Market Fit Fiascos: Expanding Internationally

Under The Influence This post is inspired by the CBC Radio show turned podcast called Under The Influence. The episode titled Passport Revoked examines how brands can be dominant in one region but fail when expanding abroad. Large corporations have plenty of reasons to expand abroad. Often their executives are rewarded for growth and the…

Growth Hacking Lessons From Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra: The myth* I really didn’t say everything I said. Yogi Berra Yogi Berra was a Red Sox player who pitched a dozen no-hitters, was married to Marilyn Monroe and discovered penicillin. His bust appears on the other side of Mount Rushmore. He had a knack for memorable phrases that are just as relevant…

Henka – The Sumo Wrestler’s Sidestep

Heavy favourite Sumo matches are often over in seconds. The objective is to force your opponent out of the dohyo, an elevated ring. There are no weight classes and no second chances. Top division Sumo wrestlers can weigh anywhere from 300 to a staggering 600 pounds. How, then, can the smaller wrestlers hope to prevail?…

Is Growth Hacking Really For You?

Are you Musk material? Or Muskoka material? Either way, growth can help you reach your definition of success. Elon Musk is worth $20 billion. He is building new companies in technology, transportation and energy that will change the fate of humanity. He works 80 hours a day. I’m only slightly exaggerating. Muskoka Mia (she’s never…

Grow Your Business

I recently ran a Growth Sprint which builds on the AJ&Smart model described here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td0ap… The main difference was that the group I was facilitating was not from one single company. Everybody at the table had their own business or side hustle they were looking to grow. I adapted the model and the end result…

Growth Sprints For Solopreneurs

When “together alone” has two meanings The term “together alone” is used to refer to parts of group exercises where people will work quietly to prepare their own ideas or research to be shared with the rest of the group later. I recently held a growth sprint for small businesses owners. They were “together alone”…

Growth Hacking: Gotta Get Get Get Get Get

AARRR! In 2007, Dave McClure coined the term Pirate Metrics to describe the various growth levers available to companies: Attention, Acquisition, Retention, Revenue, Referrals. Together, these levers spell AARRR. Like a pirate, get it? Gotta get thatGotta get thatGotta get thatGotta get that that that The Black Eyed Peas Two years later, in 2009, The…