Agent skill
growth-loops
Use when asked to "growth loops", "build a growth engine", "design a viral loop", "create a content loop", "move beyond paid acquisition", or "why isn't growth compounding". Helps design self-reinforcing growth systems where output becomes input. The Growth Loops framework (from Brian Balfour / Reforge and Elena Verna) shifts thinking from linear funnels to compounding loops.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/wdavidturner/product-skills/tree/main/skills/growth-loops
SKILL.md
Growth Loops
What It Is
Growth Loops is a framework for building sustainable, compounding growth. The core insight: the best growth systems are loops, not funnels — where the output of one cycle becomes the input for the next.
Traditional growth thinking focuses on funnels: acquire users at the top, optimize conversion through stages, and measure output at the bottom. But funnels are linear. You pour effort in, you get results out, and then you start over. Loops are different: each cycle generates the fuel for the next cycle.
The key shift: Move from asking "How do we get more users?" to asking "How does each user we acquire generate more users?"
When to Use It
Use Growth Loops when you need to:
- Design your core growth engine before or after product-market fit
- Move beyond paid acquisition to more sustainable growth
- Understand why growth isn't compounding despite acquisition efforts
- Build virality, content, or sales loops into your product
- Evaluate distribution strategies for a new product or feature
- Diagnose why your "growth team" isn't producing results
- Plan how to capitalize on new distribution platforms (like ChatGPT)
When Not to Use It
- You haven't validated that anyone wants your product (find PMF first)
- You're optimizing micro-conversions without a growth model
- You're looking for "growth hacks" rather than systematic growth
- Your product has no natural mechanism for users to generate more users
Patterns
Detailed examples showing how to apply Growth Loops correctly. Each pattern shows a common mistake and the correct approach.
Critical (get these wrong and you've wasted your time)
| Pattern | What It Teaches |
|---|---|
| funnels-vs-loops | Funnels are linear and exhausting; loops compound and sustain |
| paid-acquisition-not-a-loop | Paid growth doesn't compound — it's buying users, not building an engine |
| founder-led-growth-first | You can't outsource finding your growth model to a growth team |
| kindle-before-fire | Non-scalable hacks exist only to unlock scalable loops |
| product-must-own-growth | Growth can't be a marketing-only function — product must own pipeline |
High Impact
| Pattern | What It Teaches |
|---|---|
| loop-types | Content loops, viral loops, sales loops — each has different mechanics |
| earned-over-paid | Invest 80%+ in earned/owned channels, not paid |
| platform-cycles | New platforms open, then close — time your bets correctly |
| seven-users-threshold | Magic numbers signal readiness for enterprise conversations |
| velocity-over-volume | Changes in growth rate matter more than absolute numbers |
| word-of-mouth-requires-delight | Viral loops only work when you blow their socks off |
| one-primary-loop | One loop dominates; others supplement but won't save you |
Medium Impact
| Pattern | What It Teaches |
|---|---|
| monetization-awareness | 75% of freemium users don't know what you're selling |
| growth-team-timing | Hire growth only when you have volume to experiment on |
| pqa-not-pql | Focus on qualifying accounts, not individual leads |
Deep Dives
Read only when you need extra detail.
references/growth-loops-playbook.md: Expanded framework detail, checklists, and examples.
Resources
Reforge Programs:
- Growth Series — the comprehensive deep dive
- Product-Led Growth course — PLG and PLS specifics
- Experimentation program — optimizing loop steps
Key Thinkers:
- Brian Balfour (Reforge) — loops framework, platform cycles
- Elena Verna — product-led sales, PQA, B2B growth
- Casey Winters — kindle vs. fire strategies, growth models
- Andrew Chen — platform effects, viral loops
Other:
- Alex Rampell's essay on distribution vs. product
- Casey Winters' writing on product-led sales loops
- Elena Verna's Substack on PLG and PLS
Recommended Agent Skills
Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.
wdavidturner/product-skills
radical-candor
Use when asked to "radical candor", "give feedback that cares", "have a difficult conversation", "challenge directly", "manage performance issues", or "give praise that lands". Helps deliver direct feedback while showing you care. The Radical Candor framework (created by Kim Scott) teaches how to challenge directly while caring personally.
wdavidturner/product-skills
shape-up
Use when asked to "shape up", "run a shaping session", "set an appetite", "scope a project without estimates", "betting table", or "ship in fixed cycles". Helps teams escape estimate-driven development and Scrum fatigue. The Shape Up method (created by Ryan Singer at Basecamp/37signals) uses fixed time boxes, variable scope, and collaborative shaping to ship meaningful work predictably.
wdavidturner/product-skills
hooked-model
Use when asked to "build habit-forming products", "Hooked model", "trigger action reward investment", "create sticky behavior loops", or "design habit loops". Helps design products that form unprompted user habits. The Hooked Model (created by Nir Eyal) explains how products create habits through Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment.
wdavidturner/product-skills
strategic-narrative
Use when asked to "strategic narrative", "Andy Raskin", "tell our company story", "write a pitch deck", "explain why customers should care", or "movement narrative". Helps craft compelling narratives that define movements rather than just selling products. The Strategic Narrative framework (created by Andy Raskin) transforms pitches from feature lists into stories about change.
wdavidturner/product-skills
design-sprint
Use when asked to "run a design sprint", "5-day sprint", "prototype in a week", "test ideas before building", or "Jake Knapp sprint". Helps teams go from problem to tested prototype in five days. The Design Sprint framework (created by Jake Knapp at Google Ventures) compresses months of work into one focused week.
wdavidturner/product-skills
hierarchy-of-marketplaces
Use when asked about "marketplace strategy", "chicken and egg problem", "liquidity", "two-sided market", "tipping a marketplace", "GMV growth", or "Sarah Tavel marketplaces". Helps founders and product leaders build defensible marketplace businesses by sequencing supply and demand. The Hierarchy of Marketplaces framework (created by Sarah Tavel / Benchmark) provides a progression from focused launch to market dominance.
Didn't find tool you were looking for?