growth
  1. Product-led growth (PLG) can be a powerful strategy for startups, offering scalability and customer-centric focus.
  2. However, early stage startups should be cautious with PLG as it can distance them from understanding customer needs and feedback.
  3. Starting with founder-led sales before implementing PLG can help in finding product-market fit and building a strong customer base.

80/20 rule for solo-founders

Tiny Empires • 36 implied HN points • 16 Jan 25
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Growth Strategies Revenue Generation Productivity
  1. Focus on the 20% of your actions that bring in 80% of your results. This helps you work smarter, not harder.
  2. Regularly check which activities make you money, and cut out anything that doesn't contribute. It's about prioritizing the things that actually work.
  3. Spend dedicated time on your top revenue-generating activities each day. Avoid distractions so you can really concentrate on what truly matters.

Ultimate Guide: How to get started with Google Ads for early-stage B2B SaaS startups

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 56 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Marketing SaaS Advertising Growth Strategies Startups
  1. Start using Google Ads only after you have some initial traction and a clear understanding of your target audience. It's important to ensure your audience is actually searching for a solution like yours.
  2. Setting up proper tracking and conversion events is crucial. This helps you understand what's working and allows you to optimize your campaigns effectively.
  3. Focus on high-intent keywords and use structured campaigns for better performance. Target competitor keywords, product categories, and specific use cases to attract the right customers.

Fear and metrics

Sunday Letters • 59 implied HN points • 30 May 22
🕹 Technology Growth Strategies Team Dynamics Long-term Planning
  1. Balancing short-term and long-term thinking is crucial for success. It's important to choose wisely between quick fixes and sustainable solutions.
  2. When measuring growth, it's easy to manipulate numbers to tell a comfortable story. Understanding both absolute growth and market share provides a clearer picture.
  3. Choosing comfort in metrics can lead to problems later, just like quick hacks can create tech debt. It's essential to prioritize long-term health over short-term ease.

Your ultimate guide to affiliate referrals for B2B SaaS

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 17 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
💼 Business Marketing Growth Strategies ROI
  1. Affiliate referrals in B2B SaaS can be a cost-effective and scalable way to boost product visibility and credibility, leading to targeted leads and conversions.
  2. There are two main types of affiliate referrals: affiliate content creators and affiliate hubs, each with its own pros and cons.
  3. Setting up a successful affiliate referral program involves defining incentives, preparing a program landing page, sourcing the right affiliates, promoting the program, and tracking key performance indicators.

Referral Sales + Importance of Content Distribution + GTM Miro Templates

Startup Business Tips 🚀 • 8 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Sales Marketing Startup Content Distribution Growth Strategies
  1. Referral sales is a powerful strategy to get intros and referrals with the right 'sales blurbs' from warm leads, helping build trust and increase win rates.
  2. Successful content marketing involves thorough research, planning, creation, distribution, and optimization, with distribution being as crucial as creation.
  3. Utilizing GTM Miro Templates can streamline processes like building ideal customer profiles, crafting messaging, designing homepages, and creating sales decks.

Highly leveraged growth stocks: compounding mistakes

Metacritic Capital • 9 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
💰 Finance Stocks Investing Market Analysis Financial Modeling Growth Strategies
  1. Companies reporting pre-revenue numbers are often valued higher in the market.
  2. Market often extrapolates current growth to predict long-term growth, leading to significant movements in growth stocks.
  3. Assumptions and dependencies in companies' growth models can cause sharp price swings, even without financial leverage.

Growth (Part 2): Scaling up Growth

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 26 Oct 11
💼 Business Growth Strategies Market Competition Revenue Models
  1. As companies grow, keeping a high growth rate gets harder because they need to make bigger sales every year. It’s like trying to lift heavier weights as you get stronger.
  2. Successful companies like Apple and Google also see their growth slow down over time, showing that high growth isn't easy to maintain. Those companies are exceptions, not the rule.
  3. Analysts sometimes overestimate growth rates by not realizing how much harder it gets to grow larger companies. It's useful to think in terms of actual dollar amounts rather than just percentages to see the real challenges ahead.

The Scandinavian Model and Japan

Japan Economy Watch • 0 implied HN points • 08 Mar 08
🌍 World Politics Economic Policy Japan Growth Strategies
  1. Japan can aim for both growth and security by adopting a model like the Scandinavian flexicurity, which combines market elements with policies promoting equality and security.
  2. Market-conforming policies that focus on security and equality can increase political tolerance for necessary 'creative destruction' to foster growth - a lesson learned by Nordic countries in the 1990s financial crisis.
  3. Countries like Sweden have seen high productivity growth while ensuring that the benefits are shared with the labor force, unlike scenarios where wage growth lags behind productivity growth.

The Small Choices You Make: Founders Dealing with Failure

Design is Love • 0 implied HN points • 12 Apr 23
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Leadership Decision-making Growth Strategies
  1. Small choices in life matter a lot. Even simple daily decisions can lead to big impacts over time.
  2. Failing is just part of the process. It’s important to see every outcome as a lesson, helping you separate your worth from your business results.
  3. Make sure your actions reflect your values. Aligning your choices with what you believe helps keep you on track and focused.

How to Monetize a Cult Following: Lessons from MrBeast and Notion

Divinations • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
💼 Business Marketing Entrepreneurship Consumer behavior Branding Growth Strategies
  1. A cult following is about belief, not size. Fans are deeply engaged and support the brand like it's part of their identity.
  2. To monetize your following, create products that involve fans and allow them to participate in your community. It's about building relationships rather than just selling stuff.
  3. Keep your core product strong and control it closely, while letting the surrounding community and ecosystem thrive. This helps maintain loyalty and manage growth.

How AI Changes Customer Acquisition

Digital Native • 0 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
💼 Business Marketing Advertising AI Technology Customer Acquisition Growth Strategies
  1. AI is making ad creation easier and faster. You can make your own ads in just a few minutes with AI tools, saving time and costs.
  2. Search is changing too, with AI providing quick answers instead of users sifting through links. Brands now have to focus on being visible in AI search results.
  3. Influencer marketing is evolving with AI, allowing influencers to license their likeness for ads. This offers new passive income opportunities for them and makes the ad process more efficient.