Product-led growth · A plain guide
PLG: product-led growth for experts who sell a program
PLG stands for product-led growth. It means your product does the selling. People try it, get a result and choose to pay, often before they talk to anyone. For an expert with a program, it means your method lives in software that can win clients when you are not in the room.
What is product-led growth?
The term was coined in 2016 by Blake Bartlett at the venture firm OpenView. OpenView describes it as a growth strategy where the product itself is the main driver of winning, keeping and growing customers.
Try before you buy
People use the product first. A free plan or a free trial lets them see the value for themselves.
The product shows its worth
A good first session does the job a sales call used to do.
Users bring users
People share what they make or invite others in. Growth builds on itself.
Sales still has a place
Bigger deals still need a person. The product just warms them up first.
Why PLG suits experts who sell a program
Most PLG advice is written for software start-ups. Here's the bit nobody says: an expert with a proven program has a head start. You already know the result people want and the steps that get them there.
Your program is the product plan
The steps you teach are the features. The wins your clients get are the proof.
A taste sells the rest
Give people the first step of your method in software. Those who get a win want the full program.
Your hours stop being the cap
The product can serve people you could never fit on a call.
★ The five guides
Product-led growth, one piece at a time
Read them in order, or jump to the one you need.
Product-market fit
How to know people want it before you build more.
Read the product-market fit guide →The freemium model
What to give away, what to charge for, and when free is a bad idea.
Read the freemium guide →Growth loops
How each user can bring the next one, including viral loops.
Read the growth loops guide →Onboarding and time to value
How fast a new user gets a first win, and how to make it faster.
Read the onboarding guide →SaaS metrics
The few numbers that tell you if it's working.
Read the SaaS metrics guide →AI-led growth
The next step on: growth from AI built into your product.
Read the AI-led growth guide →How an expert starts with PLG
- 01
Pick the first win
Find the one result a new client can get from your method in a single sitting.
- 02
Put that win in software
Build a small first version that gets people to that result without you.
- 03
Let people try it
A free trial or a free first step. Watch who gets the win and who stalls.
- 04
Offer the full program
The people who got a win are your warmest buyers. Show them what's next.
Your next step
The Software Plan Workshop
We turn your program into a software plan, starting with that first win.
- A written software plan
- A clickable prototype you can show people
- The first-version scope, ready to quote
- The $5,000 comes off the price of a build
- Price
- $5,000
- If you build with us
- Credited to the build
Fixed price. You know what to build and what it costs before you spend on a build.
★ Read more
From program to product
Should you build a platform for your program?
An honest look at when it makes sense and when it doesn't.
Read more →From course to platform
How a course becomes a product people use every week.
Read more →Recurring revenue from your expertise
How to turn what you know into income that repeats.
Read more →How to productise a service
Turn a custom service into something you can sell again and again.
Read more →Questions, answered
What does PLG stand for?
PLG stands for product-led growth. It's a way to grow where the product does most of the selling. People try it, see the value and decide to pay.
What is product-led growth in simple terms?
The product is the salesperson. OpenView, the firm that coined the term in 2016, describes it as a strategy where the product itself is the main driver of winning, keeping and growing customers.
How is product-led growth different from sales-led growth?
In sales-led growth, a person sells first and the buyer uses the product after they pay. In product-led growth, the buyer uses the product first and pays once they see it work.
Can a coach or consultant use PLG?
Yes. Put the first step of your method into software and let people try it. The ones who get a win become your warmest leads for the full program.
Do I need a free plan for product-led growth?
No. A free plan is one way. A free trial, a free first step or a low-cost starter can work too. What matters is that people feel the value before the big ask. Our freemium guide covers the trade-offs.
What do I need before I try PLG?
A method that already works with paying clients, and a clear first win you can deliver in software. If you don't have those yet, start with our product-market fit guide.
How do I get started?
The Software Plan Workshop is $5,000, credited to a build. You leave with a written software plan, a clickable prototype and a first-version scope that is ready to quote.