Overthinkers & Underthinkers
Teams adopt a culture of overthinking or underthinking — and either one can slow us down. Fortunately, it's an easy fix!
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One actionable growth idea per week, for impatient founders & their teams.
Useful mental models, actionable tips, interview questions, growth tactics worth stealing.
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- 1 min
1,000 Wrong Turns
Here’s a little thought experiment. We all know that every great startup made plenty of wrong turns. A16Z calls it “the idea maze” and it...
- 2 min
The Negative Value Rule
How do you calculate the fully loaded cost of a new feature? (The answer might shock you)
- 2 min
The best (low-cost) startup marketing strategy (AKA The Locksmith story.)
When startups ask for the best low-cost marketing strategy, I tell them the locksmith story.
- 2 min
How to find your North Star metric (with examples)
A good North Star metric gives everyone a common target, replacing their function / silo goal and aligning the team.
- 2 min
Sevens Kill Companies
On the surface, Sara was arguing for essentialism in hiring and firing. If you score your team members on a scale of 1-10, then 4’s are easy
- 4 min
How to find out who your true competitors are
This is pt.3 of our three part series on competitive spying. In our first post, we talked about the top 6 tools we like to use for...
- 2 min
Reasons why you SHOULDN'T copy your competitors
Two weeks ago, I outlined my Top Six Competitor Analysis Tools and how I spy on competitors. This week, I’ll reverse course and explain...
- 3 min
My Top 6 Competitor Analysis Tools
Here's how I peek at a company's site when I want to check out their overall marketing approach, including my 6 favourite spy tools.
- 2 min
Why Marketing Doesn't Work
I write this with a heavy heart, but often Marketing alone just doesn't work. But when I look back on my time at PayPal, the most...
- 7 min
When marketing experiments fail
What do you do when your marketing campaign isn't delivering results, or the results are modest or inconclusive? First of all, most...
- 3 min
Top Startup Pricing Mistakes (2 of 2)
Before you lower your price, use this interview technique uncover your products' true value to customers.
- 2 min
Top Startup Pricing Mistakes (1 of 2)
If you’re thinking about lowering your prices, read this 👇🏼 Setting the right price is hard, especially for your own startup. Most...
- 2 min
How to write a startup marketing strategy.
People often ask me to look over their "marketing strategies”, and nine times out of ten, it’s not a strategy at all. Just a list. A very...
- 2 min
Should startups invest in brand building?
Should a startup invest in “brand-building?” And how much? (Brand should not just be the budget line item for “things you want to do but...
- 2 min
How to write the perfect headline for your landing page?
Is there a formula for the perfect landing page headline? It turns out there is: The “Now You Can” Formula… Here’s a simple technique to...
- 3 min
What makes a good lead magnet?
Most B2B sites convert about 2% of visitors. Today, you’ll learn how to capture the other 98% (or at least 30% of them). In last week’s...
- 2 min
How to reduce the bounce rate of your website?
Look at your conversion rate. Do you ever wonder “Where are the other 98% of my visitors going?” First, is your product an impulse buy?...
- 2 min
If I see these 3 words on your site, that’s a huge red flag.
How to find out what really matters to your customers.
- 1 min
How do you measure "brand building?"
Are you planning to “build a stronger brand” in 2021? (Who isn’t?) But that goal is kind of fuzzy… how do you actually measure it? You...