[WMD 2016] Reforge, Brian Balfour "How to (actually) become elite at growth"

TL;DR

The speaker discusses the addiction to growth hacks in the industry and emphasizes the importance of focusing on accomplishments over credentials, balancing known and unknown approaches, mastering the fundamentals, working on high impact projects with low popularity, and becoming a platform.

Transcript

what I'm gonna talk about today is actually kind of a different presentation than my last two WMD presentations but before I jump into it all these slides are gonna be available at this URL Co elevate dot-com slash WMD 16 so don't feel like you need to scribble a bunch of notes it's all going to be there I'd prefer you just kind of sit here and pay... Read More

Key Insights

• 👨‍🔬 The industry of growth and customer acquisition has become addicted to the search for growth hacks and quick solutions, which tend to offer only short-term fixes.
• 👶 Problem-solving requires new approaches, and prescriptions or tips and tricks are not effective in solving the underlying problems.
• 🏛️ Focusing on accomplishments and outcomes is more valuable than pursuing credentials, as demonstrated by the importance of building and being a platform.
• 🤪 Balancing known and unknown approaches, mastering the fundamentals, and going deep on important but less popular projects can lead to significant growth and personal development.
• ❓ Becoming an expert in something does not require a ten-year commitment, and continuous learning and improvement are essential.
• 🥺 Hiring individuals based on their actual work and output, rather than their interview performance, can lead to better hires.
• 😘 High-impact projects with low popularity offer opportunities for personal growth, expertise development, and visibility within an organization.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the speaker advise early-stage founders struggling with growth marketing?

The speaker suggests that early-stage founders focus on becoming experts in growth themselves before hiring someone. They recommend choosing an area to go deep on, mastering the fundamentals, and constantly expanding their knowledge and skills.

Q: How long does it take to become an expert in something?

According to the speaker, becoming an expert in something does not require a ten-year commitment. With focused and diligent effort, one can go deep on a subject within a year or two. The key is to continuously learn and improve.

Q: What advice does the speaker give for finding an awesome growth marketer?

The speaker suggests focusing on a candidate's actual work and output rather than their ability to answer interview questions. They recommend giving candidates mini projects or evaluating their previous project work to assess their abilities and impact.

Q: How does the speaker recommend choosing high-impact projects with low popularity?

The speaker advises individuals to choose projects that are challenging, important, and have widespread impact within an organization. These projects may be messy and difficult but can position individuals as rare experts and give them high visibility and recognition.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker addresses the addiction to growth hacks in the industry of growth and customer acquisition, highlighting the need to focus on other areas besides finding quick tips and tricks for explosive growth.

• They emphasize the importance of solving unsolved problems and unlocking growth by focusing 80% of our time on other types of things.

• The speaker shares five lessons they've learned in their career, including the importance of focusing on accomplishments, balancing known and unknown approaches, mastering the fundamentals, working on high-impact projects with low popularity, and building a platform.