tw-rl

1. Pay to interview people who've successfully grown a startup like yours. You can find them via LinkedIn Sales Navigator. 2. Ask them which 3 channels (ads, SEO, etc.) you should prioritize for acquiring customers. 3. Ask for examples of companies who run these channels well.

Some channels to ask about: • PR • Ads • SEO • Influencers • Sponsorships • Organic social • Word-of-mouth • In-depth content • Referral incentives • Product-led invites (think Slack, Zoom, Dropbox)

4. Reverse-engineer how those companies run their channels well: A. Map each step the customer takes between the channel and becoming a happy customer. B. Study what makes each step great: its pitch, its design, and its user experience.

Here's an example of steps. • Someone sees your Facebook ad ← Channel • They visit your page • Enter their email • Trial the product • Pay for the product • Stay engaged • Refer more users (Tools like Ahrefs + FB Ad Library show you competitors' ads and landing pages!)

When you're auditing another company's steps, look for moments that make you remark: "Wow, I want more of this. I'm interested." That's the magic you want for your startup.

5. Now recreate a low-res version of the funnel for your company. This is your jumping off point to explore what works in your startup's context. Everything is always context-dependent!

6. First, we need a team to build the elements needed for each step: • Design • Product • Copywriting • Engineering Get a contractor, agency, or full-time hire—or do it yourself. Again, this is where LinkedIn Sales Navigator helps you find experienced people.

7. Set up your analytics to measure conversion rates at each step. I recommend using one of these tools: • Amplitude • Mixpanel • Heap

8. Turn on your channel. 9. Note at which steps people drop-off the most. Fix drop-off points before over-optimizing other steps.

10. How do you fix drop-off? You test new: • Offers + incentives • Value propositions • Product changes • Target personas • Pricing plans • UX

11. Repeat the channel and step exercise for each of the channels the experts suggested you test first.

12. If a channel bombs, consider a new contractor or agency to *attack it from a different angle.* Sometimes, you just need a new approach. If the best of the best can't make a channel sustainable for you, move onto the next—and come back to this later.

13. Meanwhile, run experiments on working channels to increase their performance further: • What would compel people even more? • How can we remove more friction?

14. Over time, your goal is to build your private playbook of growth knowledge. To do this, don't bury your head in the sand: Continually consult others and reverse engineer what works in the wild.

Recap: • Talk to people who've done it before. • Audit competent competitors. • Bring in new people when you get stuck. • Eat mangoes AND bananas! WAHHH 😱😱😱

This thread is a superficial primer on acquisition. There's far more to know about channel selection and testing. My site has a handbook that goes deeper. It's free, of course. P.S. I hope this "14 steps" format inspires memes 😂

My Notes:

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Julian Shapiro

GuillaumeBardet

JulianJulian

3 years ago

Pomp 🌪

@APompliano

The innovation and progress coming out of India and Nigeria is breathtaking.

My Notes:

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Pomp 🌪

The innovation and progress coming out of India and Nigeria is breathtaking.

GuillaumeBardet

APomplianoThe innovation and progress coming out of India and Nigeria is breathtaking.

3 years ago

Michael Martocci 🚀 SwagUp

@MichaelMartocci

Packing up for the move to Miami, don’t care about any of the clothes as long as I have these 🔥

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Packing up for the move to Miami, don’t care about any of the clothes as long as I have these 🔥

GuillaumeBardet

MichaelMartocciPacking up for the move to Miami, don’t care about any of the clothes as long as I have these 🔥

3 years ago

Amanda Goetz

@AmandaMGoetz

I always assume the best in people.

Do you think in 2021 this is a strength or weakness?

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Amanda Goetz

I always assume the best in people.

Do you think in 2021 this is a strength or weakness?

GuillaumeBardet

AmandaMGoetzI always assume the best in people. Do you think in 2021 this is a strength or weakness?

3 years ago

Dru Riley 📈

@DruRly

Looking for a JS developer

Who should I talk to?

My Notes:

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Dru Riley 📈

Looking for a JS developer

Who should I talk to?

GuillaumeBardet

DruRlyLooking for a JS developer Who should I talk to?

