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Mental arithmetic tricks

  • Multiplication (each question has two 8-digit numbers to multiply)
  • Addition (each question has ten 10-digit numbers to sum)
  • Square roots (each question has a 6-digit number whose square root must be found to 5 decimal places)

  1. Multiplication – Basic Method — for Small Numbers

When calculating a multiplication where one of the numbers is small, such as 68435 × 18, it may be fastest to simply add together multiples of the smaller number:

  •          5 × 18 =   90 ⇒ …………0
  •   9 + 3 × 18 =   63 ⇒ ……….30
  •   6 + 4 × 18 =   78 ⇒ ……..830
  •   7 + 8 × 18 = 151 ⇒ ……1830
  • 15 + 6 × 18 = 123 ⇒ 1231830

In fact when I coach beginners in Mental Math, one of the first things I work on is expanding the knowledge of times tables to other useful numbers — such as 18 — to make this easier to perform.

But when using this basic method for larger multiplications, such as 29136 × 5847, we don’t have enough working memory to calculate each multiple of e.g. 5847 without forgetting the numbers we’ve already calculated! So we need another method — one that’s more efficient in terms of memory.

Below I’ll show you the cross-multiplication method that most advanced mental calculators use for multiplications.

Cross-Multiplication Method

Some nice things about this method are:

  • You only need to know your times tables up to 9 × 9
  • However large the multiplications, you never have to remember many numbers at once
  • It’s very straightforward once you know the simple pattern

To see how this works, we’ll take our example of 29136 × 5847:

1st digit — units place:

To begin, we simply multiply 6 × 7 = 42. Then the rightmost digit of the answer is 2 and we can “carry” the 4 for the next step:

           29136
         ×  5847
                    2 (carrying 4 from the 42)

2nd digit — factors with 10:

Next we consider 40 × 6 and 7 × 30, as these are the digit products (4 × 6 and 7 × 3) that come with a factor of 10, just like the 40 we remembered from the previous step.

The quickest way is to start with the 4 from the 40 that we carried, then add on the 4 × 6 and 7 × 3:

  •   4 + 4 × 6 = 28
  • 28 + 7 × 3 = 49

These addition-multiplication pairs are quick to do with practice.

Again we can write down the “9” in the tens place of the final answer, and keep the 4 for the following step.

           29136
         ×  5847
                  92 (carrying 4 from the 49)

3rd digit — factors with 100:

We continue with 800 × 6, 40 × 30 and 7 × 100, as these are the digit products that come with a factor of 100.

Again — start with the 4 from the 400 that we carried, then add on the other products:

  •   4 + 8 × 6 = 52
  • 52 + 4 × 3 = 64
  • 64 + 7 × 1 = 71

Write down the “1” in the 100s place of the final answer, and keep the 7 for the following step:

           29136
         ×  5847
                192 (carrying 7 from the 71)

Notice that in each step, the order of the colors on the top is the mirror image of the colors on the bottom, as each matching pair of digits must represent the same power of 10.

You can add the digits in any order you like, but I find it helpful to always start with the bottom-left and top-right product (here the 8 × 6) and systematically move simultaneously rightwards on the bottom number and leftwards on the top number.

4th digit — factors with 1000:

By now the pattern should be fairly clear, so I’ll continue with minimal commentary:

  •   7 + 5 × 6 = 37
  • 37 + 8 × 3 = 61
  • 61 + 4 × 1 = 65
  • 65 + 7 × 9 = 128
           29136
         ×  5847
              8192 (carrying 12 from the 128)

5th digit — factors with 10,000:

This time, notice that the “6” has already been multiplied by every digit of the bottom number, so will not be active for the rest of the calculation:

  • 12 + 5 × 3 = 27
  • 27 + 8 × 1 = 35
  • 35 + 4 × 9 = 71
  • 71 + 7 × 2 = 85
           29136
         ×  5847
            58192 (carrying 8 from the 85)

6th digit — factors with 100,000:

From now on the calculation gets simpler as there are fewer and fewer products of the same magnitude:

  •   8 + 5 × 1 = 13
  • 13 + 8 × 9 = 85
  • 85 + 4 × 2 = 93
           29136
         ×  5847
          358192 (carrying 9 from the 93)

7th digit — factors with 1,000,000:

  •   9 + 5 × 9 = 54
  • 54 + 8 × 2 = 70
           29136
         ×  5847
        0358192 (carrying 7 from the 70)

8th digit — factors with 10,000,000:

  •   7 + 5 × 2 = 17

As this is the final stage, we don’t have to carry anything, and simply write down the remaining digits:

           29136
         ×  5847
    170358192

Summary

So that is the standard cross multiplication method used by amateur human calculators, as well as current and past multiplication world-record holders such as Freddis Reyes and Marc Jornet Sanz! (Jeonghee Lee prefers a left-to-right method instead).

