Beyond the Flywheel: 10 Growth Strategies Every Small Business Should Know
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The flywheel strategy has become a popular metaphor for sustainable growth—where momentum builds through customer success, word of mouth, and internal efficiencies. But it’s not the only way to grow. In fact, there are several other strategies that can complement or replace the flywheel, depending on your business model, market, and goals.
Here are 10 growth strategies that share the flywheel’s emphasis on long-term impact, yet differ in execution and focus. Alongside each, you’ll find a recommended book to dive deeper into the method.
1. Viral Growth Loops
Key Feature: Exponential growth through sharing and referrals.
Difference from Flywheel: Driven by user behavior, not operational momentum.
Recommended Reading:
2. Sales Funnel Strategy
Key Feature: Sequential lead conversion.
Difference from Flywheel: Linear progression vs. compounding motion.
Recommended Reading:
3. Customer Journey Mapping
Key Feature: Human-centered design of customer experiences.
Difference: Focused more on satisfaction than momentum.
Recommended Reading:
4. Lean Startup Methodology
Key Feature: Iteration and agility to find product-market fit.
Difference: Emphasis on experimentation over compounding.
Recommended Reading:
5. Inbound Marketing
Key Feature: Organic attraction through education.
Difference: Often a component of a flywheel but can stand alone.
Recommended Reading:
">">6. Growth Hacking
Key Feature: Creativity meets data for fast wins.
Difference: Tactical and short-term, not systemic like a flywheel.
Recommended Reading:
7. Product-Led Growth (PLG)
Key Feature: The product is the primary driver of growth.
Difference: Product-centric, while flywheel includes broader functions.
Recommended Reading:
8. Ecosystem Strategy
Key Feature: Expansion through external collaborations.
Difference: Leverages others’ audiences more than internal compounding.
Recommended Reading:
9. Network Effects
Key Feature: Self-reinforcing customer value.
Difference: User base size fuels growth more than systems.
Recommended Reading:
10. Lifecycle Marketing
Key Feature: Timely messaging drives repeat engagement.
Difference: Focuses on segmentation, not momentum.
Recommended Reading:
Final Thoughts
The flywheel strategy is powerful, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Exploring these other approaches can help you build a growth engine that fits your business’s strengths and your customers' needs.
Try this: Choose one of the strategies above to deepen your understanding and run a small experiment this quarter. Growth doesn’t come from following a single model—it comes from learning which model fits your context best.