Growthmates

Product-led growth: three non-negotiables In the latest Growthmates episode, Elena Verna and I discussed what makes product-led growth (PLG) actually work: - Demand matters – If customers aren’t actively searching for a solution, PLG won’t drive adoption. - Self-serve execution – Users must be able to take action without relying on sales or support. - Permission is key – Especially in B2B, if users don’t have the authority to implement a tool, conversion rates suffer. Many self-serve products struggle not because of usability, but due to hidden paywalls and unclear monetization. 🎧 Full conversation here: - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dwJtFwgV - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/db4sgXjb - Apple: https://lnkd.in/g5mmarK6 #PLG #growth

How do you set boundaries without feeling like you’re falling behind? Elena Verna (growth expert at Dropbox, Miro, Amplitude, SurveyMonkey) shared her thoughts: - Setting boundaries feels risky when others work around the clock. - The real challenge? Competing with those who don’t have the same constraints. - Over time, career pride shifts—from chasing titles to balancing time, health, and family. Her takeaway? Success isn’t just milestones. It’s looking back and knowing you protected what truly mattered. Listen now 👇 🎧 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dwJtFwgV 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/db4sgXjb? 🎧 Apple: https://lnkd.in/g5mmarK6 What’s one boundary you set that changed everything? #boundaries

What are your non-negotiables? Elena Verna (growth at Dropbox) shared how setting clear boundaries transformed her work and life: “My gym is non-negotiable. Weekends are non-negotiable. Evenings after 4 or 6 p.m.? Non-negotiable. I’ve even declined CEO meetings that didn’t fit my schedule.” And the surprising part? People respected her more for it. Many of us worry that setting boundaries will make us seem less committed. But often, it does the opposite — it shows self-respect, clarity, and confidence. If we want sustainable growth, we have to honor the priorities that fuel us. Listen now 👇  • YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dwJtFwgV • Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dUxa9TRR • Apple: https://lnkd.in/dj2U_WsJ 💬 What’s one boundary you hold firm in your life? #boundaries

I can’t do business without creativity. Tomorrow, I’m bringing back Growthmates Podcast — a new season that feels more meaningful to me than ever. Yesterday, I reflected on why this matters to me. I realized that "creator" is no longer just a word — it’s a part of my identity. Looking back on two years of making this podcast, I see how it has become my form of artistic expression in the business world. Jeff Koons (American Artist) once described four elements of an artist’s life.  Now I see how they shape my journey: 1. OPEN TO THE WORLD Creating this show made me look beyond my own work and ideas.  The podcast became a source of “social capital” for me and deepening connections with others. 2. FOLLOW YOUR INTERESTS This season, I’m diving deep into the lives of women who balance work, family, and creative passions. I want to know how they make it all fit together. I bring here the topics that keep me up at night — career shifts, building from 0 to 1, and navigating uncertainty. 3. GIVE THINGS MEANING Inspiration can come from anywhere. For me, it was Grace Bonney’s book "In the Company of Women". It made me rethink what it means to create with purpose, and I’ll try to deliver what the community needs with what I personally find meaningful. 4. CREATE A NARRATIVE Stories aren’t just told — they’re experienced. I carefully designed each interview to uncover the deeper reasons behind work and life, overcoming health issues, and creating meaningful products with partners. The viewer should complete the narrative through their authentic, personal experience. Over the next few weeks, you’ll see the faces of my incredible guests: Elena Verna, Jennifer Phan, Marie Martens, Lexie Barnhorn, mallory contois, Sera Tajima, and more to come. —— 👉 To get the first episode with a legendary Elena Verna tomorrow right in your inbox, subscribe to the Growthmates newsletter. 💜 If you enjoyed past episodes, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple or Spotify — this gives HUGE support for me to keep doing this (links in comments).

