I dislike using the phrase “growth hacking" to describe the work required to fine-tune marketing campaigns and systems. In truth, successful marketers iterate constantly, measuring and testing their efforts to minimize waste and maximize ROI.

Finding new ways to get people into a sales funnel isn’t like using a pair of sunglasses for a phone kickstand or reusing an old ketchup bottle to make splatter-free pancakes. In reality, growth hacking consists of testing new ideas on an ongoing basis.

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"If each test can result in a 1% improvement, you’re well on your way to 100% improvement after running 100 tests," writes Jonathan Martinez, a self-described "marketing nerd" who has driven growth at Uber, Postmates and Chime.

The best way to find marketing hacks is by using "stringent experimentation frameworks to run countless A/B tests," he advises. This article includes a RICE (reach, impact, confidence and effort) scoring spreadsheet, along with his thoughts on acquisition and activation growth hacking.

"It’s important to remember there’s no such thing as hacking growth. Instead, you should be thinking about how you can run 100 tests to move the needle forward."

Thanks very much for reading, Walter Thompson Editorial Manager, TechCrunch+ @yourprotagonist

Growth hacking is really just growth testing

Every founder should understand the sector they intend to compete in, but calculating Total Addressable Market (TAM) is a daunting process, especially for first-timers.

In reality, TAM is just a planning tool that gives potential investors a better understanding of a company's upside potential.

Next week at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, I'll host a discussion with three investors to find out how they think about TAM and what they're looking for during a pitch:

Kara Nortman, managing partner, Upfront Ventures

Aydin Senkut, founder and managing partner, Felicis Ventures

Deena Shakir, partner, Lux Capital

I'll ask them to share tactics and strategies for finding TAM, how to calculate it for new products and services, and to disclose some of the the red flags they see most often from novice entrepreneurs.

Make sure to bring warm layers if you're visiting SF for Disrupt — and if you can't make it, I hope you’ll join us online.

Image Credits: Talaj (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

No one thinking rationally would leave a briefcase of cash behind in a restaurant, but entrepreneurs who don't protect IP derived from their AI innovations are being just as careless.

"Disclosure of technology, whether planned at a conference or a partner meeting, or unplanned and incidental, may cause a forfeiture of patent rights," warn Eric L. Sophir and Matthew Horton, both IP lawyers at Foley & Lardner LLP.

In this highly detailed explainer, the duo use plain language to help readers understand which types of innovation are patentable and why "conventional contractual agreements may be obsolete."

5 key IP considerations for AI startups

Image Credits: NicoElNino / Getty Images

The growth rate for robotic process automation (RPA) startups has ebbed since the onset of the downturn. As evidence, consider Automation Anywhere, which recently closed a $200 million loan instead of raising a new funding round.

"RPA vendors’ sales teams tout the many benefits of RPA, like freeing up staff to do more meaningful tasks and refreshing legacy IT infrastructure," writes Kyle Wiggers.

"But what they don’t mention is that implementing an RPA solution often proves challenging."

Is the RPA market in trouble?

Image Credits: Kinsei-TGS / Getty Images

When spinning up an initiative to connect startups that use its software with VC funding, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince "initially hoped for $100 million to $250 million in commitments, just to have something substantial to announce," reported Rebecca Szkutak.

Last week, Cloudflare unveiled a $1.25 billion funding program that will incentivize companies to build on its serverless computing platform (and eat into AWS’ market share).

"Companies entering this program, regardless of whether they get pitched to VCs, do get multiple software features for a year for free," which could be a real boon for some bootstrapped companies.

Could corporates be good matchmakers for startups and VCs?

Lyft, Inc (NASDAQ: LYFT) trialed an earnings algorithm allowing drivers in 18 U.S. cities to see destination and pay details before accepting a request. With upfront pay, drivers can now see ride information and what they'll earn before accepting a ride. Drivers will have access to trip details, including the pickup and drop-off locations, estimated time and distance to complete the ride, and a map view of the entire ride and the fare. The test follows a similar move by bigger rival Uber Technol

Autonomous security robots developer Knightscope Inc (NASDAQ: KSCP) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CASE Emergency Systems (CASE). CASE is a provider of communications and safety technologies. The acquisition is expected to provide Knightscope with a strategic entry into a nationwide market and boost its revenues while increasing its impact on the safety of communities nationwide. It also provides a push to Knightscope’s physical presence with over 7,000 devices currently deployed a

A former Credit Suisse banker, who was convicted and sentenced to prison in Romania for a decade for alleged espionage in 2013, is hoping to revive an $86 million London claim against the Swiss bank for lost earnings. Vadim Benyatov, a former head of European emerging markets focused on energy sector privatisations, is urging the Court of Appeal to overturn a lower court decision to dismiss his case, in which he alleges the Swiss bank owes him a duty of care and that his employment contract implied a considerable indemnity. A lawyer for Benyatov told the Court of Appeal on Tuesday that his client, who was made redundant in 2015 and has been unable to find suitable work since then, had been convicted for doing his job.

