Growth hacking is the practice of running rapid, low-cost experiments across acquisition, activation, and retention channels to find scalable growth levers — popularized by Sean Ellis and the early growth teams at Dropbox, Airbnb, and Facebook. It's often associated with scrappy tactics (referral programs, viral loops, unconventional distribution), but the underlying principle is: measure everything, kill what doesn't work, double down fast on what does. The term has become diluted; 'growth marketing' is the modern version.
For example, Dropbox's growth hack of giving free storage for referrals turned every user into a growth channel — a simple incentive mechanism that drove 60% of all Dropbox signups at its peak.
We run structured growth experiments for clients — moving faster than traditional campaign cycles by building test-learn-scale infrastructure into the marketing program.
Related Terms
Relevant Cactus Services
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Book a free strategy call →Fractional CMO
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who works with multiple companies on a part-time or contract basis — providing strategic leadership without the cost of a full-time hire.
Embedded Agency
An embedded agency model means the agency team functions as an extension of your internal marketing team — not a vendor, but a partner with deep context, shared Slack channels, and attendance in team standups.
Retainer
A retainer is a monthly fee paid to an agency or consultant for ongoing services — buying a defined scope of work or number of hours each month.
Performance Marketing
Performance marketing is any advertising model where payment is tied to measurable results — cost per lead, cost per acquisition, revenue share — rather than flat media fees.
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
OKRs is a goal-setting framework: each Objective is an ambitious qualitative goal, supported by 2–5 Key Results that are specific, measurable, and time-bound.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
KPIs are the specific metrics used to measure performance against business goals.