Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth

by Gabriel Weinberg

Build a viral loop into the product. There are several types of viral loops, including word of mouth, inherent, collaborative, communicative, incentives, embedded, and social. Startups can combine and change types over time, but generally these loops need to be built into the product to work successfully. Shorten viral cycle time. The shorter this time, the more loops will occur and the faster you will grow. Look for viral pockets. You might already be viral in a subgroup of your customers. Find that subgroup and focus on it. More than in any other channel, test, test, test. Successful viral strategy involves constant testing, measurement, and trying new things. It is a numbers and creativity game. No test is too small, as small changes can have big effects over time. Viral loops that work well often have extremely simple components (forms, copy, email, etc.).