The Growth Hacking Mindset: Not Just For Startups

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Growth Hacking is often associated with (tech) bootups. The Growth Hacking Mindset is often more present at startups than in large, established companies. However, that does not mean that Growth Hacking is only for startups. In fact, big companies would benefit greatly from working step by step on their Growth Hacker's mindset.

Urge for control

In many established companies, urge for control. And that is not that strange as many organizations are built on an organizational structure based on control and hierarchy. In the average business, the Growth Hacking mindset is simply not yet in place. It has only been since 2010 that the term Growth hacking exists and there have only been training and training on this subject for a number of years. When we went to school and went to business studies, this urge for control was still contained in everything we learned about organs and management.

The world has changed

But guess what. What we learned earlier has been just more current on many fronts. Changes in the world follow each other quickly, with the Internet, social media and a shitload of useful tools as a catalyst. The checking and optimization of work processes is no longer the formula for sustainable growth. Nowadays, you're working to quickly investigate a profitable business case, test things, learn and optimize. A product or service does not need to be completely perfect or undeveloped immediately. In this way, you will keep your projects clear and you will learn what works well and what does not work without burning high budgets.

Old school mindset vs. Growth Hacking mindset

However, it is not easy for many organizations to embrace a Growth Hacking mindset. It's not a truck or just a tool. It is about changing an organizational culture. And we all know that changing an organizational culture is not easy and can cost a lot of time. That's because some of the Growth Hackers' mindset seems to be in line with the old school:

• Flat or Holistic (eg Holocracy) organizational structure vs. a hierarchical organizational structure
• Agile / Scrum approach vs. a waterfall approach
• Prototyping and fast releases vs. Control and perfectionism
• Continuing Learning vs. Institutionalized learning
• Change vs. Allergy against change

Of course, the summary above is quite short and we can not shave all the organizations. However, the different sides of the spectrum illustrate some current themes that have now penetrated strategically at many organizations.

The Growth Hacking Mindset surrounds

How do you embrace a Growth Hacking Mindset? The short answer: in small steps. Working towards a Growth Hacking Mindset, you can do best practice in established organizations through a step-by-step approach that proves itself throughout the process. For example, a step-by-step approach can look like this:

Preparation:

• Examine the current situation
• Begin with high-level goals
• Formulate a business case
• Investigate the potential of the online channel for the specific case
• Focus on 1 (existing) product or service
• Formulate a plan of action
• Determine and introduce the most important web metrics

Pilot phase

• Begin collecting test data
• Optimize the existing platform (low-hanging fruit)
• Apply to the first conversions
• Create periodic reports
• Create a rhythm for tuning and knowledge transfer

Evaluate the pilot

• Exchange lessons learned
• Hyperfocus landing pages
• Optimize the 3 S and (SEO, SEA, & Social)

Get through

• Scale campaigns based on conversion data
• Focus on campaigns with the highest ROI
• Proceed through the entire sales funnel and formulate continuous optimizations

For some organizations, it will be too early and the embrace of the Growth hacking Mindset will be a bridge too far. In most cases, however, a seed will be planned that eventually grows into more awareness of the usefulness and necessity of the mindset. By starting with a clear focus and not getting things right away, it becomes clearer how the approach and the process have added value in combination with the mindset. That time, people often need to let go of old habits and get used to a new way of working. And that is also not bad, but human.

Also working towards a Growth Hacking mindset?

Do you also want to work with your organization for a Growth Hacking Mindset? We guide organizations in the transition from an 'old school mindset' to the Growth hacking mindset.