Annoyed by popups? You're not alone. Here are 3 Behavioral Methods for a better habit-forming experience 👇 Yet, popups are still everywhere. Why? - Because popups are the default pattern. - Because companies don’t have any easy alternative in place. So, can we engage users without annoying them? In my recent Growthmates newsletter article, I break down 3 behavioral science methods that B2B and B2C products can use to drive better experience 👇 1️⃣ Fogg’s Behavior Model (by BJ Fogg, PhD) Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and Prompt align. Framer shows AI suggestions only when users are editing. ↳ Try this: Embed prompts within existing workflows, not as interruptions. 2️⃣ CREATE Action Funnel (by Stephen Wendel) Users go through six decision steps before acting. Amplitude Guides and Surveys adapt triggers based on user exploration & frustration signals. ↳ Try this: Guide users at their own pace, not through forced interactions. 3️⃣ The Hook Model (by Nir Eyal) Engagement loops = Trigger → Action → Reward → Investment. Spotify (my fav) "Discover Weekly" builds habit through curiosity and personalization. ↳  Try this: Create engagement by forming natural habits, not pushing irrelevant behaviors. —— 👇 Here’s the full story with plenty of examples for your inspiration: https://lnkd.in/e9kic9BR Have you tried any of these methods? Share your thoughts below. #plg #activation #engagement #saas

We’re back — and so excited to bring you a new season of Growthmates 💜 For the past few months, we’ve been working on something special — pouring our energy, passion, and curiosity into conversations that inspire, challenge, and spark new ideas This season is all about the women shaping the future of growth — across products, communities, and careers: Starting February 18, we’re sharing conversations with six incredible leaders: 🎙 Elena Verna – Growth at Dropbox 🎙 Lexie Barnhorn – Head of Social & Influencer at Notion 🎙 mallory contois – Head of Community at Mercury 🎙 Marie Martens – Co-founder at Tally 🎙 Jennifer Phan – CEO & Co-founder at Passionfroot 🎙 Sera Tajima – Conscious Growth Advisor, ex-Webflow This season, we’re diving deep into: → Finding balance between work, health & relationships → Scaling communities — both globally and for personal passions → Building a business with a life partner & growing it to 160k MRR Real stories. Candid insights. Conversations you WON'T want to MISS. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference. Support us by leaving a review on your favorite platform! It really helps us grow and reach more listeners. You can do it here: Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/g5mmarK6  Spotify: https://lnkd.in/db4sgXjb  YouTube: https://lnkd.in/d3jZHEwC –– #podcast #launch #growth

How can we help users DISCOVER and ADOPT your AI features? 🧐 AI isn’t just another feature — it’s a game-changer and a NEW behavior that we need to introduce carefully. Users need clarity, time, and some help from the product to adopt new behaviors. Let’s break down how others are driving AI adoption 👇 ✦ Website — Go beyond generic AI positioning → Notion: AI with a personality, building trust. → Common Room: RoomieAI™ provides free Prompt Library — AI-powered email templates to streamline outreach and connect with the right people at the right time. ✦ Pricing — Time to differentiate AI → Miro: AI credits in every plan = easy entry. → Airtable: AI as an Add-on with clear value + standalone pricing. ✦ Onboarding — First experience with AI → Airtable: Personalized onboarding for AI-curious users. → Loom: AI tutorials right inside first recordings. ✦ Repeated usage — Forming new habits with AI → Grammarly: Premium suggestions keep users engaged → Canva: “Magic Write” appears exactly when needed 💡 Want more examples? Find them in Growthmates recent article: https://lnkd.in/e64sJBzR —— ♻ Share this with others who work on AI products #productgrowth #AI #adoption #industryexamples #plg

