What Is Growth Hacking? A Clear Guide for New Online Businesses

If you’re in the early stages of starting an online business, chances are you’ve heard the term “growth hacking.” It pops up on startup blogs, Twitter threads, and job descriptions everywhere. And on the surface, it sounds like exactly what you need:

"Get 10,000 users without spending a dollar!""Go viral with one clever trick!""Hack your way to traction!"

But once the hype dies down, you’re often left wondering…

What is growth hacking, actually?

And more importantly, can it help your business grow sustainably—or is it just startup jargon?

In this article, we’ll break it down:

• What growth hacking really means

• What it’s supposed to achieve

• How you can apply it to your online business

• And how to find the right people (or mindset) to make it work

Growth Hacking, in Plain English

Let’s strip away the buzzwords.

Growth hacking is the process of experimenting with creative, low-cost ways to grow a business quickly. It’s less about long-term branding, and more about short-term wins that help you acquire users, drive revenue, or increase engagement.

Growth hacking combines:

• Marketing

• Product strategy

• User psychology

• Data analytics

The key difference? Instead of focusing on top-of-funnel awareness, growth hackers look at the entire customer journey—from acquisition to activation, retention, referral, and revenue.

They don’t just bring people in—they build systems that keep people coming back and telling others.

What Is Growth Hacking Supposed to Achieve?

Growth hacking is designed to move the needle fast, especially when you:

• Don’t have a big budget

• Need to prove traction quickly

• Want to identify the most effective channels for growth

It’s not about hacking your way to fake results—it’s about running smart experiments to find what actually works.

Think of it like this:

While traditional marketing might plan a six-month campaign, a growth hacker will test 10 different landing pages, 5 email subject lines, and 3 referral offers—all in one week—to see what drives signups.

The goal? Speed, iteration, and scale.

How Does Growth Hacking Apply to a New Online Business?

Here’s where it gets interesting.

If you're launching a new online business, growth hacking can help you:

• Test your product-market fit

• Build traction without a massive ad budget

• Learn faster than your competitors

But here’s the thing: you can’t growth-hack your way out of a bad offer.

If your product doesn’t solve a clear problem or resonate with a specific group, no tactic will save you.

So, before you dive into tactics, ask yourself:

• Is the product solving something real?

• Is it clear who it's for?

• Have I validated the demand?

If yes—now you can start experimenting.

Examples of Growth Hacking in Action

Here are a few real-world growth hacking strategies early-stage businesses use:

✅ Referral Loops – Dropbox famously grew by offering extra storage to users who invited friends. It's low-cost and scales with your audience.

✅ Waiting List + Scarcity – Tools like Superhuman and Clubhouse created buzz by limiting access. This taps into social proof and FOMO.

✅ Cold Outreach + Personalisation – Instead of running generic ads, some startups build customer lists and send tailored messages that convert better than mass marketing.

✅ Leveraging Communities – Posting on Reddit, Slack groups, Discord servers, or niche Facebook groups to connect directly with early adopters.

✅ Reverse Funnels – Offering something valuable for free (like a mini course or template) in exchange for an email, and then upselling through a nurturing sequence.

Notice a pattern? These aren't “hacks” in the traditional sense—they’re smart experiments built around user behaviour.

Who Actually Does Growth Hacking?

This part trips up a lot of founders.

You don’t need to hire a “Growth Hacker” with a hoodie and a whiteboard.

What you need is someone who understands how to:

• Ask the right questions

• Run fast, measurable experiments

• Use data to inform decisions

• Balance creativity with constraints

That person might be:

• A founder who’s deeply involved in the product

• A marketer with product intuition

• A developer who understands user behavior

• Or a small cross-functional team working closely together

Look for people who aren’t afraid to test, learn, and move fast without perfect answers.

Key Takeaway: Growth Hacking Isn’t a Shortcut—It’s a Mindset

So—what is growth hacking really?

It’s a way of thinking. It’s about staying lean, moving fast, and treating growth like a science lab—not a billboard campaign.

It won’t magically make your business successful. But if you’ve built something people genuinely want, growth hacking can help you figure out how to get it into their hands faster—and smarter—than the competition.

Test small. Learn fast. Scale what works.

That’s growth hacking done right.