Cello

There are two ways to launch a referral program: 👉 Quick & quiet (45% will miss launch goals, Gartner) 👉 Strategic & structured (150% more likely to succeed, McKinsey) When we collaborated with growth marketing expert Kevin Indig (👏) , he emphasized something crucial: Most companies rush to launch without laying the proper foundation. ❌ The difference between success and failure doesn't necessarily lie in the program itself - it's often in the preparation. That's why we analyzed successful B2B referral program launches to identify what actually drives results. Working with companies like Typeform, Miro, Blockpit and others revealed a clear pattern. Those who nail their program GTM strategy consistently outperform those who don't. 🚀 Want to see what strategic launchers do differently? Read it in detail here: https://lnkd.in/eQ3ZZtas

Referral programs aren’t just about “setting it and forgetting it”, they require a strategic, multi-channel approach to truly drive results. In my latest collaboration with Cello and Stefan Bader, we explored how a well-crafted go-to-market (GTM) strategy can make or break a B2B referral program. 📊 Strong GTM efforts make you 13x more likely to see positive ROI 📱 Multi-channel campaigns drive engagement and maximize results 💡 Empowering your customers (referrers AND referees) boosts conversion by up to 214%

We all think we're being super scientific when we run growth experiments - be honest 🥸 But most of the time, we're just guessing & calling it "data-driven". Look, I've been there. We all have. And here's what I've realized after face-planting enough times… Our gut instinct is usually wrong. We get excited about solutions before understanding the actual problem. BUT The best growth teams I've worked with never start with "let's try this cool idea." They follow a structured 4-step framework: 1️⃣ Define a crystal-clear problem 2️⃣ Form a testable hypothesis 3️⃣ Back it with solid evidence 4️⃣ Make specific predictions At Typeform, they wouldn't just say "let's boost conversions." They would ask: "Why aren't survey respondents becoming creators?" Their hypothesis - Respondents assume creating surveys would be complex. The evidence - many surveyed respondents say "looks complicated to make" and only 3% click "create your own" CTA (assumed data). (Swipe to see how they'd figure this out.) 👇 We’ve been following this approach at Cello. It has helped us waste less time on tests that don't teach us anything (or experiments that go nowhere). And it makes explaining results to stakeholders much easier. But trust me - we ourselves got this wrong in the beginning 🙊

Growth isn't accidental. Companies like Dropbox & LinkedIn measure how they grow. 🚀 They understood how exactly users found & shared their products. In my previous posts, I talked about micro-growth loops in detail (Viral, Content, Paid, & Incentivized) Now, let's double-click on how these loops fit into the bigger picture - the Growth Model. ⭐️ Let’s look at a classic example here: Slack started by understanding how teams used & shared their product. (Qualitative Model - The Foundation) 👨💼 Team members send messages & invite others 🧑💼 Admins create & manage workspaces 🧑💻 Developers build integrations into Slack This gave them the blueprint of their growth engine. Next, they chose one loop to measure in detail (Single-Loop Quantitative Model) 🔂 Picked their most important loop - team member invites 📐 Added specific measurements 🧪 Tested & improved this loop This helped validate what actually works. Finally, they connected everything (End-to-End Quantitative Model) ☸️ Combined all measured loops ✊ Realized how team activity, admin actions, & integrations work together ✅ Created a complete growth system This showed them their entire growth machine in action. Growth models show what brings results & what needs work. But - don't measure everything at once. Start by mapping who creates value in your product, just as Slack did. #growthsystem #referral #loops

Why Would Someone Recommend Your Product? 👀 For many agencies and SaaS tools, word of mouth is the # 1 channel for client acquisition. Crazy, right? If that’s the case, two things should be on your radar: 1️⃣ Diversify your acquisition channels – because relying on one source is risky. 2️⃣ Leverage your happiest users – because if people already love your product, a referral program could turn that love into growth. If you set it up right. (it's not easy and takes resources - don't be fooled haha) I came across this super clear visual by Stefan Bader & Growthmates (credit where it’s due 👏), breaking down the psychology behind B2B referral incentives. 💰 Some people are driven by monetary rewards – direct financial benefits like cash or discounts 🌍 Others are motivated by status & exclusivity – early access, badges, or social recognition 🤝 And for some, it’s all about community & reputation – sharing a great tool or service makes them look good, too. (this is why building a strong brand is so important btw) Basically, not all referral incentives work the same way. 🔹 If you’re building a referral program, know your audience 🔹 Make rewards feel personal 🔹 And test what actually drives action 📌 Have you ever recommended a product just because you loved it? Or have you been part of a referral program that actually worked?