To conclude — the method in general is:

  • Start with the rightmost digit of each number:
    • calculate their product
    • write down the units digit
    • carry the tens digit for the next stage
  • For every subsequent digit of the answer:
    • take the carried number from before
    • add all products of the same magnitude by working systematically
    • write down the units digit in the final answer
    • carry the rest for the next stage

In the Memoriad competition, and in the Mental Calculation World Cup, competitors must multiply 8-digit numbers, such as 12345678 × 98702468, and the fastest competitors can do these in 15-30 seconds!

To practice this you can use the Memoriad software — although I recommend to start with smaller products of 3- and 4-digit numbers before working your way up.

2. Addition

How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths

While addition and subtraction of integers is usually straightforward, there are more steps involved when you add or subtract fractions.

A fraction consists of a number—the numerator—divided by another number—called the denominator. It is usual for both these numbers to be positive integers (whole numbers).

For example, in 415, the numerator is 4, and the denominator is 15.

General Formula

The basic formula for adding fractions is:

ab+cd=ad+bcbd

In words, this means that you multiply each numerator by the opposite demonimator, and add these results to get the new numerator. The new denominator is the product of the original denominators.

Subtraction uses the same calculation, except using a minus rather than a plus:

ab–cd=ad–bcbd

On this page, I’ll use examples using addition calculations only.

As an example:

25+38=2×8+3×55×8=3140

Explanation of Formula

You can use this formula without understanding it, but helps you memorize it, and be creative with it, if you do understand it.

Imagine you have two pizzas of equal size:

  • Pizza 1 is cut into b equal slices, of which you’ll eat a of them.
  • Pizza 2 is cut into d equal slices, of which you’ll eat c of them.

In total you will eat ab+cd pizza. How much is this?

Imagine that you would carefully cut each slice of the first pizza into d slices. The slices are much smaller now—the pizza is divided into bd slices—and you’ll eat ad of them.

Then cut each slice of the second pizza into b slices. This pizza is also now divided into bd slices—and you’ll eat bc of them.

In total, you ate ad+bc slices, and each one was 1bd of a whole pizza.

Simplified Fractions

A fraction is simplified if there are no prime numbers that divide into both the numerator and denominator. For example, 4060 is not simplified, because 2 divides into both 40 and 60. In fact, so does 5, and even some larger non-prime numbers, like 20. If you divide the top and bottom of the fraction by 20, the fraction becomes 23, which is the simplified form.

On this page, I’ll assume that you need to add or subtract fractions that are already simplified, which is usual for mental math competitions. There is a note at the end to describe what you should do if they are not simplified.

Mixed Fractions

A fraction is improper, if the numerator is larger than the denominator. For example, 143 is an improper fraction. Improper fractions can be written as mixed fractions—with an integer part and a proper fraction part. For example, 143=423

In mental calculation competitions, you must give all answers in mixed form. Improper fractions are marked incorrect!

To convert an improper fraction to a mixed fraction, first divide the numerator by the denominator and obtain the remainder:

14÷3=4 rem. 2

The integer part is the result of the division—4—and the remainder—2—is the numerator for the mixed fraction.

143=423

As a complete example:

23+45=2215=1715

Cases that Require Simplification

If two numbers—b and d—don’t share any factors, they are called co-prime. This is the same as saying that bd would be a simplified fraction.

If the two denominators—b and d—are co-prime, then it is guaranteed that the resulting fraction will not need simplification. But otherwise, you will also need to try to simplify the final fraction.

In mental calculation competitions, you must give all answers in simplified form. Unsimplified fractions are marked incorrect!

8 and 24 are not co-prime, as both are even, so we must simplify at the end:

38+724=3×24+7×88×24=128192=23

This calculation involved some fairly large numbers, and it could be worse if the original fractions had larger denominators! Luckily, there is a shortcut:

  • Find any number that the denominators both divide into—the smaller the better. In the example above, you could use 48, but the best would be to use 24.
  • Express both fractions using this new denominator: 924+724. In this case, the second fraction did not need to change, but in the first one, the deminomator had been multiplied by 3 to get from 8 to 24. So it was necessary to multiply its numerator the same way: 3×3=9.
  • Simply add the numerators, and place that above the new denominator.

