logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
51m 27s

20Growth: When To Make Your First Growth...

Harry Stebbings
About this episode

Hila Qu is one of the leading growth execs of the last decade. Hila helped scale Acorns from 1 million to 5 million users as their VP of growth. Hila then joined GitLab, where she launched their PLG motion (on top of an established sales motion), and built their first-ever growth team. Today Hila is an advisor to amazing companies like Replit and funds like Mucker Capital, Openview and First Round Capital.

In Today's Episode with Hila Qu We Discuss:

1.) From Biology and Explosions to Growth:

  • How Hila made her way into the world of growth with growthhackers.com?
  • What are 1-2 of the biggest takeaways from her time with Acorns and Gitlab?
  • How do B2B growth orgs compare to B2C growth orgs? What is different? What is the same?

2.) WTF is Growth? When? How & Why:

  • How does Hila define growth today? What is it not?
  • When is the right time for early-stage founders to hire their first growth hire?
  • Why does Hila always look for data analysts in this first growth hire?
  • From a data standpoint, what should founders have ready and accessible for their first growth hire to have access to and learn from? Is Google Analytics enough?

3.) Hiring Your First Growth Hire:

  • How should early-stage founders structure the hiring process for the first growth hire?
  • What do the best growth job descriptions include? What do they not include?
  • Once applications are in, how does Hila advise founders screen for the best candidates?
  • How should founders structure the interview process post-screening? What are the must-ask questions? Who is involved in the interview process? What are some red flags?

4.) The Master of Onboarding:

  • What should new growth hires want to achieve in the first week?
  • What should they want to complete in the first month?
  • In the first quarter, what do the best candidates have completed?
  • What can founders do to set their growth hires up for success in the best way at this time?

5.) Growth Models, North Stars, Activation and Onboarding and Key KPIs:

  • What really is a growth model? How do founders and growth teams create one?
  • How does Hila advise founders on how to pick the right North Star Metric to focus on?
  • Why are activation and conversion Hila's two favorite growth metrics?
  • What are growth loops? What are growth funnels? How do they work together?

Up next
Today
20VC: Do Margins Matter in AI? | Is Defensibility Gone For Good? | Is Vertical SaaS Dead in a World of AI | What SaaS Rules Are BS and No Longer Apply in a World of AI | The Future of Venture: Why Chanel vs Walmart is BS with Byron Deeter
Byron Deeter is a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, and one of the most renowned SaaS investors. Byron has led 19 unicorn investments, including IPO successes like ServiceTitan, Procore, Twilio, Box, Gainsight, Intercom, DocuSign, SendGrid. His portfolio includes eight compan ... Show More
1h 21m
Aug 21
20VC: Databricks at $100BN | Chamath’s SPAC Revival: Peak Mania? | OpenAI Staff Cash Out Billions & Sam Altman Will Spend Trillions | CoreWeave’s $11B Debt Bet & Nubank’s $2.5B Profit Shocker
Agenda: 00:00 – Databricks hits $100B: Bubble or just the beginning? 03:15 – Is Databricks actually undervalued at 25x revenue? 07:40 – Are we on the verge of the biggest IPO wave ever? 11:30 – Can Andreessen’s Databricks bet return $30B+? 18:10 – Who really gets rich when mega-u ... Show More
1h 27m
Aug 18
20VC: Lovable CEO Anton Osika on $120M in ARR in 7 Months | The Honest Truth About Defensibility and Unit Economics for AI Startups | The State of Foundation Models: Long Grok, Short OpenAI, Why | Replit vs Lovable vs Bolt: What Happens
Anton Osika is the Co-Founder and CEO @ Lovable, the fastest growing company on the planet. In just 7 months, they have scaled from $0 to $120M in ARR. They have raised over $200M in funding from some of the best including Accel, Creandum and 20VC. Their latest round priced the c ... Show More
1h 8m
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
How to scrappily hire for, measure, and unlock growth | Crystal Widjaja, Gojek and Kumu
You don’t need lots of employees to achieve impressive growth—but you do need a unique approach to hiring and structuring your team, and accurately measuring your growth efforts. Crystal Widjaja has used scrappy tactics to unlock massive success for Gojek (a wildly successful rid ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 2021
SaaStr 487: How Community-Led Growth Drives Product-Led Growth with Notion's CRO, Olivia Nottebohm
At the heart of product-led growth is the user. And in this podcast, Olivia Nottebohm, CRO of Notion ($10B valuation), will delve into the more complex aspects of product-led growth, and why they're essential for building a successful business that will thrive for years to come. ... Show More
26m 31s
Apr 2024
The Key to Consistent Growth Is Having the Right Incentives
Is your growth strategy working consistently? Strategy expert Ken Favaro says creating and sustaining growth isn’t rocket science. However, you do have to understand the difference between “organic” growth and “inorganic” alternatives, which come through a merger or acquisition. ... Show More
15m 56s
Aug 2020
How To Grow Your Sales & Business Faster
How do you create exponential growth in the age of disruption? Listen as Dan explains how to grow your sales & business faster and how to go from dreamer to industry leader and beyond. Which stage are you at on your Dragon 100 path? Comment below. 
11m 16s
Jul 2023
SaaStr 679: Scalable, Low CAC Growth Tactics with Hypergrowth Partners Co-Founder Guillaume Cabane
Are you trying to unlock sustainable low customer acquisition costs (CAC) growth for your SaaS company? Then you need to hear what Guillaume Cabane, Co-Founder and President of HyperGrowth Partners, has to say on the subject. In this podcast, Guillaume shares the formula he used ... Show More
21m 22s