The Content Library
Strategy & Fundamentals
Every piece we've published on growth strategy and fundamentals.
Strategy & Fundamentals — page 1 of 6
Build vs. buy: marketer's editionA new class of marketer is building their own tools with AI. Bespoke software tailored to exactly how they work. No engineering team required.Jonathan Martinez, founder of GrowthPair and longtime DC p
A PSA to the growth and marketing industryI've been talking with a lot of agency operators lately. Probably a dozen in the last two months. Most of them are struggling. Some are closing shop completely.One conversation in particular stuck wit
How to identify your highest-impact growth opportunitiesA good doctor doesn’t see high blood pressure and immediately prescribe drugs. A good doctor investigates the root cause, considers the patient’s constraints and preferences, and synthesizes the broad
When does a growth advantage turn into a flywheel?Here’s a pattern that's common in startup land:A company grows quickly early on. Things feel easier than expected. Customers show up. Word spreads. Channels work. There’s momentum.And somewhere along
The cheapest growth lever most teams ignoreYou’ve probably had this moment:You spin up Meta, LinkedIn, or Google.You ship a few solid tests.Nothing hits.So you move on.“Paid isn’t working for us.”“Content is our thing.”“Outbound isn’t a fit fo
The Map Is Not the TerritoryHere’s something most founders don’t realize until it’s too late: the way you see your startup is completely different from how your customers see it.You’re intimately familiar with every feature, eve
The real reason your company is forgettable (and how to fix It)You can explain what makes your product unique in a conversation.But the moment you write it down (on your homepage, in your ads, in your deck), it somehow sounds like everyone else.If you’re building
Creative Decision MatrixLast week, we zoomed out and basically said: look, Meta's Andromeda killed the old game.This newsletter is the next step. Less of the “what” and more: “Okay, what do I actually make next?”We’re going
Chasing Growth vs. Engineering ItYou've probably heard the saying: "First-time founders focus on product. Second-time founders focus on distribution."If that's true, then we'd add: third-time founders realize they're the same thing.S
Single vs. Double Opt-In: What Actually WorksMarketers love to debate opt-ins. Some swear by double opt-in for list quality. Others prefer single opt-in for scale.But the truth is more nuanced, and choosing the wrong one can cost you engaged sub
Pick Your Sender: Brand, Human, or Both?There’s a lot of literature about email subject lines, specifically, how to optimize them for more opens.And certainly, subject lines are a big part of what makes someone decide to read an email.…But
Psychology of Conversion: 3 Tactics Worth RevisitingEvery once in a while, it's worth calling back the classics.Today we're revisiting three psychological conversion tactics from past newsletters. They're evergreen, visual, and still underused.Let's di
Why Unsubscribes Aren’t the End of the WorldIt sucks to see people unsubscribe from your email list. We can’t help but feel like we’re losing a potential customer.But what if I told you that unsubscribes aren’t all that bad? And that there’s so
Why Curiosity Beats Convincing in Founder SalesWhether you're building a paid media growth engine or aiming for fully product-led growth, you’re going to need sales skills throughout your entrepreneurial journey.Direct sales conversations with you
10 Tactics for Customer Reviews That Drive SalesHumans are social creatures. Maybe that’s why there’s no such thing as too much social proof.But the phrase “social proof” is kinda funny, because there’s nothing “proof”-like about it. It’s just basi
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 bra
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
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 about
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
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, 158
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 you’
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,
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,
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 Swedish
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 some
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 br
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 fig
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 changed
Page 1 of 6
Full-text results