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The Power of the Pattern InterruptYou’ve probably experienced this phenomenon at a red light. The car next to you rolls forward, and for a split second, your brain screams, “YO buddy! You’re rolling backwards!” Your foot stomps the br
Influencer Marketing Basics for the Traction StageI’ll never forget the first time I saw just how influential influencer marketing could be. I was working at an ad agency in 2019. We were in the midst of launching a national campaign for a well-known
Four Foundational Forces of Brand IdentityFor startups and small businesses, there seems to be a deep chasm between two schools of “brand” thought: one that’s entirely too small-minded and another that’s way too big-picture to feel applicable
How Beli Is Eating Yelp’s LunchI’ve never thought of myself as someone who lived under a metaphorical rock, but the fact that I hadn’t heard of the Beli app until recently is making me question that. Maybe it’s because I’m not part
The ROI on a failed Techstars startupHey everyone, Today’s newsletter is a bit different. I usually write about growth tactics and strategies, but today I’m zooming out to talk about something more foundational. It's a personal story abo
Perfecting Your Above-The-Fold DesignIn last week’s Growth Newsletter #282, we took a deep dive into above-the-fold (ATF) messaging. We talked about the importance of a first impression, and we walked through a methodical, step-by-step p
Your Above-The-Fold Messaging Playbook“You only get one chance to make a first impression.” It sounds like corny advice from my dad before my first big interview (because that’s exactly what he said), but there’s a lot of truth in it. Fir
Should You Take the Content Creation Plunge?Content creation has almost become a “checkbox” in today’s startup starter kit. Plenty of creators and founders will tell you that you need to build in public and post every day, so your company can r
Is It Time To Reconsider Your Tagline?In our previous Growth Newsletter, we unpacked AEO (Answer Engine Optimization, the practice of appealing to LLMs) and the ripple effects it’s having. Our biggest takeaway was that you can’t appear sc
How to Get ChatGPT Talking About Your BrandIt's no secret that traditional search traffic has seen better days. AI is creating a major shift in this space, where the effectiveness of traditional SEO is eroding, and generative AEO (Answer Engin
How Doopoll Built An Acquisition-Worthy Growth EngineIn case you missed it, the early-bird sale for Demand Curve’s Growth Program 2.0 officially went live a few hours ago. We’ve already seen an incredible response from our community. As of right now, 15
Three Tips & Use Cases for AI ImageryIf your social feeds are anything like mine, you’re not only seeing more visual content made with AI, you’re also seeing more content about how to make images and videos with AI. The world of AI image
Garmin’s Masterful PivotRemember when our grade-school math teachers made us do long division by hand because, quote, “You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket”? Well, we all know how that turned out. Now imagine yo
Making Your Elevator Pitch PerfectHave you ever been at a networking event or happy hour and made the mistake of asking the wrong person what they do for work? They launch into a scattered seven-minute soliloquy, and by the end of it,
Why Your Logo Should Do LessAs a creative by trade, it’s always fun to get the popcorn out and watch someone else’s rebrand go on trial in the court of public opinion. I’ve certainly been on the receiving end of comments that cu
How Slate Gave a Masterclass in PositioningFew brand launches have made my jaw drop to the floor like Slate’s. The Bezos-backed automaker sent shockwaves through the auto industry when it emerged from stealth mode in April. Slate’s product was
A Growth Strategy Worth Talking AboutLast month, I interviewed Rodrigo Collao (known as "RC") and Matt Concordia from FX Replay. Two Growth Program alumni who built a stock trading simulation platform that grew to 100,000+ users across 1
How to Own Your TruthI was driving through a shopping center in Raleigh the other day when a hilarious sign stopped me in my tracks. I felt the need to pull over, get out of my car, and take a picture. Taken at face value
The New Rules of EngagementIf you read last Thursday’s newsletter, you got a refresher on how to boost conversion rate optimization (CRO) through homepage and landing page fundamentals. As we teased last week, today’s newslette
Landing Pages That Land CustomersOver the years, we’ve shared growth strategies and insights with thousands of founders and marketers. Some newsletters stand alone, and others connect around a bigger theme. As we gear up to launch Gr
The Rise of the “Sloppers”There’s a new phrase going around for people who constantly post AI goop. The slur? Sloppers. If you post an uncanny AI video or a thought leadership piece that smells like lazy AI output? That’s slop
Tough Love (Why Lovable’s Growth Playbook Isn’t Yours)Humans are naturally envious creatures. And if you’re a founder, growth marketer, or you work at a tech/AI startup, it’s only natural to be envious of Lovable AI. The growth trajectory for this Swedis
The Worst Rebrands Ever (And What We Can Learn From Them)A rebrand is a fact of life for most successful businesses. A strong rebrand can give your business a much-needed tune-up. But an ill-informed one can be the death knell for your sales. And it can tak
AI isn't solving your growth problems (it's making them worse)Every day on LinkedIn, I see a steady stream of new AI-powered tools and tactics I can test to grow Demand Curve. A new method to automate LinkedIn content An AI video editing tool that automatically
The “What’s In It for Me?” Rule of MessagingFar too many early-stage companies make the same messaging mistake: They talk about themselves. Their product. Their ingredients. Their features. Their team. Their values. Their “why.” While it sounds
Your Startup Name Sucks (Here's How to Fix It)Naming your brand, product, or service offering is incredibly important, but notoriously difficult. A killer name can give you a major leg up, and an unclear or confusing name can hold you down. As so
Doubling Revenue in 30 Days - A Live Case StudyWhat’s the fastest way to double revenue? This is the question our CEO (Justin Setzer) and I asked ourselves the first week of June, related to our newsletter sponsorship business. Not because it was
Video Production’s Gutenberg MomentHave you ever been on set at a video shoot? Like, a legit commercial production? If so, you probably marveled at all the moving parts and pieces and people. Not to mention the price tag (likely six fi
Why Your Niche Content Gets IgnoredThere's an old adage: "If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one." This concept certainly applies to product strategy and positioning. Building for a narrow audience is generally a goo
The tactic trap (and how to escape)We’ve sent 250+ growth newsletters over the years. Some covered quick wins. Others taught fundamental frameworks. With Growth Program 2.0 launching soon, we pulled three evergreen concepts that change