38+724=924+724=1624=23

Notice that sometimes—like here—we need to do a simplification step at the end, even though we already simplified at an earlier stage.

Proof that Addition of Simplified Fractions with Co-prime Denominators Never Requires Simplification

You can skip this paragraph if you are not currently curious about the mathematics behind the method.

Does the result from the formula, ad+bcbd, require simplification?

Assume that b and d share no prime factors—meaning they are co-prime. Does any factor of b divide into the numerator ad+bc?

Certainly it will divide into bc. But it doesn’t divide into ad, because b shares no prime factors with d, and nor with a (as ab was already simplified). Since it does divide into bc but not into ad, it can’t divide into their sum.

By the same argument, the numerator also shares no prime factors with d.

Therefore there are no prime numbers—and thus no integers of any type—that we can divide by to simplify ad+bcbd.

Final Summary for Mental Calculation

When adding or subtracting fractions using mental math:

  • Check—or assume—that the fractions can’t be simplified.
  • Check whether the denominators share any factors.
  • If they don’t share any factors, use the general formula, and leave your answer as a mixed fraction.
  • If they do share factors, you can either use the general method (simpler) or just change the fractions manually to have the same denominator (easier arithmetic). Then simplify the final answer, if necessary.
  • Remember not to write down any intermediate steps if training for a competition!

As a final example:

  • Using the general formula:

314–56=36–2024=3–1424=21024=2512

  • Alternatively, by changing fractions manually:

314–56=3312–1012=3–712=2512

Here, we must check whether 2512 can be simplified further, but it cannot. So it is the final answer.

Source

worldmentalcalculation dot com

How to become an AI prompt engineer

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, the demand for AI engineers is on the rise. If you’re interested in working in this exciting field, here’s how you can become an AI prompt engineer.

  1. Acquire a Strong Technical Foundation AI engineers should have a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, and programming. You’ll need to have a solid understanding of algorithms, data structures, and programming languages such as Python, R, and TensorFlow. Pursuing a degree in computer science or a related field will provide you with the fundamentals you need to succeed in the field.
  2. Familiarize Yourself with AI and Machine Learning AI and machine learning are the driving forces behind the development of AI prompts. To become an AI prompt engineer, you’ll need to have a deep understanding of these technologies and how they work. Consider taking online courses, attending workshops, or pursuing a certification in AI and machine learning to gain the knowledge you need. https://learnprompting.org/ is one such program which is a great starting point.
  3. Gain Practical Experience Hands-on experience is essential for anyone who wants to become an AI prompt engineer. Participate in hackathons, internships, or personal projects to develop your skills and gain practical experience working with AI systems. You can also contribute to open-source projects related to AI to demonstrate your expertise and build your portfolio.
  4. Learn from AI Engineers and Mentors One of the best ways to learn about AI and become an AI prompt engineer is to connect with others in the field. There is an emerging and thriving community on various social media platforms like Twitter. Here are some of the best to follow. Attend industry conferences, meetups, or networking events to connect with other AI engineers and learn from their experiences. You can also seek out a mentor in the field who can provide guidance and advice as you pursue your career.
  5. Stay Up-to-Date with the Latest Trends and Developments The field of AI is constantly evolving, and it’s important for AI engineers to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments. Read industry publications, follow leading AI experts on social media, and participate in online forums to stay informed and on top of the latest advancements in AI.

In conclusion, becoming an AI prompt engineer requires a strong foundation in computer science, mathematics, and programming, as well as practical experience and a deep understanding of AI and machine learning. If you’re passionate about technology and have a drive to innovate, a career as an AI prompt engineer may be right for you.

Great examples of prompt engineering done well

25 AI tools to supercharge content creation and research for 2023

Creating content can be a time-consuming and repetitive process. But with the advancements in artificial intelligence, there are now tools available that can automate or assist with various tasks, making the content creation process easier and more efficient. In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of 26 AI tools that can help you create various forms of content, from removing background noise from calls to generating personalized videos at scale.

