Episode #
The Trap of Product-Led Growth
October 18, 2023

In episode #2584, we take an in-depth look at product-led growth (PLG), a popular business strategy that relies on using your product as the primary vehicle to generate more growth, traffic, and users. But wait! There’s a catch. While this approach yields rapid initial adoption and growth, companies that follow the PLG playbook risk getting stuck in what is known as the PLG trap and may have difficulty scaling in the long run. Tune in as we share examples of companies that have used PLG to their advantage and others where it has led to their downfall, plus we highlight the importance of planning ahead, share our advice for evolving from a PLG-only to a PLG enterprise company, and more!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

  • (00:00) Today’s topic: The Trap of Product-Led Growth.
  • (00:04) What product-led growth is and what are some successful examples of it?
  • (01:45) How to avoid what the Harvard Business Review calls the “trap of PLG.”
  • (02:41) Examples of declining year-over-year revenue growth as a result of the PLG trap.
  • (04:45) A case study of a company that successfully avoided the PLG trap.
  • (05:08) Remember: the marketing tactics are highly variable!
  • (05:37) That’s it for today! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

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