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This duck knows more about growth than most 'experts'
HubSpot's 4-step growth secret (hint: it's not PMF)
Mahmoud Omar
May 26, 2025
🦆 WADDLE WE DO NOW?
Why Your Growth Strategy is Missing 3 Things
Spoiler: Product-Market Fit isn't enough (shocking, we know)
Hey marketing skeptics,
While everyone's obsessing over Product-Market Fit like it's the only thing that matters, Brian Balfour (HubSpot's former VP of Growth) has some uncomfortable news: PMF is just 1 of 4 fits you actually need.
The 4 Fits That Actually Matter:
1 Product → Channel Fit
Does your product naturally work with how you're trying to distribute it? Selling enterprise software through TikTok? That's a no from us, chief.
2 Channel → Model Fit
Can you actually afford your customers? If your Customer Acquisition Cost is higher than what customers pay you... well, that's just expensive charity work.
3 Model → Market Fit
Does your market actually buy the way you're selling? Annual contracts in a month-to-month world = good luck with that.
4 Product → Market Fit
The classic. People want your thing. But here's the kicker: having customers who pay but don't use your product is like having a pool with no water.
💡 Quick Reality Check:
Most "growth problems" aren't solved by more Facebook ads or another AI tool. They're solved by fixing the fundamental mismatches between these four elements.
The Math: Your Lifetime Value should be at least 3x your Customer Acquisition Cost. Anything less and you're basically paying people to use your product while calling it "growth."
🦆 The Duck's Take:
Stop chasing shiny new channels and fix your fundamentals first. HubSpot didn't become a $30B company with one weird growth hack – they built systems that worked together.
Next week: Why your "game-changing" AI marketing tool is probably just expensive automation with a chatbot.
Quack responsibly,
The WhatZDuck Team
Forward this to someone who thinks posting on LinkedIn at 5 AM is a growth strategy. They need help.
#QuackAgainstTheMachine
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