3 years ago

Alex Lieberman ☕️

@businessbarista

‎The Founder's Journal: How We Raised Money on Apple Podcasts‎Show The Founder's Journal, Ep How We Raised Money - Feb 12, 2021 podcasts.apple.com

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‎The Founder's Journal: How We Raised Money on Apple Podcasts‎Show The Founder's Journal, Ep How We Raised Money - Feb 12, 2021

GuillaumeBardet

businessbaristabusinessbarista

3 years ago

§Alex Adelman 🍭

@alexadelman

Hourly progress of cups on my desk:

9:00a: ☕️💻

11:00a: ☕️ 💻 ☕️

1:00p: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 🍵

3:00p: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 🍵 🥤

5:00p: 🍺☕️ 💻 🍵🥤

8:00p: 🍺 ☕️ 💻 🍵🥤🥃

11:00p: 🍺 ☕️ 💻 🍵🥤🥃🍷

My Notes:

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§Alex Adelman 🍭

Hourly progress of cups on my desk:

9:00a: ☕️💻

11:00a: ☕️ 💻 ☕️

1:00p: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 🍵

3:00p: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 🍵 🥤

5:00p: 🍺☕️ 💻 🍵🥤

8:00p: 🍺 ☕️ 💻 🍵🥤🥃

11:00p: 🍺 ☕️ 💻 🍵🥤🥃🍷

GuillaumeBardet

alexadelmanHourly progress of cups on my desk: 9:00a: ☕️💻 11:00a: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 1:00p: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 🍵 3:00p: ☕️ 💻 ☕️ 🍵 🥤 5:00p: 🍺☕️ 💻 🍵🥤 8:00p: 🍺 ☕️ 💻 🍵🥤🥃 11:00p: 🍺 ☕️ 💻 🍵🥤🥃🍷

3 years ago

Simon Høiberg

@SimonHoiberg

What have you done to become 1% better today?

Share it with us 🤩

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Simon Høiberg

What have you done to become 1% better today?

Share it with us 🤩

GuillaumeBardet

SimonHoibergWhat have you done to become 1% better today? Share it with us 🤩

3 years ago

Pat Walls

@thepatwalls

“What technology did you build this in?”

Said no paying customer ever.

My Notes:

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Pat Walls

“What technology did you build this in?”

Said no paying customer ever.

GuillaumeBardet

thepatwalls"What technology did you build this in?" Said no paying customer ever.

3 years ago

rohan

@rohanrkumar

literally everyone u meet now will pay off 10x in the future that’s the best investment strategy

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rohan

literally everyone u meet now will pay off 10x in the future that’s the best investment strategy

GuillaumeBardet

rohanrkumarliterally everyone u meet now will pay off 10x in the future that's the best investment strategy

3 years ago

Gaby Goldberg

@gaby_goldberg

What’s your Google Chrome extension stack? 👇

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Gaby Goldberg

What’s your Google Chrome extension stack? 👇

GuillaumeBardet

gaby_goldbergWhat's your Google Chrome extension stack? 👇

3 years ago

aj

@ajlkn

Build something good enough and your users will make it great

My Notes:

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Build something good enough and your users will make it great

GuillaumeBardet

ajlknBuild something good enough and your users will make it great

3 years ago

Jack Butcher

@jackbutcher

Read Thread

5 ways to think about growth. ↓

Life is a fight against entropy.

Nothing works on its own.

0:000:00

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Do the same thing, get to the same place.

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." — Albert Allen Bartlett

My Notes:

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Jack Butcher

GuillaumeBardet

jackbutcherjackbutcher

3 years ago

Jordan O'Connor

@jdnoc

After I heard this quote I can’t stop thinking about it:

“Take a simple idea and take it seriously.” — Charlie Munger

Look at Elon Musk (& most successful people).

– Electric Cars
– Solar Panels
– Space Exploration
– Tunnels

All simple, not new ideas, taken very seriously.

My Notes:

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Jordan O'Connor

After I heard this quote I can’t stop thinking about it:

“Take a simple idea and take it seriously.” — Charlie Munger

Look at Elon Musk (& most successful people).

– Electric Cars
– Solar Panels
– Space Exploration
– Tunnels

All simple, not new ideas, taken very seriously.

GuillaumeBardet

jdnocAfter I heard this quote I can't stop thinking about it: "Take a simple idea and take it seriously." — Charlie Munger Look at Elon Musk (& most successful people). - Electric Cars - Solar Panels - Space Exploration - Tunnels All simple, not new ideas, taken very seriously.

3 years ago

Ankur Nagpal 🔥🔥

@ankurnagpal

Are you building something for the creator economy?

Reply to this tweet with:

👩‍💻 A 1-line description of what you do
🌍 Your website
🚀 Who you want to connect with – cofounders, engineers, investors, customers etc.

And open your DM’s for max serendipity

My Notes:

Select to add to your #gallery:

Ankur Nagpal 🔥🔥

Are you building something for the creator economy?

Reply to this tweet with:

👩‍💻 A 1-line description of what you do
🌍 Your website
🚀 Who you want to connect with – cofounders, engineers, investors, customers etc.

