?? How to Get Your First Million Users?

Growth is the ultimate measure of your company's success, but having a great product isn't enough—you must also know how to scale it. While the focus often lies on problem-solving and coding, the real challenge begins when you're ready to expand but unsure how to do so rapidly and organically. I've honed a highly effective growth algorithm that can be universally applied, using advertising as a catalyst rather than the cornerstone.

Here are the results I'm proud to share??:

? 19,000,000 app installations across projects.

? Collaborated with 300+ creators, including world's 5 biggest YouTubers.

? Partnered with Apple, Google, Red Bull, USAID, and many more.

? Published over 400 articles, including in outlets like Forbes and Deutsche Welle.

? $700,000 was raised towards assisting Ukrainian defenders, children, and their families.

"One of the biggest misconceptions for startups is that investors' money alone can solve their rapid scaling challenges, but this illusion quickly fades in practice."

?? Why Money Alone Won’t Cut It?

Every day, about 5,000 new apps hit the App Store and Google Play, but most never make a mark—lost amidst stiff competition, subpar products, or poor marketing strategies. With human attention spans now only a few seconds and the complexity of information overload, advertising costs have skyrocketed, yet often prove less effective. The average cost to acquire a user in the US and EU hovers around $35—making budget management crucial. As soon as ad spending stops, user installs plummet??????. This creates a classic chicken-and-egg problem: without a significant user base, it's challenging to attract investment and optimize profits. So, the pivotal question remains: how can you grow without spending millions?

?? Where Do We Go from Here?

Timely and strategic actions are key. Focus on building strategic and meaningful relationships with businesses, creators, and media. The right partners and strategies can yield impressive results both short-term and long-term, often with minimal cost, making advertising budgets supplementary rather than central to growth.

"Your product idea already holds immense value for business and creators, but unlocking its potential requires several essential steps."

Here's an overview of the highly effective method I've refined over the years, consistently delivering outstanding results:"

?? Step 1. Develop a Converging Story

Every project should center around a powerful, clear idea. Large companies often adapt their marketing to trends but are bound by corporate history and rules. Startups, however, can freely create their own narratives across any niche. Craft a compelling story that emphasizes the "WHY" behind your actions, resonating with partners, creators, media, and users. This story should assign roles and share glory, evoking an emotional response, whether the idea is global or local.

Case study - social network: We adopted a globally resonant concept where users control their own data monetization, turning every minute into digital currency. This modern approach stood in stark contrast to outdated financial models, emphasizing personal value creation. The clear and compelling strategy drew hundreds of bloggers without any advertising spend. Creators supported a stylish and innovative project that positioned them as pioneers to their audience and offered a potential major monetization source.

?? Step 2. Initiate Business Cooperation

Businesses already possess an audience, products, or funds, but they also consistently set and pursue objectives—more sales, greater brand recognition, and social projects. That's precisely why an existing business is a powerful growth mechanism and your potential partner. Once you can formulate an offer that aligns with a company's goals, you can sign a contract with any company in the world. Think about how the media would write about your collaboration. It could be a socially significant project, could illuminate the role of technology in life, or simply be something extraordinary. A good story implies a significant and interesting goal.

Case Study - cooperation with Apple: During the launch of our social network, we discovered that our largest audience segment consisted of the least financially capable group—teenagers and students, who generally do not have bank cards. However, this apparent weakness turned into a strength when I proposed a partnership with Apple—to sell Apple Music to our audience using the internal currency of our app. What was the benefit? Our project received products valued at over $1.5 million for our audience at no cost, and Apple gained hundreds of thousands of new users during a fiercely competitive market period. Win-win.

?? Step 3. Turn Creators into Ambassadors

Content creators are crucial for scaling your project, each seeking growth in revenue, followers, or reputation. Seek influencers who value a partnership beyond mere advertising. A genuine, relevant collaboration is more effective than high-cost engagements with minimal connection to your product. A compelling story and beneficial collaboration can often secure deals at minimal or no cost. After enlisting your initial few creators, others will follow more easily once they see established trust. Clarify your pitch: What's expected, when, and the compensation or exchange offered.

Case study - Charity Art Project: The War Fragments Museum received support from both entrepreneurs and U.S. government entities, enabling the involvement of 50 bloggers who each created unique content, collectively reaching over 20 million subscribers. Charity sales of war artifacts raised $700,000, 100% of which went towards aiding Ukrainian defenders and their families.

?? Step 4. Engage the Press

Securing the right partners and creators can naturally attract media attention, opening doors to significant opportunities. While articles might not directly drive much traffic, they build trust. For new projects, breaking the ice is challenging, but a published article can allow you to bypass introductions and delve directly into the substance. Consistently prepare materials for the media and systematically send them out to build relationships. To get dozens of articles, you may need to contact 300-400 publications. Remember, your story must be relevant to the publication’s audience, and each publication seeks an exclusive or to highlight a unique aspect.

Case Study - Charity Project: A small team of just a few individuals established excellent global media relations for the previously mentioned charity art project, The War Fragments Museum. We secured over 200 media articles and engaged 30 million people worldwide with our total campaign efforts.

?? Step 5. Implement Viral Features

Give users the opportunity to enjoy or benefit from spreading your product online and among friends—encourage them. People love to join cool projects, which plays into the social proof effect. Options like gamification, referral programs, loot boxes, and more are numerous; you'll surely find one that fits your needs. Ensure your product can be easily explained to your closest friends. Arm influencers with promo codes and other tools to share with their followers.

Case Study - Web3 Game Project (under NDA): Implementing a referral reward system where users could win prizes for inviting friends to a Web3 game went viral, generating 800,000 users in one month with a prize pool of less than $10,000.

?? Step 6. Now it's Time for Some Ads!

The best use of your advertising budget is to scale the content created by your YouTubers and business partners. This strategy allows you to engage creators for free. In return, you offer them the opportunity to have their work promoted online and become part of a cool and significant idea (see Step 1). Running ads when you launch viral content acts like fuel for your fire—it powers up the HYPE TRAIN, which is highly beneficial! In this scenario, many influencers will join your product simply to not miss out on the trend. Coordinate your partners' campaigns with your own to maximize the hype.

Case study - Mobile Theatre: I reached out to micro-influencers on TikTok who created a large number of short videos that immediately capture the viewer's attention. The conversion rate into installs and quality of the videos were incredibly high with very little budget.

?? Step 7. Refine Your Strategy Regularly

Persistence is crucial. Success requires long-term effort and careful planning. Missteps can cause setbacks, so organize your campaign to span 3-6 months, starting preparations 2-6 months ahead. Early negotiations are typically slow, facing trust barriers. Initial skepticism is common; counter it by consistently enhancing your approach. Continuous persistence will eventually secure trust from businesses and influencers, laying the groundwork for a successful campaign.

"Set ambitious goals — aim for ten times what you initially think necessary. If you achieve them, the results will be extraordinary. Even if you don't fully succeed, you'll still make significant progress."

??Ready to start? Remember—create connections that matter. Don't waste your time on people and companies who don't share your values. Don’t just push products. Build sustainable relationships!

PS. Check out ?? for an upcoming marketing and B2B guide for startups!