Sean Ellis was the first marketer at several notable startups, including Dropbox, LogMeIn, Lookout, Xobni and Uproar. At LogMeIn and Uproar he led marketing through the NASDAQ IPO filings. Sean is now founder and CEO of Qualaroo, a startup launched in 2011 and backed by several leading VCs.

1. Better Insights for Faster Growth
Sean Ellis
August 22nd, 2012
Blog: Startup-Marketing.com
Twitter: @SeanEllis
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2. Startup Growth Pyramid
Scale
Growth
Objectives Growth
Preparation
Product/Market Fit
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3. Use Insights to Achieve Objectives
Objective 1. Have a clear objective
2. Best insights to achieve it
3. Apply insights toexperiments
Experiment Insights
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4. Objective: Product/Market Fit
Scale
Growth
Growth
Preparation
Objective
Product/Market Fit
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5. Gather Product/Market Fit Insights
Pre-MVP feedback (interviews)
• Verify problem exists
• Understand importance
• Any current solutions?
Post-MVP feedback (surveys)
• What % “must have”?
• Why a “must have”?
• Who loves it? (filters)
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6. Apply P/M Fit Insights
If weak problem validation: rethink business
Apply must-have results (Survey.io)
“How would you feel if you could no longer use [product]?”
“Very Disappointed” Actions
More than 40% Focus on retention cohorts, start transitioning
Less than 40% Keep iterating product, positioning, and targeting
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7. Objective: Growth Preparation
Scale
Growth
Objective
Growth
Preparaton
Product/Market Fit
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8. Growth Prep Sub-Objectives
• Develop effective promise & hook
• Indentify conversion issues
• Identify key “aha” moments
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9. Gather Promise & Hook Insights
Questions for developing promise (email survey)
• What is the primary benefit that you have received?
(multiple choice survey)
• Why was the benefit important? (open ended survey)
Questions for developing hooks
• Why did you originally sign up? (email survey)
• What did you come to this site to do today? (realtime
survey)
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10. Identify Conversion Issues
Example questions to ID conversion issues
• Why did you register and decide not to download?
(email survey)
• Is there anything preventing you from [Action] today?
(realtime survey)
• Did you find what you were looking for on this page?
(realtime survey)
• Is there anything preventing you from making a purchase
today? (realtime survey)
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11. Identify Aha Moments
User testing (live or online)
Survey with activity filters (or query by action)
• How would you feel if you could no longer use this
product? (filter by actions taken)
• Which of the following have you done (select all the
apply)?
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12. Apply Insights to Testing 1st UX
Experiment
• Combos of hooks & promise
• Address conversion issues
• Front load aha moments
Goals
• Smooth path to must-have UX
• Max % that reach experience
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13. Objective: Scaling Growth
Objective Scale
Growth
Growth
Preparation
Product/Market Fit
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14. Gather Growth Insights
Example questions (Survey/Interviews 2-5)
1. How did you discover [ProductName]? (realtime survey)
2. Why did you originally decide to try [ProductName]?
3. What did you use prior to [ProductName]?
4. If [ProductName] weren’t available, what would you use instead?
5. How does [ProductName] fit into your workflow?
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15. Apply Insights: Breakthrough
• Best context to reach people?
• Greenfield or switchers?
• Keep engaging/experimenting
Breakthrough ideas after engaging
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16. Summary
• Start with the objectives
• Uncover relevant insights
• Apply insights to testing
Sean Ellis
Blog: Startup-Marketing.com
Twitter: @SeanEllis
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