growth hacking
compound.compound. a way of growing a business very quickly by using creative, low-cost marketing tricks and data. It is often used by new tech companies that do not have much money for traditional ads.
compound. a process of rapid experimentation across marketing channels and product development to identify the most efficient ways to grow a business. Typically associated with early-stage startups seeking massive user acquisition on a limited budget.
The startup used growth hacking to get a million users in one month.
By offering extra storage space to users who invited their friends, the company used growth hacking to expand its user base without paying for ads.
While traditional marketing focuses on brand awareness and long-term positioning, growth hacking prioritizes scalable, data-driven tactics that produce immediate and measurable increases in conversion rates.
The term was coined in 2010 by Sean Ellis. It is a compound formed from the noun growth and the present participle of the verb hack, used here in the sense of an unconventional shortcut.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often functions as a compound noun; can also be used as a verb ('to growth hack').
Last updated July 22, 2026