This is how Framer decided that it was time to PIVOT 👇 At the recent GrowthNXT event organized by Cello, I interviewed Oscar Carlsson, VP of Growth at Framer. Oscar shared the remarkable story of how the company redefined itself in one of the boldest pivots in tech. For a decade, Framer was the go-to tool for designers. Its cutting-edge prototyping features weren’t just functional — they inspired creativity. Originally a prototyping tool for designers, Framer built a loyal community over 10 years, with its cutting-edge features shaping careers. But two and a half years ago, Framer made a game-changing decision: pivoting from a niche prototyping tool to a website builder 👇 1️⃣ Embrace radical change → Framer made a clear break from its prototyping roots, removing all old content. → This helped refocus its brand on website building, despite initial backlash. 2️⃣ Find a bigger market opportunity → Prototyping tools were seen as "nice-to-have," making them vulnerable to budget cuts. → Websites, however, are essential for most businesses, offering a more secure market. 3️⃣ Build a product that sparks joy → Employees loved creating personal websites, fueling internal passion for the pivot. → A joyful product is easier to scale and gains organic growth from engaged users. 4️⃣ Foster community-led growth (inspired by Notion and Figma) → Framer introduced an affiliate system, offering 100% commission to template creators. → This encouraged community contributions and strengthened loyalty to the brand. 💡 Today, Framer powers websites for major brands across the U.S. and Europe, with designers, marketers, and SEO specialists collaborating seamlessly on its platform. ❗️ TL;DR  This story offers 3 key strategies for pivots: ✦ Target resilient markets: shift to offerings with essential demand ✦ Realign boldly: let go of the past to focus on the new vision ✦ Engage your community: use incentives to drive growth and loyalty —— So, I have some exciting news 🚀 Growthmates Season 2 launches on February 18 🎉 Subscribe to our YouTube channel to check 10+ interviews like this: https://lnkd.in/e5GzzQuj #growth #podcast #startup #pivot

𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 2025 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩 🚀 Last year, I spent countless hours collecting 100s growth solutions from top products. From Onboarding to Upgrade triggers, I’ve seen it all — and I handpicked 25 of the best interactive GIFs to inspire your plans for 2025. While working at Miro for 6+ years on the entire Growth funnel (Activation, Virality, Engagement, Monetisation), I learned how important it is to take a holistic look at Growth. Collecting best practices became my favorite habit, supporting the motto “What is good for USER, is good for BUSINESS”. 📌 What’s in it for you? I’ve created a Miro board filled with growth flows that caught my eye from products like: Canva, Dropbox, Figma, Grammarly, Linear, Loom, Miro, Navattic, Notion, Slack, Airbnb, Amplemarket, Rows.com 🎁 Want this FREE ASSET? —— 🚨𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: Due to DM's limitations, I can't send messages to everyone 🙏 Now you can get the board faster by subscribing to growthmates.club. After subscribing, you will find the board link in the welcome email as a special gift in ≈15 minutes 🚀 —— 👇 What you’ll find inside: ☑ Website interaction — loginless experience, visual delight, and more ☑ Sign-up flows — progressive disclosure for easy start ☑ Onboarding tutorials — from checklists to human assistants ☑ Sharing & invitations — how to organize complex options in a simple way  ☑ Upgrade triggers — user-centric nudges for conversions Each GIF showcases a best practice you can adapt to your product + my suggestions in sticky notes. Hope you will enjoy both resources! —— ♻ Re-share this post to help others craft exceptional Growth flows! #productgrowth #plg #industryexamples #onboarding #conversion #ux

Here’s how you show Upgrade screens — steal this practice from Riverside.fm 👇 If I could highlight just one example from the 25 GIFs I shared last week, it would be this Riverside.fm upgrade experience. Why? Because it’s not just an upgrade flow — it’s a masterclass in balancing value, clarity, and visual demonstration of it. I used Riverside for months before upgrading, and here’s the thing about these decisions:  ✦ Users don’t just say “yes” the first time they see the option. Users need to: → Feel the need multiple times → Build motivation through repeated encounters → Understand what they’re really gaining But here’s the catch: ✦ Users can’t remember everything you’ve shown them.  That’s why the way you organize and present features is so important. What makes this Riverside’s screen brilliant? 1️⃣ Value is visualized and reinforced  -  Benefits are shown clearly, with no unnecessary clutter. 2️⃣ Pro vs. Business comparison -  Riverside replaces a busy pricing page with a simple side-by-side view, showing features in context to highlight the value of upgrading. 3️⃣ Relevant content   -  Clear, concise, and respectful of users’ time content that shows exactly the right things. 4️⃣ Breadth + depth balance -  Both plans are positioned to show value without overwhelming with a lot of context like it sometimes happens on busy pricing pages. —— Want more inspiration like this? 👉 Get my board with 25 examples like this by subscribing to Growthmates ("Visit my website"). You’ll receive a welcome email with the link to Miro Board in just ≈15 minutes 🚀 #productgrowth #plg #upgrade #ux