IH Founder, Courtland Allen, interview on growth, best tactics, and what he's currently learning!

Hello!

Wanted to share this interview with Courtland who kindly answered questions for our latest newsletter.

You can read the issue in full which is all about SaaS communities, or get the highlights of Courtland's interview here.

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What one thing should companies do today to see results in growth?

Focus. It's tempting as a founder to dabble in every growth channel that seems promising, but that puts you at a disadvantage. Every channel is a competition for attention, so when you aren't focusing, you're still up against other people who are. For example, a friend of mine decided to learn Twitter this year. It took him 5 months of experimentation to nail his strategy. Now he's adding well over 1000 followers a week. That kind of success can only come if you're focused and consistent, which means saying no to everything else.

What are you currently learning?

I'm learning about economics! I've got lots of books queued up from all over the spectrum. Currently I'm reading Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell.

What's your most underrated strategy or tactic?

Broadcast your customers' success stories. Make them as visceral, transparent, and inspiring as possible. You want readers to envy your customers' success. I think this is the best content marketing there is, especially if you're building something that enables your customers to make money. For example, the reason so many people want to start a Substack today is because so many Substack authors are sharing life-changing stories of how they've become able to earn a living from their newsletters.

What's your goal for the next year?

I'd like to turn Indie Hackers into a place where people are publishing the best startup-related content and news on the web. This is going to require a lot of outreach and incentive alignment, but we're on our way!