English idiom

growth hacking

Register · Informal CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

using creative, low-cost, data-driven experiments to grow a user base rapidly

Why this phrase?

Coined by Sean Ellis around 2010: growth achieved by engineering, not by ad spend.

Example

“The team growth-hacked their way to a million signups without a marketing budget.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

growth hacker

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

word of mouth

recommendations spread informally from person to person

hockey stick

a pattern of slow or flat growth followed by a sudden, dramatic rise

throw it at the wall and see what sticks

to try many ideas quickly, keeping only the ones that work

seed money

the initial capital used to start a business

ship it

to release the product or feature now, as an imperative; to ship

wear many hats

to perform many different roles, especially in a small organization

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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