Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday

Rating: 4/10

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High-Level Thoughts

Some interesting ideas, but read Immutable Laws instead.

Summary Notes

“The Lean Startup, explains that the best way to get to Product Market Fit is by starting with a “minimum viable product” and improving it based on feedback— as opposed to what most of us do, which is to try to launch with what we think is our final product.”

“Isolating who your customers are, figuring out their needs, designing a product that will blow their minds— these are marketing decisions, not just development and design choices.”

“Libin, told a group of entrepreneurs in a now-classic talk “people [who are] thinking about things other than making the best product, never make the best product.” So Evernote took “marketing” off the table and instead poured that budget into product development. This undoubtedly slowed brand building at first— but it paid off. Why? Because Evernote is far and away the most superior productivity and note-taking application on the planet. Today, it practically markets itself.”

““The more innovative your product is, the more likely you will have to find new and novel ways to get at your customers.””

“Make it seem like it isn’t a favor. Make it the kind of thing that is worth spreading and, of course, conducive to spreading.”

“All of which is to say a simple truth that we try to deny too often: If you want to go viral, it must be baked into your product. There must be a reason to share it and the means to do so.”

“More important than any of their specific tactics was the mind-set they all shared. Each followed the process I’ve outlined in this book: they merged marketing into their product development; they kicked off growth with early adopters; they added viral elements; and then they relentlessly repeated these cycles, always guided by the data, with an eye toward optimization.”

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