Use this decision framework to pick the right approach:

Step 1: Do users already share organically?

• Yes → Move to Step 2
• No → Focus on improving core product value first

Step 2: Why do they share? (What capital do they get?)

• Social capital (makes them look good) → Word-of-mouth or Push
• Utility capital (makes the product more useful) → Pull
• Financial capital (saves/makes them money) → Incentivized

Step 3: What's your product DNA?

• Social/collaborative → Pull virality natural fit
• Content creation → Push virality possible
• Strong economics → Incentivized could work as amplifier
• Great experience → Word-of-mouth baseline

Step 4: Match your constraints:

• Need fast results → Incentivized (if conditions are met)
• Long-term focused → Push or Pull
• Limited resources → Word-of-mouth foundation

Pick ONE loop type to start with. You can always layer others later. Many successful products eventually use multiple viral mechanisms, but start simple.

Implementation Guidelines

Rather than prescriptive playbooks (which vary too much by product), here's a systematic approach to making virality decisions:

Step 1: Start with your goals and constraints

Review your growth goals and resource constraints from your Growth and Guardrails module:

• What's your growth target over the next 12 months?
• How much time and engineering resources can you dedicate to growth initiatives?
• What's your current user base size?

Step 2: Define your core user motivator

What's the primary driver that brings users to your product? This connects back to your Foundational Five work:

Financial motivator: Users come to save money, make money, or get financial value‍

Social motivator: Users come for status, connection, or social recognition

‍Utility motivator: Users come to accomplish tasks, solve problems, or increase productivity

Step 3: Map motivator to viral flywheel types

Financial motivator → Incentivized virality (reward alignment) or Word-of-mouth (if you deliver clear ROI)

Social motivator → Push virality (content sharing) or Word-of-mouth (status through association)

Utility motivator → Pull virality (network makes product more useful) or Word-of-mouth (productivity gains worth sharing)

Step 4: Run the math and make the call

Take your current user base and multiply by a realistic K-factor (0.1-0.2 for most products). Would that number of additional users meaningfully impact your goals?

If yes, proceed with implementation. If no, focus on other growth channels first.

Step 5: Implementation by loop type (if you proceed)

Word-of-Mouth:

• Find your "wow" moments through user surveys
• Time sharing asks right after value moments
• Make sharing effortless with simple CTAs and pre-written messages

Pull Loops:

• Map where users currently want to involve others
• Start with simple friend-finding and light social features
• Show users why network connections add value

Push Exposure:

• Audit where your app's outputs naturally appear
• Add tasteful branding that doesn't hurt user experience
• Make it easy for users to showcase their results

Incentive Programs:

• Validate that some users already share organically
• Align rewards with your core product value
• Keep requirements simple and feedback immediate

Universal principle: Only surface sharing prompts after users have experienced your core value, and calibrate the intensity of your ask to how deeply they're engaged with your product.

The Super Connector Advantage

Viral growth doesn't spread like a cold, with one person passing it to a few friends who pass it to a few more friends. That model breaks down quickly because:

• The average person maintains relationships with maybe 200-300 people
• Only a small percentage of their network matches your target audience
• Social friction makes people hesitant to share with their personal contacts
• Individual networks get saturated fast

Instead, real viral growth comes from super connectors—people with outsized networks, audiences, and influence. These come in different forms:

Influencers and creators: People with large social followings who can expose your product to thousands with a single post

Decision makers: CEOs, executives, or team leads who can bring entire organizations onto your platform with one adoption decision

Bridge connectors: People who may not have huge personal audiences but have access to multiple super connectors

Examples:

• Clubhouse: Exploded when tech influencers and celebrities started hosting rooms
• Notion: Template creators and productivity influencers drive significant growth
• Zoom: Executive decisions brought entire companies onto the platform during COVID

Practical implications:

• Consider what would make someone with a large following want to use and share your app
• Think about features that help creators showcase your product naturally
• Don't ignore your baseline loops, but recognize where outsized impact comes from

This doesn't change your core viral strategy, but it's worth keeping in mind when thinking about your most valuable user segments.