Decisions, Money & Entrepreneurship
Growth, Channels, And Sustainability
This lesson helps students think about growth in a realistic way. They look at growth loops, channels, and what keeps growth sustainable, then build a Growth And Sustainability Plan.
What you will learn
- Understand the difference between growth that comes from one time pushes and growth that comes from self reinforcing loops, and why loops are the foundation of sustainable businesses.
- Learn the four main growth channels available to small businesses and how to pick the one that fits a specific business best.
- Understand the three conditions a business has to meet to be sustainable (working unit economics, repeatable channel, no fatal dependencies) and be able to diagnose which one is missing when a business is in trouble.
- Combine the loop, the channel, and the sustainability check into a one page Growth And Sustainability Plan for a real small business.
What happens in this lesson
Chapter 1: Growth Is A Loop
Understand the difference between growth that comes from one time pushes and growth that comes from self reinforcing loops, and why loops are the foundation of sustainable businesses.
What you make: A saved loop note sketching at least one growth loop that could work for a familiar small business, showing how each new happy customer helps bring in the next one.
Chapter 2: Growth Channels
Learn the four main growth channels available to small businesses and how to pick the one that fits a specific business best.
What you make: A saved channel note naming the primary growth channel a familiar small business should focus on and why.
Chapter 3: Sustainability
Understand the three conditions a business has to meet to be sustainable (working unit economics, repeatable channel, no fatal dependencies) and be able to diagnose which one is missing when a business is in trouble.
What you make: A saved sustainability check listing which of the three conditions a familiar small business meets and where the biggest risk is.
Chapter 4: Growth And Sustainability Plan
Combine the loop, the channel, and the sustainability check into a one page Growth And Sustainability Plan for a real small business.
What you make: A saved one page Growth And Sustainability Plan showing the growth loop, the primary channel, the sustainability conditions, and the biggest risk.
Chapter 5: Choose The Right Growth Strategy
Evaluate competing growth options for a small business, then justify a strategy that balances loop strength, channel fit, and sustainability risk.
What you make: A saved growth strategy memo that recommends one primary growth move, explains the tradeoff it solves, and names the risk it creates.
Key terms in this lesson
Brand
What people say about your business when you are not in the room. The trust earned over time, not the logo.
Marketing
The work of helping the right people understand that something exists and is worth their attention.
Network Effects
When a product gets more useful as more people use it.
Scalability
How easily a business can grow without its costs and complexity growing at the same rate.
Ready to learn more?
Join to access the full lesson and track progress.