Growth Hacking
01 Definition
Growth Hacking meaning: A scrappy, experiment driven pursuit of rapid growth, often using unconventional tactics.
Growth hacking seeks fast, low cost growth through rapid experiments, product tweaks, and creative distribution, often at early stage startups. The term was coined by Sean Ellis in 2010. It overlaps with growth marketing but leans more toward clever, short term tactics.
Why it matters
How Growth Hacking fits the work
It named a mindset of chasing outsized growth on a limited budget, encouraging teams to test unconventional ideas rather than rely on paid media alone.
In context
An early startup grew fast by adding a referral reward that gave both the inviter and the new user free storage.
Practical note
Tactics that exploit loopholes can break or annoy users when platforms change their rules. Favor repeatable, sustainable experiments over one time tricks.