If you launch a B2B referral program without a solid GTM strategy, it will fall flat! In Chapter 4 of our B2B User Referrals 2.0 series, we teamed up with the amazing Kevin Indig to explore how to nail the GTM for successful B2B referral programs. Here are some highlights from our analysis: 👉 Don't rely on just one channel. Combine your website, in-product messages, emails, social media, and more. 👉 Start with your power users They’re your biggest advocates. Their feedback is invaluable. 👉 Timing & messaging matter more than you think Personalized messages at the right moments can boost activations by up to 227%! 👉 Equip your referrers with the right tools Provide clear value propositions and easy-to-share assets. 👉 Track the right metrics Know what's working and what's not. Then optimize relentlessly. Read all of this and more here: https://lnkd.in/eUKHVtJn #gtm #growth #referrals

”Referrals from people to people are everything” Just one of many takes from Elena Verna’s latest pod with Lenny published just yesterday 🗞️ “While paid channels make platforms richer and leave you at the mercy of changing algorithms, true sustainable growth comes from building your own community and referral engine.…* If we're not building our own earned channels now, we're basically building castles on rented land.“ 🏰 Must-listen episode for anyone serious about sustainable growth 🎧 - https://lnkd.in/e_eqQCPC

LinkedIn Network, we’re searching for creative minds! 👋 We keep hiring at Cello, and now we're on a hunt for: 1. An intern Founder’s Associate (m/f/x) who will closely work with me, tackling strategic initiatives & streamlining operations in marketing & sales. 2. An intern Content/Social Media (m/f/x) who can bring fresh ideas to our content & social media strategy. Why join us? ✨ - Remote-first (±3 CET): Flexibility to work from anywhere within this time zone - Unique growth opportunity: Join an early-stage GrowthTech company and take ownership from day one - Impactful work: Our product went from inception to live within 8 months and we have >10M users on the Cello platform and work with iconic customers like Miro, Typeform and Veed - Dynamic culture: Be part of a team of serial founders and experienced professionals from Twilio, Microsoft, Wise and other high-growth companies. Know a talent who's ready for their next challenge? Please forward the job ad (👇🏻) and/or reach out to me or Philipp directly. Intern Founder’s Associate: https://lnkd.in/eJibF7GY Intern Social Media: https://lnkd.in/eFzi8dHK Let's build something amazing together! 🚀 #hiring #socialmediaintern #foundersassociate

Grammarly didn't just hire sales reps - they integrated with other tools instead.🔌 Similarly, Strava ran multiple targeted ad campaigns on Facebook & Instagram instead of focusing on integrations. 🖼️ What I mean to say is… The best growth loop for your product isn't always the obvious one. To start experimenting with loops, you must analyze your target audience, product friction, CAC, LTV, and more. In our growth loop series, today we’ll be exploring Paid Growth Loops in detail. The essence of this loop is simple - “Turn today’s revenue into tomorrow’s customer” Here’s how it works: - Start with one customer ☝️ - They spend money on your product - Take that revenue 💲 - Reinvest it in a paid growth loop - Get more customers - Repeat! 🔁 Swipe through the carousel to get into the details 👇

Over the years, I've experimented with countless UI/UX tools, but only a handful could stay in our team's workflow. Here are the ones I prefer 👇 Figma — The Collaborator Create mood boards, wireframes, product roadmaps, and mockups for websites or mobile apps. Price: Freemium Storybook — Designer’s Sandbox Build and test UI components separately from your main app and simulate challenging states easily Price: Open-source Miro — The Whiteboard Use templates and frameworks to structure ideation sessions, capture ideas, and prioritize features collaboratively Price: Freemium Balsamiq — Draft Pad Create quick, low-fidelity wireframes that feel like whiteboard sketches - perfect for early-stage design. Price: 30-day Free Trial, then $12/mo Marvel Apps — UI Lite Kit Create straightforward prototypes and UI designs when you need a lightweight, accessible tool for quick iteration. Price: Freemium Anima — Code Assistant Convert designs to code and sync design libraries with development components. Streamline the dev handoff process. Price: Freemium Axure Software Solutions — UI Expert Create detailed, functional prototypes while maintaining comprehensive documentation throughout the design process. Price: 30-day Free Trial, then $29/mo Flowmapp — UX Mapper Map out your site structure and user journeys early in the UX process to establish solid navigation patterns. Price: Freemium These tools range from quick wireframing to detailed prototyping, so you can pick what fits your process best. What UI/UX tools do you love that we missed? Next up: 8 Video Creation & Editing Tools for Design Teams Stay tuned! 💡