  1. Krisp: Remove background voices, noises, and echo from your calls for a peaceful call experience. (https://krisp.ai/)
  2. Beatoven: Create unique, royalty-free music that elevates your story. (https://www.beatoven.ai/)
  3. Cleanvoice: Automatically edit your podcast episodes. (https://cleanvoice.ai/)
  4. Podcastle: Achieve studio-quality recording right from your computer. (https://podcastle.ai/)
  5. Flair: Design branded content in a flash. (https://flair.ai/)
  6. Illustroke: Create killer vector images from text prompts. (https://illustroke.com/)
  7. Patterned: Generate the exact patterns you need for design. (https://www.patterned.ai/)
  8. Stockimg: Generate the perfect stock photo every time. (https://stockimg.ai/)
  9. Copy: AI generated copy that actually increases conversion. (https://www.copy.ai/)
  10. CopyMonkey: Create Amazon listings in seconds. (http://copymonkey.ai/)
  11. Ocoya: Create and schedule social media content 10x faster. (https://www.ocoya.com/)
  12. Unbounce Smart Copy: Write high-performing cold emails at scale. (https://unbounce.com/)
  13. Vidyo: Make short-form videos from long-form content in just a few clicks. (https://vidyo.ai/)
  14. Maverick: Generate personalized videos at scale. (https://lnkd.in/dmrkz_ah)
  15. Quickchat: Automate customer service charts with AI chatbots. (https://www.quickchat.ai/)
  16. Puzzle: Build an AI-powered knowledge base for your team and customers. (https://www.puzzlelabs.ai/)
  17. Soundraw: Stop searching for the song you need and create it. (https://soundraw.io/)
  18. Cleanup: Remove any unwanted object, defect, people, or text from your pictures in seconds. (https://cleanup.pictures/)
  19. Resumeworded: Improve your resume and LinkedIn profile. (https://lnkd.in/d9EurcnX)
  20. Looka: Design your own beautiful brand. (https://looka.com/)
  21. theresanaiforthat: Comprehensive database of AI available for every task. (https://lnkd.in/dKhqaaF3)
  22. Synthesia: Create AI videos by simply typing in text. (https://www.synthesia.io/)
  23. descript: New way to make videos and podcasts. (https://lnkd.in/d_Kdj35E)
  24. Otter: Capture and share insights from your meetings. (https://otter.ai/)
  25. Browse AI: Analyse any website in a few clicks (https://browse.ai)

Extras

Supermeme.ai: Use AI to create Memes!

Bardeen: Automation and web scraping

Notion AI: Copy writing

Donotpay: An AI lawyer

Thundercontent: Generate Content with AI

@perplexity_ai

@HebbiaAI

@ChatSonicAI

@elevenlabsio

@brancherdotai

@AlteredAi

@poisedhq

20 CRO tests to run for product pages

  1. Headline testing – trying different headlines to see which resonates better with your target audience.
  2. Product description testing – testing different product descriptions to see which one is more compelling to your target audience.
  3. Pricing testing – testing different prices to see which price point results in more conversions.
  4. Product image testing – testing different product images to see which image resonates better with your target audience.
  5. Call-to-action testing – testing different call-to-actions to see which one results in more conversions.
  6. Product placement testing – testing different product placements on the page to see which placement results in more conversions.
  7. Color testing – testing different color schemes to see which color scheme resonates better with your target audience.
  8. Product video testing – testing different product videos to see which video resonates better with your target audience.
  9. Product feature testing – testing different product features to see which feature resonates better with your target audience.
  10. User review testing – testing different user reviews to see which review resonates better with your target audience.
  11. Guarantee testing – testing different guarantees to see which guarantee resonates better with your target audience.
  12. Trust seal testing – testing different trust seals to see which trust seal resonates better with your target audience.
  13. Customer support testing – testing different customer support options to see which option resonates better with your target audience.
  14. Shipping and delivery testing – testing different shipping and delivery options to see which option resonates better with your target audience.
  15. Product comparison testing – testing different product comparisons to see which comparison resonates better with your target audience.
  16. Social proof testing – testing different types of social proof to see which type resonates better with your target audience.
  17. Customer story testing – testing different customer stories to see which story resonates better with your target audience.
  18. Customer testimonial testing – testing different customer testimonials to see which testimonial resonates better with your target audience.
  19. Product demonstration testing – testing different product demonstrations to see which demonstration resonates better with your target audience.
  20. Free trial or demo testing – testing different free trial or demo options to see which option resonates better with your target audience.

How to setup Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – (with free audit template)

Google announced they will replace Universal Analytics (UA) on 1st July 2023. The link also include information about how to set it up. If you have UA you must migrate.