And open your DM’s for max serendipity

GuillaumeBardet

ankurnagpalAre you building something for the creator economy? Reply to this tweet with: 👩‍💻 A 1-line description of what you do 🌍 Your website 🚀 Who you want to connect with - cofounders, engineers, investors, customers etc. And open your DM's for max serendipity

3 years ago

Pat Walls

@thepatwalls

Very cool website:

Breaks down investment portfolios of big name investors: https://cheaperthanguru.com/portfolio/cathie-wood

Never seen anything like it, altho I don’t know too much about this world.

Are there other websites/startups doing similar stuff?

$39 Billion Cathie Wood Portfolio /Â ARK Invest HoldingsView the current portfolio and holdings of Cathie Wood (ARK Invest) based on their 13F filings. Total portfolio value: $38.7 Billion | 344 stocks cheaperthanguru.com

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Very cool website:

Breaks down investment portfolios of big name investors: https://cheaperthanguru.com/portfolio/cathie-wood

Never seen anything like it, altho I don’t know too much about this world.

Are there other websites/startups doing similar stuff?

GuillaumeBardet

thepatwallsVery cool website: Breaks down investment portfolios of big name investors: https://cheaperthanguru.com/portfolio/cathie-wood Never seen anything like it, altho I don't know too much about this world. Are there other websites/startups doing similar stuff?

3 years ago

Andrew Wilkinson

@awilkinson

Clubhouse cut out the middle-man for conferences.

A Free and Instantaneous SxSw Panel, without:

✈️Plane Ticket
🛏️Hotel Room
🕐Days of Your Life
😷Getting Sick/Hungover
👶Missing Your Kids

My Notes:

Select to add to your #gallery:

Andrew Wilkinson

Clubhouse cut out the middle-man for conferences.

A Free and Instantaneous SxSw Panel, without:

✈️Plane Ticket
🛏️Hotel Room
🕐Days of Your Life
😷Getting Sick/Hungover
👶Missing Your Kids

GuillaumeBardet

awilkinsonClubhouse cut out the middle-man for conferences. A Free and Instantaneous SxSw Panel, without: ✈️Plane Ticket 🛏️Hotel Room 🕐Days of Your Life 😷Getting Sick/Hungover 👶Missing Your Kids

3 years ago

Farhaj Mayan 👨🏽‍💻

@farhajmayan

Hi everyone 👋🏽

So behind all of the cryptic things I‘ve posted over the last few weeks, we’ve had something cooking up all along. I’m excited to finally unveil that Kanna is now Oko (@withoko) and we’re building the People OS for the cannabis industry.

http://www.oko.co

My Notes:

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Hi everyone 👋🏽

http://www.oko.co

GuillaumeBardet

farhajmayanHi everyone 👋🏽 So behind all of the cryptic things I‘ve posted over the last few weeks, we’ve had something cooking up all along. I'm excited to finally unveil that Kanna is now Oko (@withoko) and we’re building the People OS for the cannabis industry. http://www.oko.co

3 years ago

Kelly Vaughn 🐞

@kvlly

When I’m reviewing applications, I don’t care how you learned or where you learned – I want to know what you built, what you learned, what interests you, and your thought process.

My Notes:

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Kelly Vaughn 🐞

When I’m reviewing applications, I don’t care how you learned or where you learned – I want to know what you built, what you learned, what interests you, and your thought process.

GuillaumeBardet

kvllyWhen I'm reviewing applications, I don't care how you learned or where you learned - I want to know what you built, what you learned, what interests you, and your thought process.

3 years ago

Pat Walls

@thepatwalls

Your todo list == your goals.

Your inbox == everyone else’s goals.

My Notes:

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Pat Walls

Your todo list == your goals.

Your inbox == everyone else’s goals.

GuillaumeBardet

thepatwallsYour todo list == your goals. Your inbox == everyone else's goals.

3 years ago

Courtland Allen

@csallen

Don’t ask if you can ask. Just ask.

My Notes:

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Courtland Allen

Don’t ask if you can ask. Just ask.

GuillaumeBardet

csallenDon't ask if you can ask. Just ask.

3 years ago

Nick Maggiulli

@dollarsanddata

Read Thread

A thread on the 10 biggest money mistakes I see people make. 1. Cutting spending instead of raising income Spending has lower limits (i.e. you have to eat), but income has no upper limit. Find small ways to grow your income today that turn into BIG ways to grow it tomorrow.

2. Not thinking like an owner Do you know who the wealthiest NFL player in history is? Not Brady/Manning/Madden. It's Jerry Richardson. Never heard of him? Me neither. He made his wealth from owning Hardees franchises, not playing in the NFL. Be an owner. Think like one too.

