Launch · Before
Do the unscalable channel first
Manually put the product where the customers already transact — even if you have to do it by hand, one listing at a time.
Scale is a later problem. Presence in the existing market is the first problem. Famous growth teams started with hacks that made engineers grimace.
How to run it
- 01Find the incumbent forum, classifieds, or group where the job happens today.
- 02Show up as a useful participant, then as a better way to do the same job.
- 03Do it manually until the pattern is obvious enough to automate or leave.
- 04Write down the script. That script becomes onboarding copy.
In the wild
Airbnb posted to Craigslist because that is where travelers already looked. Indies still do the equivalent in Facebook groups, Slack orgs, and niche forums.
Used by · 3
Noah Kagan
@noahkagan
Validation · email
Talking to humans, tiny price tests, and email as a weapon
Andrew Chen
@andrewchen
Growth loops · networks
Network effects, cold starts, and loops versus funnels
Greg Isenberg
@gregisenberg
Scene-first · community
Spotting scenes early and building community-led products inside them