  1. Tag implementation
    • Hard code, CMS integration, GTM, Plugin
  2. Setup property settings
    • Check time zones
  3. Activate Google signals
    • This allows cross-device data for signed-in users and remarketing cross-device.
      • This will ensure accurate tracking as well as demographic data shown in your reports.
      • To be able to configure this, go to Data Settings → Data Collection, and click Get Started
    • Check data protection policy ad privacy regulations for your country before activating
  4. Change data retention period to 14 months
  5. Change attribution to ‘cross-channel data-driven model’
    • Rather than last-clicked, this feature enables other ads to be taken into consideration in a users path to conversion
  6. Enable enhanced measurement
    • Turning this on allows multiple events to be tracked automatically bringing in more data into your reports
    • Set up on-site search – make sure it is capturing the right data
  7. Organise GA4 data flow
    • Go to Data SettingsData Filters
    • Only 2 filter types are available in GA4: internal traffic and developer traffic
    • Setup these filters to exclude internal traffic
  8. Identify unwanted referrals
    • Common culprits are third-party payment methods for your e-commerce store.
    • Go to Data streams → More Tagging Settings. Here you should select List unwanted referrals and add conditions for the traffic.
  9. Set up custom dimensions and metrics
  10. Choose your Default Reporting Identity
    • 2 options, By User ID and device and By device only. 
    • To set it up go to Admin →  Reporting Identity.
  11. Verify conversion tracking
    • Are all conversion events tracking properly? begin checkout, first visit, purchase etc
    • See Google guide to how to set up conversion tracking
  12. Setup e-commerce tracking
    • When running an online store, eCommerce tracking implementation is essential. Check this in Monetisation overview
  13. Are you exporting data to BigQuery?
    • Setting this up allows you to track data beyond the default 14-month retention period. Admin → Product Links → BigQuery Links
  14. Link GA4 to Google Ads
    • Admin → Product Links → Google Ads Links
  15. Integrate Google Search Console (GSC)

Summary

These are the basic steps to set up GA4. Google also have sound information about how to set this up on their website.

Link to the free template here

Art prompt generator tool for AI (Midjourney)

Midjourney Image Generator









An Advanced Guide to Writing Prompts – How to train an AI

ChatGPT

  1. Context – Give it a persona or tell it who to emulate
  2. Task definition – Set a task and use colons to be very specfic. Write up to 5 tasks. Start or end point. The journey or question. Characters involved. Background information.
  3. Iterate – Change things like language style formal vs informal. Humour or professional.

Example:

Step 1:

Type “You are a prompt generation robot. You need to gather information about the users goals, objectives, examples of the preferred output, and any other relevant contextual information…” (Essentially what this is doing is getting ChatGPT to help you prompt it *perfectly*) (sample post)

Step 2:

For this example, I want ChatGPT to generate me a business outline.

“I want you to generate me a business outline. The output should be an exceptional business outline. The product I’m writing this outline for is a newsletter called “The Rundown”

Step 3:

ChatGPT will respond with a series of questions.

The more detail you provide in your questions will increase the detail of your outline.

ChatGPT will return an in depth response based on the answers we fed it.

Keep in mind, I only used the business outline example.

You can use this trick to get ChatGPT to generate perfect answers for anything you want.

Midjourney

This guide provides tips and keywords to enhance image output using better prompts. In order to get AI to do what we want we need to give text in a structured and detailed way to get what we want. IN this article we will explore various AI platforms and how to create great prompts.

Mdjourney is text-to-image generation app that generates stunning images based on the text prompts provided. It is currently in beta and constantly adding new features to its AI engine (v3).

The key to creating vibrant and unique images on Midjourney is to be descriptive in your prompts. However, there are advanced options available to generate variations in the output.

Stylize

This keyword refers to the application of a specific artistic style, such as art deco, to a particular image. In the case of a cityscape, the stylization will give the image a unique visual appearance, incorporating elements of the chosen style to create a distinctive look. (0-100)

Chaos level

This keyword refers to the level of randomness or unpredictability introduced into an abstract landscape. The higher the chaos level, the more abstract and unconventional the image will become, as opposed to a more structured, traditional landscape. (0-100)

Stylization level

This keyword is similar to “stylize,” but refers to the degree of stylization applied to an image. A lower stylization level will result in a more realistic representation, while a higher level will bring out the more artistic and stylized elements of the chosen style.

Resolution

This keyword refers to the detail and clarity of an image, and is measured in terms of pixels. A higher resolution, such as 4K or 8K, will result in a clearer, more detailed image, while a lower resolution will result in a grainier, less detailed image. You can specify the output resolution with keywords like 8K, 4K, photorealistic, or by using standard settings like HD and quality.

Aspect ratio

This keyword refers to the proportion of an image, and is expressed as the relationship between its width and height. A standard aspect ratio is 16:9, while a custom aspect ratio, such as 3:2 or 4:3, allows for a more unique and specific proportion. You can choose from default square output or select a standard aspect ratio like cinematic or wall-paper.