3. Overemphasis on small wins vs. big wins You'll drive across town to save $40 on a television, but won't spend 5 hours preparing yourself for a salary negotiation that is 100x more impactful. Saving $40 is great, but making $4,000 more a year is even greater.

4. Timing the market No one knows the future or where the market is going. 2020 taught us that. Being right about something and making money on it are two different things. Timing is the differentiator. Don't try to be the exception. Don't time the market.

5. Borrowing too much They say it takes money to make money, which is why borrowing money and investing it can be such a profitable strategy. Unfortunately, if things go south, you could lose it all. When borrowing money there are no guarantees, except your monthly payment.

6. Paying attention to other peoples' finances Some people are going to be richer than you. Some by skill and some by luck. Don't worry about them. Focus on how you are doing relative to YOUR financial potential. That's the only one that really matters anyways.

7. Too much lifestyle creep Some lifestyle creep is fine (and I encourage it), but the data suggests that spending more than 50% of your raises pushes your financial independence further away. When good fortune comes, enjoy it. But don't forget about your future.

8. Investing in products you don't understand If you can't explain it to a five year old, then you probably don't understand it. And if you don't understand it, then you are probably taking risks you can't even imagine. Keep it simple and buy simple investment products.

9. Paying too much in fees Fees are the silent killer. For example, if you had invested alongside Warren Buffett while he charged "2 and 20" your total gains would have been reduced by 10x!

Dividend Growth Investor @DividendGrowthIf you invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 1965, by 2009 your investment would have been worth $4.3 million If Buffett had set up Berkshire as a hedge fund, and charged a 2% annual fee plus 20% of any gains, the investor would have been left with only $300,000 twitter.com

10. Obsessing over not having enough money Only about 1 in 6 retirees sell down their assets within a given year. Many more leave behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in inheritances. Don't spend your life worrying about money only to let someone else enjoy it.

Thank you for reading! You can get more of my data-driven personal finance insights by signing up for my weekly newsletter below: https://ofdollarsanddata.com/newsletter/

My Notes:

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Nick Maggiulli

GuillaumeBardet

dollarsanddatadollarsanddata

3 years ago

Sid Verma

@_SidVerma

Elon Musk: See you later alligator

Twitter: Haha, omg, outrageous, let’s buy some alligators

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Sid Verma

Elon Musk: See you later alligator

Twitter: Haha, omg, outrageous, let’s buy some alligators

GuillaumeBardet

_SidVermaElon Musk: See you later alligator Twitter: Haha, omg, outrageous, let's buy some alligators

3 years ago

Vincenzo Landino 🥬

@vincenzolandino

Read Thread

Alright @budlight backed up the Brinks truck for all these cameos! #BudLightLegends

Ok @ChipotleTweets. I get the point. You grow your food to power the future. I like it. Didn’t wow me. But it worked. Got me thinking about a burrito.

Giving away money as a #SuperBowl ad feels like a cheap engagement play. But for @MountainDew it probably works. Plus... @JohnCena

Sentimental spot from @indeed. Didn’t hate it as a message. Worth the Super Bowl money? Eh

DRAKE FROM STATE FARM! 😂 I like this @StateFarm

First reference to 2020? @budlight seltzer lemonade. Not their best.

The @oatly CEO singing is weird. But pretty funny. Not sure if it was worth the spot. But I like it for what it was.

MAKE ME FEEL SOMETHING. Love that @Toyota. #Olympics

LMAO @etrade with the Karate Kid reference 😂 I love that!! So many references with that. The perfect storm. I dig it.

I hate Mayo in general. @BlakeGuidry_ knows this. But the Hellman’s spot... meh

Another @paramountplus winner. @CowherCBS reacting to Beavis and Butthead 😂 😆

Another @turbotax spot. Idk what I think about that one. I mean, I get it.

@tide Jason Alexander hoodie 😂 Greatest American Hero theme 😂

@DrSquatchSoapCo spot 😳 I see these on IG all the time. Was the $$ worth it? Don’t know. But the Dollar Shave Club/Purple commercial formula is getting old for me

I’ve totally changed my mind on @oatly’s ad. As @iiiitsandrea said, they are pulling a stunt, led by the ad on TV. That ad was shot 3 years ago, it’s on YouTube, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HQU0MB0D5A And they knew you’d hate it! How? Check out what they’re selling:

And @oatly @OatlyUS knows exactly how bad that spot was. SO WELL DONE. This is impressive.

