Ward Van Gasteren on Growth Hacking in 2024

The Evolving Landscape of Growth Hacking

Ward van Gasteren acknowledges the “growth hacker” designation, despite a preference among some professionals for terms like “growth marketing” or simply “growth.” He distinguishes the two by emphasizing that growth hacking should represent a focused, supplementary effort to ongoing marketing initiatives.

According to van Gasteren, growth hacking excels at initiating growth, exploring novel opportunities, and identifying effective tactics. Marketing professionals, he suggests, should then build upon these initial gains, sustaining customer engagement and ensuring continued relevance of strategies.

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Developing Internal Growth Processes

Based in The Netherlands, van Gasteren has created his own growth hacking educational programs, Grow With Ward, and collaborated with prominent organizations such as TikTok, Pepsi, and Cisco, as well as emerging companies like Cyclemasters, Somnox, and Zigzag. He stresses the importance of establishing robust internal processes to support long-term growth, and reflects on the current state of the growth field and his own professional journey.

This interview has been condensed for brevity and clarity.

Certification and Distinctive Approach

What differentiates you as a certified growth hacker? How has certification influenced your client interactions?

I participated in the inaugural class at Growth Tribe (during their extended training programs), which proved to be an invaluable experience. Certification demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the growth hacking process, from inception to completion. It signifies a focus beyond isolated experiments, aiming for holistic growth.

Many self-proclaimed growth hackers merely replicate existing tactics, rather than adopting a systematic approach. This involves identifying issues through data analysis, prioritizing ideas without bias, and prioritizing long-term insights over immediate results. A valid certification validates this knowledge base.

Course Investment vs. Direct Engagement

Under what circumstances should clients opt for your beginner growth hacking course instead of directly engaging your services?

I developed the course to broaden access to growth hacking principles. I observed that existing courses generally fell into two categories: inexpensive options (<$200) focusing on superficial tactics, or high-cost, in-depth programs ($1,500-$5,000). I believe everyone deserves access to the knowledge needed to build a sustainable, systematic growth process. Consequently, I created a course, recognizing that one-on-one consulting is often financially prohibitive.

This is particularly relevant for students and junior marketers, for whom I’ve designed a foundational course that imparts approximately 20% of the knowledge required to achieve 80% of the initial results.

Growth Hacker vs. Marketer: A Strategic Decision

Your website highlights distinctions between growth hacking and marketing. How should clients decide between working with a growth hacker versus a marketer?

The decision isn’t an either/or proposition; these fields differ in focus and are, in fact, complementary. Growth hacking is ideal for initiating growth, testing new avenues, and validating tactics. Marketers excel at building upon these foundations, maintaining engagement, and ensuring ongoing relevance. A growth hacker shouldn’t be tasked with maintaining existing marketing strategies; they thrive on innovation and would become disengaged with routine tasks.

Typically, I assist clients in gaining momentum, identifying valuable opportunities, and developing a strategic framework. I then transfer execution to the marketing team, providing coaching and re-engaging when new growth input is required.

Addressing Common Misconceptions

What are some prevalent misconceptions surrounding growth hacking?

Many growth hackers present their approach as infallible, suggesting that data-driven methods always lead to optimal decisions. This is inaccurate. While analytics reveal what hinders growth, they don’t explain *why* growth is slowing. Understanding the “why” is crucial for formulating effective experiments, yet many hackers rely on assumptions to maintain speed, which is unsustainable.

Alongside quantitative data, qualitative insights are essential. This involves direct customer interaction, hypothesis-driven experimentation (focused on learning, not just results), and analyzing customer support feedback or surveys. Integrating a qualitative feedback loop consistently improves experiment effectiveness, increasing success rates from 1 in 10 to 1 in 3.

Current Trends in Growth Hacking

What current trends are you observing within the growth hacking landscape?

The growth industry is maturing. There’s a shift from isolated “hacks” to dedicated teams, and a greater emphasis on velocity. Best practices are rapidly disseminated and implemented. This necessitates deeper knowledge, more qualitative feedback, and a more systematic approach to scale impact and surpass conventional methods. Consequently, there’s a move away from basic, low-cost tools.

I am currently developing Upgrow, a growth management tool designed for growth teams. It streamlines experiment management, facilitates stakeholder reporting, and ensures knowledge retention, fostering company-wide learning. Mature growth teams require such software to effectively manage the challenges posed by company growth.

Startup Pitfalls

What persistent mistakes do startups continue to make?

Many startups endlessly refine their product, believing that “just one more feature” will unlock success. While north-star metrics, NPS scores, and product-led growth dominate the conversation, it’s important to remember that perfection is unattainable. There will always be another feature to add. True benefit arises from growing *with* your customers. Publicly acknowledge upcoming features and prioritize sales and growth efforts. Different channels attract diverse users with evolving needs, requiring continuous adaptation.