The growth tactics you use when your company is just starting out are different from when the company is a few months old. They change even more as the company grows to handle more and more users. Applying the wrong growth tactics, at the wrong times, can be just as bad as not acting at all.

Today, I have Franco Varriano of Guides.co on the show. He shares how Guides.co started as a company called Startup Plays, and the exact moment when it grew into its current form. As the company gained momentum, Franco has been there to guide its progress — fostering communities of both guide authors and users. He shares some of his insights on this week’s episode.

Even if you just have an idea, Franco has insights about how to collect the most valuable feedback. This is a great episode for entrepreneurs of all levels.

Here’s what we chat about:

• How Franco became a “growth hacker”
• The “innovative hub” where Franco got his start
• The problems that inspired Startup Plays, which eventually became Guides.co
• The one early-user communication tool that’s so often forgotten
• The moment when Startup Plays became Guides.co
• The interactive component that makes Guides.co different from other online how-tos
• How to get feedback when all you have is an idea
• Getting those very first users
• Using hired help to test your website against different use cases
• What is “digital marketing” and how it’s different for individuals and businesses

Links mentioned in this show include:

• Blogging your way to a writing career
• Hacker News
• Elance
• Odesk
• Amazon Mechanical Turk
• Beta List
• Product Hunt
• GrowthHackers.com
• GrowthHacker.tv

Did you enjoy this episode? Thank Franco on Twitter!

If you thought this episode of the podcast was interesting, take a few seconds and let Franco know by clicking the link below to share via Twitter (you can edit the tweet first):

Click here to thank Franco on Twitter!

Comments?

Have you used any tricks to grow your product’s audience? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Novice No Longer Podcast intro music was composed by the talented Will Larche.

Thanks again for listening!

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