Applying weights to image and word prompts

You can assign different weights to each image or word prompt to give more importance to one over the other. The syntax is as follows:

/imagine fire dragon –wimg 1 –wword 3

This assigns a weight of 1 to the image prompt and a weight of 3 to the word prompt, making the word prompt have more influence on the final image output.

Image as a prompt

If you want to get some outputs similar to an image style , ( when you want to get consistent outputs ) across multiple images, pass a URL of the image

/imagine [image-name .jpg skyscraper, apples

The image generated will take cues from both the seed image ( from the URL you passed ) and also the text prompts.

You can give multiple images as prompts

You can specify weights to the images ( see the next point )

Weights to Image prompt

If you want your output to be looking more like your prompt image ( see the previous point), give a higher weightage to that image (keyword : --iw <number>) .

/imagine image-name.jpg skyscraper --iw:3

Weights to text prompt

/imagine wild animals tiger::2 zebra::4 lions::1.5

Filtering Out Words

Sometimes, you might want to filter out certain words that you don’t want to be considered in the image generation process. To do this, you can use the following syntax:

/imagine fire dragon –fword “dragon”

This will filter out the word “dragon” and only consider the word “fire” in the generation process.

Summary

By using these advanced options, you can tailor your image outputs to your exact specifications, making your image generation process smoother, faster, and more accurate. Whether you want to experiment with different styles, change the level of abstraction, or modify the resolution, these advanced options will help you get the results you want with Midjourney.

Examples:

  1. “Stylize a cityscape in the art deco style, with a resolution of 4K and an aspect ratio of 16:9.”
  2. “Create an abstract landscape with a chaos level of 75, in ultra photorealistic resolution and a 1:1 aspect ratio.”
  3. “Design a portrait of Frida Kahlo with a stylization level of 50 and a resolution of 8K, with a custom aspect ratio of 3:2.”
  4. “Generate a surrealist still life with a chaos setting of 100, in HD resolution and a 1:1 aspect ratio.”
  5. “Create a photorealistic depiction of a sunset with a stylization level of 10, in 4K resolution and a custom aspect ratio of 4:3.”

Sources

https://ckovalev.com/midjourney-ai/guide/how-to-apply-any-style-to-any-prompt-in-midjourney-ai

A/B Testing Calculator

Use this tool to understand if your A/B test was statistically significant

A = Page 1

B = Page 2





Let me know if you found this useful 🙂

Introducing ‘AIdeus’ The smart Customer Service AI bot keeping your business profitable

Benefits

  • Can be trained to answer every customer query for your business
  • Provides outstanding customer service respectfully
  • Provides refunds to customers who need it
  • Walks customers through the purchase process, password resets etc

This name is a play on the word “AI” and “deus” which means god in latin, suggesting that the bot is an AI-powered god-like assistant that can help customers with any problem they may have.

Everything you need to know about Growth Loops

What are Growth Loops?

Growth loops are a framework that businesses use to drive sustainable growth for their products. The concept of growth loops is rooted in the idea that by creating a self-perpetuating cycle of user acquisition, engagement, and retention, businesses can drive sustainable growth for their products.

A growth loop is a process that starts with acquiring new users and then engaging and retaining them to drive repeat usage and ultimately, revenue growth. The process of acquiring new users, engaging them, and retaining them creates a loop that drives sustainable growth for the product.

Where did the concept come from and what is the AARRR framework

The concept of growth loops originated from the startup community, specifically from the work of Silicon Valley entrepreneur and startup advisor, Dave McClure. He introduced the AARRR framework, also known as the Pirate Metrics, which stands for Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, and Revenue.

The AARRR framework is a way to measure the key metrics of a growth loop, and it is often used in conjunction with the concept of growth loops. Each letter in the acronym represents a different stage in the growth loop:

  • Acquisition: The number of new users acquired.
  • Activation: The number of users who have had a positive experience with the product.
  • Retention: The number of users who continue to use the product over time.
  • Referral: The number of users who refer others to the product.
  • Revenue: The amount of revenue generated by the product.

By tracking these metrics, businesses can gain insight into the effectiveness of their growth loop and identify areas for improvement. The AARRR framework is commonly used by startups and tech companies, but it can be applied to any business looking to drive sustainable growth through a growth loop.