For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to...

Back in 2020 I covered how the U.K. startup YardLink -- which allows construction companies to obtain critical equipment faster than normal equipment rental companies -- had raised its seed round. It was basically bringing a digital-first, marketplace approach to an industry normally hide-bound by a slow, centralized hire market. Two years later, and YardLink is back with a $17.5 million Series A funding round led by Beringea, with participation from Amplifier and existing investors Speedinvest and FJ Labs.

The megadevelopment is paying senior executives roughly $1.1 million a year, according to an internal document, showing how the kingdom is using large pay packages to entice global talent to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s national transformation plan.

Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh reiterated a Buy on Rivian Automotive, Inc (NASDAQ: RIVN) with a $65 price target. After speaking with management, Rakesh says Rivian Automotive's recall of its ~13,000 R1 units, or less than 1% of its vehicles, is relatively minor, and its manufacturing lines have already been updated. Usually, customers can drive through service centers or use "Pop-Up" maintenance areas. He believes that the ~25K production target is still on track. He views the pullback as overdone

Before you decide to retire, consider the pros and cons of quitting work at different ages to make sure you have the financial resources you'll need.

Two top 401(k) companies - Fidelity Investments and Vanguard - have teamed up with two information technology and services companies - Alight Solutions and Retirement Clearinghouse - to create an auto portability network. If auto-portability gets adopted nationwide, these companies say that … Continue reading → The post Vanguard, Fidelity Will Join a 401(k) Auto-Portability Network to Rescue $1.5 Trillion in Retirement Savings appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

The North Carolina-based solar panel firm embroiled in a dispute with Generac Power Systems ceased operations and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, listing Generac as its largest unsecured creditor at $17.7 million.

Creating reliable streams of retirement income is one of the most important elements of a person's financial plan. A retirement industry giant says it now has a new way for retirees to meet this vital challenge. Fidelity Investments plans to … Continue reading → The post There's a New Way to Convert Your 401(k) into a Pension-like Stream of Income appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in an industry challenge to the constitutionality of a California animal welfare law in a case that could undermine the power of states to regulate a range of issues within their own borders. The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation are appealing a lower court's decision to throw out their lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 2018 ballot initiative passed by voters barring sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet minimum space requirements. The pork industry has defended the size of the cages used at pig farms as humane and necessary for animal safety.

General Electric Co. (GE) on Tuesday said it is filing a registration statement for the planned spin-off of its healthcare unit, part of the industrial giant’s effort to split into three separate public companies. Larry Culp, in a statement, said the move would give the segment, GE HealthCare, “greater focus and flexibility to serve its customers and invest in growth, and this filing is an important step on that journey.” The new, standalone segment will offer products such as X-ray and other imaging technology, ultrasound devices, diagnostic tools and other products for patient monitoring.

Declining sales of personal computers have slammed shares of PC makers and chip suppliers. Now Microsoft stock is in the crosshairs.

Alphabet , through its subsidiary Google, has just offered the crypto industry a dream support for the young industry which has redoubled its efforts in recent months to push for its adoption by the masses. Google now accepts cryptocurrency payments for its cloud computing services. Google Cloud will allow companies, developers of web3 projects to pay with a basket of digital currencies offered by Coinbase via its Coinbase Commerce service.

People aim to keep working longer, but life's unforeseen circumstances mean it's important to have enough savings just in case.

The U.S. Labor Department's proposal will require workers to be considered a company's employees - who are entitled to more benefits and legal protections than contractors - when they are "economically dependent" on the company. "Changing workers' classification is likely to cost companies more, and right now they'll find it hard to pass those additional costs onto their customers who are already thinking hard about their daily spend," AJ Bell financial analyst Danni Hewson said.

Autos correspondent Pras Subramanian outlines Tesla's EV production figures from its factory in China, Rivian's recall, and analyst outlooks on Ford and General Motors amid inflation and supply chain concerns.

Saving for retirement is perhaps the most major financial goal every American has. But once you retire, you'll need an adequate income to replace what you were making pre-retirement. As you might imagine, this number will vary from person to … Continue reading → The post What Is a Good Retirement Income? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

It's always hard to make your retirement savings last as long as you need it to - but it becomes even harder when you're retiring during a market downturn, as Americans retiring right now are experiencing. A market downturn means … Continue reading → The post How to Retire During a Market Downturn: It's All About Withdrawing This Way appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.