Growth Hacking

Sean Ellis coined the term for clever acquisition tactics, but it devolved into spammy viral loops, dark patterns, and the delusion that tricks could replace genuine product-market fit, leaving a trail of churned users. Unlike the sustainable growth of Product-Led Growth (the #6 strategy on this list), which relies on retention, Growth Hacking often generates a 60% higher churn rate in the first 90 days than the average startup with a proven fit.