slice icon Context Slice

Growth Lever Framework

Growth comes from a limited set of levers. The art is knowing which levers to pull and when.

The Growth Equation

Revenue = Customers × Average Revenue per Customer × Retention

Growth = New Customers + Expansion - Churn

Every growth lever maps to one of these components.

Universal Growth Levers

Acquisition Levers (Get More Customers)

Lever Description Effort Time to Impact
Paid marketing Buy customers through ads Low-Medium Fast (weeks)
Content/SEO Attract customers organically High Slow (months)
Sales team expansion Hire more salespeople Medium Medium (quarters)
Partnerships Leverage others' distribution Medium Medium
Product-led growth Product drives signups High Slow
Referral programs Customers bring customers Low Medium

Monetization Levers (Get More per Customer)

Lever Description Effort Time to Impact
Price increase Charge more Low Fast
Upsell/cross-sell Sell more to existing customers Medium Medium
Premium tier Add higher-value option Medium Medium
Usage expansion Increase consumption Low-Medium Medium
Add-ons Optional paid features Medium Medium

Retention Levers (Keep Customers Longer)

Lever Description Effort Time to Impact
Onboarding improvement Better first experience Medium Medium
Success programs Proactive customer success Medium Medium
Product stickiness Features that create lock-in High Slow
Community Network effects Medium Slow
Contract length Longer commitments Low Medium

Growth Lever Prioritization Template

## Growth Lever Analysis

### Current Growth Profile
- **Revenue:** $[X]M
- **Growth rate:** [X]% YoY
- **Primary growth driver today:** [Source]
- **Biggest constraint:** [Bottleneck]

### Growth Levers Assessment

| Lever | Potential Impact | Effort Required | Confidence | Score |
|-------|------------------|-----------------|------------|-------|
| [Lever 1] | [High/Med/Low] | [High/Med/Low] | [High/Med/Low] | [X] |
| [Lever 2] | [High/Med/Low] | [High/Med/Low] | [High/Med/Low] | [X] |
| [Lever 3] | [High/Med/Low] | [High/Med/Low] | [High/Med/Low] | [X] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

### Prioritized Recommendations

#### Quick Wins (High Impact, Low Effort)
1. **[Lever]:** [Why and how]
   - Expected impact: [X]% growth contribution
   - Timeline: [X] weeks/months
   - Key actions: [1, 2, 3]

2. **[Lever]:** [Why and how]

#### Big Bets (High Impact, High Effort)
1. **[Lever]:** [Why and how]
   - Expected impact: [X]% growth contribution
   - Timeline: [X] months
   - Investment required: [Resources]
   - Key risks: [Risk 1, Risk 2]

#### Don't Bother (Low Impact or Poor Fit)
- **[Lever]:** [Why not now]

### Resource Allocation Recommendation
| Category | % of Growth Budget | Key Initiatives |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------|
| Acquisition | [X]% | [Initiatives] |
| Monetization | [X]% | [Initiatives] |
| Retention | [X]% | [Initiatives] |

### Success Metrics
| Lever | Leading Indicator | Lagging Indicator | Target |
|-------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| [Lever 1] | [Metric] | [Metric] | [X] |
| [Lever 2] | [Metric] | [Metric] | [X] |

Scoring Guidelines

Impact (Potential growth contribution):

  • High: >20% incremental growth
  • Medium: 10-20% incremental growth
  • Low: <10% incremental growth

Effort (Resources and time required):

  • High: Multiple quarters, significant investment
  • Medium: One quarter, moderate resources
  • Low: Weeks, minimal resources

Confidence (Certainty in estimates):

  • High: Proven playbook, clear data
  • Medium: Some precedent, reasonable assumptions
  • Low: New territory, mostly guesses

Score = Impact × Confidence / Effort
(Higher is better)

Context Questions

Before analyzing growth levers, ensure you know:

  1. Current state: What's driving growth today?
  2. Constraint: What's the biggest bottleneck?
  3. Resources: What can you invest?
  4. Timeline: Quick wins or long-term bets?
  5. Risk tolerance: How aggressive can you be?

Growth Stage Considerations

Stage Focus Primary Levers
Early (PMF search) Find what works Product iteration, founder sales
Growth (PMF found) Scale what works Paid marketing, sales hiring
Scale (Efficient growth) Optimize and expand Monetization, retention
Mature (Defend and extend) Protect and diversify Retention, adjacencies