Wes Bush, CEO and Founder of ProductLed and a well-known author on product-led growth, shares his insights on this strategic approach. He clarifies misconceptions around product-led growth, emphasizing the importance of delivering value to users from the start. Wes contrasts product-led and traditional sales-led methods, illustrating his points with case studies. He also discusses effective marketing strategies and the nuances of pricing models, all while debunking the myth that a good product sells itself.
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insights INSIGHT
PLG Definition
Product-led growth (PLG) uses your product for customer acquisition, engagement, and monetization.
It's a multi-dimensional approach impacting the entire business, not just a free trial.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Real-World PLG
Cologne and perfume are real-world examples of PLG.
Customers can try the product (e.g., with scent samples) before purchasing.
insights INSIGHT
Free Trial and PLG
A free trial is considered PLG if users achieve real value within the trial period.
True PLG prioritizes value delivery before monetization.
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In 'Product-Led Growth: How to Build a Product That Sells Itself,' Wes Bush explains the concept of product-led growth and how it differs from traditional sales-led models. The book provides insights on how to let customers experience the value of a product directly, thereby reducing the need for lengthy and expensive sales cycles. It covers topics such as choosing the right growth model (free trial, freemium, or demo), understanding market conditions, optimizing time-to-value, and delivering on the product's value. Bush also shares practical advice and frameworks, such as the MOAT Framework, to help businesses execute a product-led growth strategy effectively.
The Product-Led Playbook
None
Wes Bush
Product-Led Onboarding
How to Turn New Users Into Lifelong Customers
Wes Bush
Ramli John
This book provides a detailed, practical guide to crafting the perfect user onboarding experience. It introduces the EUREKA framework, which includes six steps: Establish your onboarding team, Understand your users' desired outcomes, Refine your onboarding success criteria, Evaluate and optimize your onboarding path, Keep new users engaged, and Apply changes and repeat. The book emphasizes the importance of starting onboarding from the acquisition phase, minimizing the time to value perception, and using behavior-based communication methods. It also references the BJ Fogg Behavioural Model and highlights key onboarding milestones such as Value Perception, Value Experience, and Value Adoption[2][3][5].
In episode 741, Rob Walling talks to Wes Bush, CEO and Founder of ProductLed, about the nuances and misconceptions of product-led growth. Wes debunks common myths and explains how companies can leverage their product to drive user acquisition, engagement, and growth. They dive into a real-world example and explore how founders can avoid the trap of thinking the product will “sell itself” while contrasting PLG and sales-led strategies.
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Topics we cover:
(2:01) – Defining product-led growth
(6:07) – Are users able to get value for free?
(11:38) – Hybrid: both product-led and sales-led
(14:52) – Determining the main outcome of your free model
(19:23) – Misuse of the PLG terminology
(22:00) – The benefits of PLG over sales-led growth
If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!
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