Early-stage growth is about focus, speed, and learning loops—not big budgets. Here's a lean system I've used with dozens of startups.
1) Pick one beachhead customer
Define an ICP you can win now. Write a one-sentence value proposition that ties directly to a top-3 pain.
2) Map the AARRR funnel
Acquisition → Activation → Retention → Revenue → Referral. Identify one high-leverage experiment in each stage.
3) Weekly growth cadence
- Monday: prioritize experiments (ICE scoring).
- Midweek: ship 1–2 experiments.
- Friday: review metrics and learnings.
4) Low-cost channels that scale
- Partnerships and integrations
- Founder-led content and webinars
- Communities and niche directories
- Programmatic SEO with useful tools
5) What to measure
North-star metric per stage, CAC payback, retention cohort curves.
Templates
- Experiment brief
- One-page GTM plan
- Activation checklist
The best growth engines are simple, measurable, and relentlessly iterative.