“Growth Hacking” is BS
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“Growth Hacking” is BS
1–10 of 62 posts
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#2Rather than pooh-poohing this new word or dismissing it by claiming that people use it so they can avoid calling themselves marketers, ask yourself: "Why do people find this distinction useful?"
That would make for a much better article, IMO.
Here's a thread where I attempt to justify the term: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4309570
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#3Rather than pooh-poohing this new word or dismissing it by claiming that people use it so they can avoid calling themselves marketers, ask yourself: "Why do people find this distinction useful?" That would make for a much better article, IMO. Here's a thread where I attempt to justify the term: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4309570
Probably because the group of marketers using technology wants a name for themselves to convey the meaning that they're not normal marketers, but marketers that use and create advanced technology to make better decisions.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#4There is too much talk about titles and too little talk about how to get a product development process in place that allows for great product design that also achieves key metrics.
This post doesn't go very far in furthering the discussion. The answers come not from anti-[job title] posts, but something more positive, like describing how things get done at Facebook, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Zynga, and other orgs that are good at shipping product.
I talk to a lot of companies, and it is pretty easy for them to think they want to focus on growth. The interesting problems appear when (as always) there is more to do than you have the resources to get done. How as an organization do you deal with that? Driving towards growth is pretty simple, but doing it in parallel to building and selling a compelling product is harder.
By the way, Dropbox had a referral program before I got there. I just helped turn the dial up a bit, in addition to separate product changes.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#5I disagree with this article. A "Growth Hacker" is an engineer that applies himself in the field of marketing. This means coming up with interesting and innovative ways of lowering the cost of user acquisition. The distinction is important since Marketing itself is a very loaded term.
Companies like Zynga thrived because they found cheap ways of getting users: early un-managed FB platform, and app referrals. Same with AirBnB and their craigslist post automation.
Growth hacking isn't going to make your product better, but more people will be aware of it.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#6Rather than pooh-poohing this new word or dismissing it by claiming that people use it so they can avoid calling themselves marketers, ask yourself: "Why do people find this distinction useful?" That would make for a much better article, IMO. Here's a thread where I attempt to justify the term: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4309570
Absolutely. The term has a definite meaning. It refers to a software engineer with enough market awareness, copywriting savvy, and statistical ability to run a campaign full stack. There aren't that many people with this skillset, but they are valuable. By contrast, the typical person listing "marketing" on LinkedIn is just not that technical.
A good growth hacker can conceptualize and code the AirBnB/Craiglist integration; most of the people listing marketing on LinkedIn can't do that, skilled as they may be in other respects.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#7No. Context is very important here, and it's actually quite apt with regard to hiring and being hired.
Data-driven marketing (DDM) is a huge thing now because it reliably magnifies revenue streams. However, the skill set to execute on such strategies is a bit non-traditional for marketing. If you want to hire someone to help build your DDM team, you don't necessarily want a business grad or a top salesman. What you want is an math or engineering transplant, someone with the statistical and technical skills necessary but who knows or is interested in learning the business and marketing aspects.
"Growth hacker" moonlights as a buzzword, but it's actually a great way to spin a job opening to appeal to the audience you need to attract: tech-to-business transplants. Ergo, it can also be effective self-branding if you're a tech-to-business transplant looking to make $$$ for helping to create well-documented X% to XX% revenue improvements.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#8Rather than pooh-poohing this new word or dismissing it by claiming that people use it so they can avoid calling themselves marketers, ask yourself: "Why do people find this distinction useful?" That would make for a much better article, IMO. Here's a thread where I attempt to justify the term: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4309570
Absolutely. The term has a definite meaning. It refers to a software engineer with enough market awareness, copywriting savvy, and statistical ability to run a campaign full stack. There aren't that many people with this skillset, but they are valuable. By contrast, the typical person listing "marketing" on LinkedIn is just not that technical. A good growth hacker can conceptualize and code the AirBnB/Craiglist integ…
Sounds like you are referring to a generalist.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#9You're right sir.
And this helps answer another popular theme of 2012: should people learn to code? YES.
This is a great example of what other professionals (non-coders) can do if they learn new tools, if they learn how to work with code.
Re: “Growth Hacking” is BS
#10I disagree with this article. A "Growth Hacker" is an engineer that applies himself in the field of marketing. This means coming up with interesting and innovative ways of lowering the cost of user acquisition. The distinction is important since Marketing itself is a very loaded term. Companies like Zynga thrived because they found cheap ways of getting users: early un-managed FB platform, and app referrals. Same wit…
A "Growth Hacker" is an engineer that applies himself in the field of marketing.
or a marketer who learns how to code?