Welcome to The Growth Spurt, a fortnightly newsletter with curated insights that will challenge your thinking as an aspiring creator, marketer or tech-enthusiast.

Read time: 6-7 mins

Today at a Glance:

• ⚡Storytime:

  A few months ago, I got into a semi-heated debate with a colleague on how distribution is so underprioritised as opposed to product development. It did not end well.

• LinkedIn Post: Sachin Shah: ‘Distribution is like kryptonite for consumer companies in 2024’.

• ⚡LinkedIn: How Gas app acquired 30 000 users/hour without paid advertising and made $1M in 3 months.
  A case study of how user acquisition of a consumer social app doesn’t need to have a full blown marketing budget.

• ✨Self-Improvement: Bill Gurley (Uber VC): 5 steps to DREAM job success that lasts for decades

Storytime⚡

A few months ago, I got into a semi-heated debate with a colleague on how distribution is so underprioritised as opposed to product development.

Him: ‘It is the best and the most innovative products that will win the market. And this is why engineers are more important than anything.’

Me: -.-

It did not end well.

LinkedIn Post: Sachin Shah on Distribution 🤯 

Takeaway:

1. Distribution > product development in the AI/no-code future

2. The key to success is cutting through the noise, while maintaining a low CAC.

3. Leverage baked in distribution channels e.g. [B2B media like LinkedIn groups]

LinkedIn- How Gas app went viral, with 30,000 users acquisition per hour 🤯 

This guy is LETHAL (full founder story is here)
Nikita Bier is the ultimate NINJA when it comes to growth hacking consumer social apps.

WTF is the ‘Gas’ app?

‘Gas’ is a polling app that lets high-schoolers anonymously compliment their friends. It was only released in a couple of states in US.

‘‘What ninja magic did Nikita do?'‘‘ 🥷 

🤯 He recently sold his app, Gas to Discord for 8 figures in 4 months.

🤯 In just 10 days, he was adding 30,000 new users PER HOUR.

🤯 And he baked a cake to diss on a naysayer ‘s tweet. Pretty bad ass TBH

‘‘OMG 30,000 Users/per hour? That is crazy!!! HOW???’’ 🧨 

Tom Alder summarises Nikita Bier ‘s guerilla marketing strategy in 4 major steps. Let me share the main lessons behind each step.

1. Hack social platform distribution

• Nikita knows creating a following an content creation takes time.

• Instead of opening a fresh ‘Gas’ instagram account profile, he targeted high school student instagram accounts that already has a following .

• E.g. He created a private Instagram account with school name - '@gas.georgiahigh'.

Lesson 1: Built in following and distribution = Quick Leverage

2. Targeted outbound acquisition

• Many students lists their school in bio. Nikita targets them and add them, as a mystery profile to spark curiosity.

Lesson 2: Exclusivity and mystery > flashy ads 

3. Synchronised activation funnel+ Viral word of mouth

• Considering school ends at 3pm, he mass accepted all the requests at 3pm - triggering notifications- allowing students on the way home to talk about it.

4. Rinse and Repeat

Nikita launches Gas every week - targeting one high school at a time. He spent $0 on paid marketing.

Lesson 4: In startups, the less % paid media account for acquisition, the more sustainable. 

Food for thought 🤔 

Just because you can acquire many users, it doesn’t mean they will stay (Retention). Hence speed and sustainability needs to be balanced.

 Self-Improvemen: Bill Gurley (Uber VC): 5 Steps to DREAM job success that lasts for decades 💛 

Here are my Top 2 personal favourite takeaways from Billy Gurley ‘s career advice for young folks!

1. Obsessive Curiosity > $$$ ❤️‍🔥

What are you curious about? Where money is no longer a motivator?

Make that your career. And practice the hell out of it.

2. Embrace peer relationships in your field 👭

Success doesn’t have to be a lonely road.

Embrace a tribe of people who are on the same playing field as you.

Share wins, losses and best practicies - and use them to interate on your craft.