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- Growth Insights #013
Growth Insights #013
Microcopy wins, AI for meetings, and Ahrefs’ growth lessons.
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Without further ado, let’s dive into this year’s first edition!
Tip: Make a lasting impression by adding delightful microcopy to your site
Source: Growth Bites
It's easy to focus all of your copywriting creativity on the high-visibility copy, but sometimes it's the smallest details that have the biggest impact. Create a personal connection with website visitors by adding delight with microcopy.
Microcopywriting refers to the small, low-visibility details of your website and product. With very little time and effort, you can add delight, create a personal connection, and portray your brand's personality. Plus, it shows that you put in a little extra love and care. In short, each little piece of microcopy gives your visitors and users even more reason to get on your side (and stay there). Microcopy comes in all shapes and sizes: An interesting 404 error message, a funny tidbit in a product description, a clever turn of phrase in the fine print of a newsletter. Here are some examples to get your gears turning. So take a look around your site, emails, etc. — what copy can you add to give someone an unexpected smile?
What’s trending?
12 AI note-takers for your meetings in 2025
Brought by Solveo
What’s the first thing we’ll be talking about in 2025? Definitely more AI.
But before that, what’s the first thing we’ll do to kick off the new year? Meetings!
Meetings with ourselves (yes, that counts), meetings with the team, partners, clients—everyone and everything slides back into normal mode. Planning, scheduling, prospecting, cold calling, emailing, creating content, designing, branding, rebranding, launching, coding, training, learning, growing… And for all of that? We need meetings. And lots of them. The easiest way to plan the first quarter! 🙂
Now let’s talk about the hero of every meeting: the notes! Because nothing without them.
Can you listen, talk, and take notes all at once? Maybe you’ll handle it, but not without forgetting something… and suddenly, you’re left piecing together a meeting from memory.
Yup. Taking notes is not easy. And that definitely doesn’t apply to AI!
Ai listens, understands context, highlights key moments, and summarizes everything in a way that makes sense. Plus, it can never lose files or write unreadable scribbles. AI doesn’t forget, and it doesn’t miss a beat.
It really is way easier when you don’t have to choose between being fully present and trying to remember and write down everything. These AI tools can transcribe conversations, summarize key points, and then organize action items for you. Some even go the extra mile to send follow-up emails or integrate with your favorite project management app.
And starting the year with the help of AI feels like we’re already winning it!
We’ve tried a bunch of AI tools for meeting notes over the past year—some great, some meh, some downright life-changing. And in this blog, we’ll share our favorites!
Continue reading… 👇
Ahrefs’ Path to $100M ARR: 8 Lessons We Can’t Stop Talking About
Source: Get Latka
Resilience Built Ahrefs’ Foundation: From Lost Data to $1M
Ahrefs didn’t have a smooth start. Founder Dmytro Gerasimenko lost his entire first link indexing system due to a failed backup. Instead of giving up, he teamed up with Igor Pykovets, using OCaml to rebuild a faster, more robust tool.
By 2011, their paid service launched and hit $1M in revenue within a year, outpacing competitors like Majestic and Moz.
Lesson: Setbacks aren’t roadblocks—they’re launchpads for building something better and stronger.
Bootstrapping: $300K to Freedom
Dmytro bootstrapped Ahrefs with $300K of his own money, rejecting countless offers from investors. His priority? Keep full control and stay focused on product development. That meant reinvesting profits into core improvements, server infrastructure, and hiring freelancers strategically, all while growing organically through community engagement.
Lesson: Bootstrapping lets you stay true to your vision while building a lean, scalable business.
Product Over Everything
Ahrefs' philosophy was simple: build the best product, and growth will follow. Dmytro’s goal wasn’t just profit but solving real SEO challenges. User feedback poured in from LinkedIn, sales, and support, while a voting system helped prioritize features. Still, the best ideas often came from within the team.
Their boldest move? Building their own data centers, saving $400M while outperforming competitors on data quality and reliability. This focus on product excellence landed clients like Netflix and Uber—all without a single salesperson.
Lesson: Prioritizing product quality and strategic innovation leads to loyal users and unstoppable growth.
Educate, Don’t Sell
Ahrefs nailed the art of product-led content. Their blog, YouTube tutorials, and public roadmap taught users how to solve SEO problems with Ahrefs tools—without a hard sell. They used a problem-solution approach to naturally integrate their product into their educational content.
Lesson: Show your product in action by solving real-world problems. Education builds trust and converts customers.
Organic Growth Wins
Rather than pouring money into ads, Ahrefs leaned on SEO and content marketing. Their blog became a go-to resource, consistently updated and tailored to specific industries. This, combined with word-of-mouth referrals, fueled sustainable growth.
Lesson: High-quality content and happy users are the best marketing strategy.
Listen to Your Customers (No, Really Listen)
Ahrefs actively sought user feedback through surveys, social media interactions, and even direct conversations. They took things further with a public roadmap where users could vote on features they wanted.
Why It Works: When customers feel heard, they stick around. Plus, their feedback helps you refine your product in ways that truly matter. Open communication builds trust and drives loyalty.
Growth Without Tracking Metrics
Ahrefs skipped the usual playbook of conversion tracking, A/B testing, and even Google Analytics. They axed their affiliate program and free trial to focus on building a loyal, paying user base. Tim Soulo, CMO, showed that a clear understanding of customer needs and a no-frills marketing approach could still drive massive growth—$100M ARR and counting.
Lesson: Sometimes, simplicity wins. Trust your strategy and let quality drive organic growth.
The Right Hire at the Right Time
Ahrefs hit $7M ARR before bringing on their first marketer in 2015—Tim Soulo. Tim prioritized brand trust and fostering community over chasing leads, aligning perfectly with Ahrefs’ product-first philosophy. His approach amplified their growth without the need for a traditional sales funnel.
Takeaway: A strategic hire who shares your vision can propel your business further than a quick fix ever could.
Thank you for reading! ✌️
We look forward to sharing more with you next week. Stay tuned!
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