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Ask HN: Will growth hacking make my product worse?

2 points by kozkozkoz ↗ HN
I'm building a product, I have a very good retention rate D1 63% D7 55% D30 40%, It's good as it is (maybe). I have 2 options: improve it to make current users more happy or think on how to change the product to make it more "viral"...please advice

6 comments

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bbcbasic
Assuming you are doing something honest, (not black-hat etc.)

If you improve it to make current users [love your product], then it will go viral by word of mouth.

Err on the side of being awesome to your current users. Especially if they are paying.

kozkozkoz
Nothing blackhat, the product is free (at the moment) so I can't invest in SEM, I have a live chat in the product where users can send feedback, and all of them like the product, others are asking for features that I can add but it takes time with a small team.

So the question is relax and improve the product or worry about the "virality"

Thanks for the advise!

bbcbasic
It is worth thinking about virality or marketing in general of course. The question is whether it is worth devaluing the product for it. Probably can be answered on a case by case basis but try to think of ways where you do something that increases both virality and the value of the product. Win-wins!
namenotrequired
The two are really the same thing most of the time (though you could find exceptions if you try). Then again not everything that makes users happy will get them to refer you. The perfect middle ground would be to add a feature that adds value, and where inviting others is naturally a part of it. If your growth hack doesn't add value to the current users you'll be swimming upstream anyway.
kozkozkoz
Sure, when I say growth hack I mean that inviting new users adds value to current users always, but "the perfect middle ground" keeps been middle, I mean, let's be honest, I change the product to make it grow, not because current users are unhappy...maybe most of the product do it...
rajacombinator
With those kind of retention numbers you should probably raise money so that you can do both. (Improve the product and market it.)