Common problems

There are several reasons why growth loops may not work, some of the common ones include:

  1. Lack of a clear target audience: Without a clear understanding of who your target audience is, it can be difficult to create an effective growth loop strategy.
  2. Inadequate user acquisition: If the user acquisition tactics are not effective, it becomes difficult to get new users into the growth loop.
  3. Insufficient engagement and retention: If the product or service is not engaging or fails to retain users, they will not continue to use the product, breaking the loop.
  4. Limited scalability: Some growth loops may not be scalable, meaning they can only acquire a certain number of users before reaching a limit.
  5. No feedback loop: Without a feedback loop, it can be difficult to measure the effectiveness of the growth loop and identify areas for improvement.
  6. Lack of testing and optimization: Without testing and optimizing the growth loop strategy, it can be difficult to achieve the best results.
  7. No clear revenue model: Without a clear revenue model in place, it can be difficult to monetize the growth loop and generate revenue.
  8. No retention mechanism: A lack of retention mechanisms such as incentives, rewards, or gamification, the growth loop will not be able to retain users and break the loop.
  9. Lack of consistency: Inconsistency in messaging, branding, and user experience can confuse users and make it difficult to retain them.
  10. Failure to adapt to changing market: Without adapting to the changing market trends, a growth loop may become obsolete and not work in the long run.

Creating a Growth Loop Strategy for Your Product

Creating a growth loop strategy for your product involves several steps:

  1. Understand your product: Understand the features and benefits of your product, and how it can solve a problem or meet a need for your target audience.
  2. Define your target audience: Clearly define your target audience, including their demographics, pain points, and habits.
  3. Identify the appropriate growth loop: Identify the growth loop that is most appropriate for your product. This could be viral, paid, or organic.
  4. Define user acquisition channels: Identify the channels through which you will acquire new users. This could include social media, paid advertising, or organic search.
  5. Define engagement and retention mechanisms: Identify the methods you will use to engage and retain users, such as in-app purchases, daily challenges, or loyalty programs.
  6. Set measurable goals: Set measurable goals for each stage of the growth loop, such as user acquisition, engagement, retention, and revenue.
  7. Implement and test: Implement your growth loop strategy, and test it using A/B testing or other methods to measure its effectiveness.
  8. Optimize: Continuously optimize your growth loop strategy by analyzing metrics and making changes based on the results.
  9. Monitor: Monitor the progress of your growth loop and make adjustments as necessary.
  10. Create feedback loop: Create a feedback loop to get user feedback and make adjustments accordingly.

Measurement framework

A good measurement framework to measure the success of growth loops is the AARRR (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, and Revenue) framework, which is also known as the Pirate Metrics. The AARRR framework is designed to measure the key metrics of a growth loop.

  1. Acquisition: The number of new users acquired. This metric measures the effectiveness of user acquisition tactics and channels.
  2. Activation: The number of users who have had a positive experience with the product. This metric measures the effectiveness of the onboarding process and the product’s ability to solve a problem or meet a need.
  3. Retention: The number of users who continue to use the product over time. This metric measures the effectiveness of engagement and retention mechanisms.
  4. Referral: The number of users who refer others to the product. This metric measures the effectiveness of viral and word-of-mouth marketing. Hubspot are notorious for excellent marketing tatics and are know to optimise their share button which encourages the share-ability of their content
  5. Revenue: The amount of revenue generated by the product. This metric measures the overall effectiveness of the growth loop in generating revenue.

By tracking these metrics, businesses can gain insight into the effectiveness of their growth loop and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, it is important to track other metrics such as Cohort Analysis, LTV (lifetime value) and CAC (customer acquisition cost) to understand the overall performance of the growth loop strategy.

Identifying Weak Points in Your Growth Loop

There are several ways to identify weak points in your growth loop:

  1. Monitor key metrics: Track the key metrics of your growth loop, such as user acquisition, engagement, retention, referral, and revenue. By monitoring these metrics, you can identify areas where the growth loop is not performing well.
  2. Conduct user research: Conduct user research to understand the user experience, pain points, and reasons for drop-off. This can provide insight into the weak points of the growth loop.
  3. Use cohort analysis: Cohort analysis is a method of grouping users based on when they first started using the product. By comparing the behavior and retention of different cohorts, you can identify patterns and identify weak points in the growth loop.
  4. Analyze customer feedback: Analyze customer feedback to understand the issues that users are facing and how they perceive the product. This can provide insight into the weak points of the growth loop.
  5. A/B Testing: Conduct A/B testing to experiment with different variations of the product or marketing tactics and identify which ones are working best and which need improvement.
  6. Benchmarking: Compare your growth loop performance with industry benchmarks or competitors. This can give you an idea of how you’re performing compared to others in your market.

The Importance of User Retention in Growth Loops

When users are retained, they continue to use the product, which generates revenue and drives word-of-mouth referrals.

