Everyone says “just grow fast” like it’s some easy button you push. lol no. Scaling a startup is messy, stressful, sometimes dumb-lucky. I’ve seen founders burn cash on ads that got them like 3 users (one was prob their mom). And I’ve seen tiny scrappy ideas blow up bc they did 1 thing really really well.
Anyway here’s 9 strategies startups actually use when they wanna scale quick. Not theory, just what I’ve seen or read about in real life.
1. Viral loops
The classic. Dropbox did the free storage thing. Uber gave free rides if you invite frends. Works cuz ppl love free stuff and also we like flexing— “hey try this cool app I found.” Suddenly ur users are ur sales team, and you didn’t even hire them.
2. Content but not boring blog spam
If your blog reads like a college essay, nobody’s sharing that. The startups winning do memes, reels, even half-casual tweets. There was this SaaS app that grew just posting sarcastic LinkedIn memes… and it worked?? Not saying ditch blogs, but make it fun.
3. Partnerships aka piggybacking
Find bigger fish, hang out near them. I know one food startup that collabed with coworking spaces. They got access to hundreds of hungry workers at once. Way better than begging random strangers online.
4. Obsess over your whales
Not every customer matters the same. Some pay more, stay longer, bring friends. Identify them and treat them like VIP. Special perks, faster support, whatever. They’ll drag more ppl in for free.
5. Automate the boring junk
You can’t scale if ur replying to every “forgot password” email by hand. Use chatbots, Zapier, whatever. It’s not cool sounding but it frees your tiny team from busy work so they can focus on growth-y stuff.
6. Ads but like, targeted
Spray-and-pray ads = fast way to burn ur investor’s money. The smart ones test one channel small, scale only what works. Some startups lived off Facebook ads for YEARS. Others killed it with just Google search. Stick to 1 thing that converts.
7. Build a community
Discord groups, Slack, even just a hashtag ppl actually use. If customers feel like insiders they’ll hype you for free. I’ve literally seen startups get feedback, users, and free marketing all from their Discord. Wild.
8. Focus on one thing first
Don’t try to be Amazon. Don’t even try to be mini-Amazon. Just nail one product. Calendly literally started as “send a link to book a call.” That’s it. No fluff. Simple spreads faster.
9. Track numbers not vibes
Vibes are nice, but data pays the bills. CAC, churn, LTV — if you don’t know what those are you prob won’t last long. The fast-scaling ones adjust fast bc the numbers tell them what’s dying and what’s working.
Scaling isn’t magic. It’s doing these little things, repeating them, and tbh a bit of dumb luck. Social media loves “growth hack” threads but most of it is just: focus, listen to users, don’t waste money like an idiot. And maybe meme your way into virality if you can.