OatlyUS @OatlyUS@hutchinson Seems like a popular opinion. We're all out of t-shirts. twitter.com

You really going to talk back to Samuel L Jackson while he’s holding a sparkle stick!? Enough out of you @TeamJuJu !! 😂 Samuel L. makes everything better. Really enjoyed that from @Verizon

Wayne’s World. @iamcardib. @UberEats #EatLocal That’s a solid one right there.

Travis Kelce needs to show up the way he did in that @TMobile commercial #SuperBowl

@MichelobULTRA had a lot of faces. Message was nice. They’ve done a lot around social with the celebs presence. The spot didn’t pay off for me but I know it’s part of more.

Hahahahahahaha #Fiverr with the Four Seasons Landscaping shot. That will be memorable. @FiverrSupport

@DiRealShaggy @aplusk Mila for @ChesterCheetah 😂 I absolutely loved that. “that’s the first time that ever worked” 😂

I love @RealChalamet and Winona. I don’t love that @Cadillac ad. Just didn’t do it for me. The Edward Scissor hands references was good. But the ad took too long to develop.

@MichelobULTRA we need each other. Let’s grab a beer. Simple. Human. I like it.

Wow. That’s what I just said to that @Jeep ad. ReUnited States of America. Very very well done. The tone fits the brand and the message is STRONG.

Christopher Walken (sounding) voiceover leading off and tons of celebs pimping out @MichelobULTRA Seltzer 😂

Is this the first time the @alexa99 @michaelb4jordan ad ran!? This is just so damn good. Love love love it

@GuaranteedRate with a “climb the mountain”. Simple messaging. Clear. Concise. Not gonna win the ad bowl, but it works.

No comments on the Robinhood ad. Shouldn’t have run one.

@reddit was really creative. Forcing you to pause and read it.

My Notes:

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Vincenzo Landino 🥬

GuillaumeBardet

vincenzolandinovincenzolandino

3 years ago

Austen Allred

@Austen

I’ll instantly join any social media app, even if I don’t plan on using it, just to snag my username

My Notes:

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Austen Allred

I’ll instantly join any social media app, even if I don’t plan on using it, just to snag my username

GuillaumeBardet

AustenI’ll instantly join any social media app, even if I don’t plan on using it, just to snag my username

3 years ago

Jack Altman

@jaltma

Read Thread

A couple of my good friends are starting some companies right now. I spent a little time writing out some of my own learnings from the early days of Lattice to share with them. Thought I’d post for anyone to read:

Your first 10 hires set the stage for your company’s talent bar and culture - Spend a lot of time with them pre-hire. Get them to work with you for a day or even a week. - You’re looking for diamonds in the rough. Known quantities are starting companies or joining sure things.

Don’t outsource your early sales. - You don't do early sales to get revenue, you do it to get product feedback and inch your way toward product market fit.

Don’t delegate out product decisions. - It’s okay to be very micro-managey as the founder in the early days, especially with the product. The product is literally all your startup has to offer to the world. Don’t feel bad about being a bit of maniac here.

Outside of building the product, talking to customers, and hiring, delegate everything else you can.

Make friends with at least 10 customers or industry people. - Not like email friends. Text with them, go for walks, get well past the surface level stuff. - You can partially skip this step if yourself are the customer.

Job number 1 is get product market fit. A heuristic for everything you do can be “does this activity help me get product market fit?”

You’ll know you have PMF is when strangers buy your product, when they’re passionate, when 20%+ of demos convert, etc. Qualitatively, it’ll feel like chasing a boulder down a hill, not pushing one up. Still hard, but decidedly different. If you aren't sure you don't have it yet.

Job number 2 is build the company. - When it’s time to transition, really transition. - Exec recruiters are your friends. - This blog post by Ali Rowghani was incredibly important for me: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/3k-what-s-the-second-job-of-a-startup-ceo

Job number one 1.5 is what I call “handing off the plates”. By the time you’re starting to get customers (and all their demands) and have 10-15 employees (and all their activities) you’re gonna be really deep in a bunch of random shit.

You’re spinning a bunch of plates. Your job now is to hire people who you can hand the plates off to, without letting others break too much, until you’re in Job number 2.

Don’t spend much time talking to investors except when you’re fundraising. It’s their job to build a relationship with you and keep tabs on your business. Your job is entirely different. Don’t let them pressure you into helping them do their job at the expense of yours.

Prioritize taking care of your mentality. Eat well, sleep enough, exercise. Don't worry much about what other people are doing. Fall in love with the process. It's really hard but it's also extremely special and you may only get to to it once in your career.

That's probably enough rambling. Obviously, this is all personal to what I learned from Lattice, and what I’d either repeat or do differently the second time around. Probably best to ignore liberally.