User retention is important for several reasons:

  1. Increases revenue: Retained users generate more revenue over time, as they continue to use the product and may make additional purchases.
  2. Reduces customer acquisition cost: Retaining users reduces the cost of acquiring new customers, as the business does not have to continually spend resources on acquiring new users.
  3. Increases word-of-mouth referrals: Retained users are more likely to recommend the product to others, which can lead to viral growth.
  4. Provides valuable feedback: Retained users can provide valuable feedback on the product, which can be used to improve it and drive further growth.
  5. Improves customer lifetime value: By retaining users, businesses can increase the lifetime value of each customer, as they will continue to generate revenue over a longer period of time.

In order to retain users, businesses must have effective engagement and retention mechanisms in place. These can include in-app purchases, daily challenges, loyalty programs, and other incentives that encourage continued use of the product. Additionally, it is important to have a clear understanding of user’s needs and tailor the product accordingly to meet those needs.

In summary, user retention is a critical component of growth loops, as it drives sustainable growth, reduces customer acquisition cost, increases word-of-mouth referrals, provides valuable feedback and improves customer lifetime value.

Create a feedback loop in a growth loop

Creating a feedback loop in your growth loop strategy is essential for measuring the effectiveness of the strategy, identifying areas for improvement, and driving sustainable growth. Here are some steps to create a feedback loop:

  1. Define the feedback you want to collect: Identify the specific feedback you want to collect, such as user satisfaction, feature requests, or pain points.
  2. Create a feedback mechanism: Create a feedback mechanism that allows users to provide feedback easily, such as in-app feedback forms, surveys, or customer support channels.
  3. Analyze the feedback: Analyze the feedback you have collected, looking for patterns and identifying areas for improvement.
  4. Implement changes: Based on the feedback, implement changes to the product or growth loop strategy to address the identified issues.
  5. Monitor progress: Monitor the progress of the changes and continue to collect feedback to measure the effectiveness of the changes and identify further areas for improvement.
  6. Communicate changes: Communicate the changes and their impact to the team and other stakeholders involved in the growth loop strategy.
  7. Continuously iterate: Continuously iterate and improve the feedback loop based on the feedback and changes made.

By creating a feedback loop, businesses can gain valuable insights into the user experience, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments to the growth loop strategy to drive sustainable growth. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the feedback loop is fast, easy and accessible to the users.

Case Studies: 7 Examples of Successful Growth Loops

  1. Dropbox: Dropbox used a viral growth loop to acquire new users. They implemented a referral program that offered users additional storage space for each new user they referred to the service. This incentivized existing users to invite their friends to join, leading to a rapid increase in users.
  2. Uber: Uber used a combination of viral and paid growth loops to acquire new users. They implemented a referral program that offered users discounts for each new user they referred, which incentivized existing users to invite friends. Additionally, they used paid advertising to acquire new users. This combination of viral and paid growth loops allowed Uber to acquire new users quickly and at a low cost.
  3. Instagram: Instagram used a combination of viral and organic growth loops to acquire new users. They implemented a feature that allowed users to easily share their photos on other social media platforms, which led to a rapid increase in users. Additionally, they used SEO and content marketing to acquire new users through organic search. This combination of viral and organic growth loops allowed Instagram to acquire new users quickly and at a low cost.
  4. TikTok: TikTok used a combination of viral, paid, and organic growth loops to acquire new users. They implemented a feature that allowed users to easily create and share short videos, which quickly went viral. Additionally, they used paid advertising to reach new users and SEO to optimize their app for organic search. This combination of viral, paid and organic growth loops allowed TikTok to acquire new users quickly and at a low cost.
  5. Zoom: Zoom used a viral growth loop to acquire new users. They implemented a referral program that offered users additional meeting minutes for each new user they referred to the service. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 forced many companies and schools to conduct their meetings online, which greatly increased the usage of zoom, this led to a rapid increase in users.
  6. Airbnb: Airbnb used a combination of viral and paid growth loops to acquire new users. They implemented a referral program that offered users discounts for each new user they referred, which incentivized existing users to invite friends. Additionally, they used paid advertising to acquire new users and SEO to optimize their website for organic search. This combination of viral and paid growth loops allowed Airbnb to acquire new users quickly and at a low cost.
  7. Spotify: Spotify used a combination of viral and organic growth loops to acquire new users. They implemented a feature that allowed users to easily share their playlists with friends, which led to a rapid increase in users. Additionally, they used SEO and content marketing to acquire new users through organic search. This combination of viral and organic growth loops allowed Spotify to acquire new users quickly and at a low cost.