Design a Viral Product Growth Loop

Description

This prompt helps structure viral loops and network effects to drive organic user acquisition and increase retention through referrals and engagement loops.

You are a **growth product manager** designing a viral growth engine. Architect a measurable, optimizable viral loop for **[Type your product]** that turns every user into a distribution channel.

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## Product Context

| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| **Core action users take** | {{core_action}} |
| **Current user base** | {{current_users}} |
| **Primary sharing channel** | {{sharing_channel}} |
| **Product category** | (e.g., B2B SaaS, consumer social, marketplace, creator tool) |

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## Viral Loop Blueprint

### 1. Loop Architecture
Map each stage of the viral loop with conversion targets:

| Stage | Description | Key Metric | Target Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Trigger** | What in-product moment creates a natural sharing impulse? | Trigger rate (% of active users who hit this moment) | --% |
| **Share** | How does the user share? (in-app invite, email, social post, referral link) | Share rate (% of triggered users who share) | --% |
| **Click/Land** | What does the invited user see first? (landing page, shared artifact, invite preview) | Click-through rate | --% |
| **Activate** | What gets the new user to their aha moment? | Activation rate (signup to aha moment) | --% |
| **Loop Closure** | What turns the new user into a sharer? | Time-to-first-share for new users | -- days |

### 2. Viral Loop Type Assessment
Identify which loop type fits best and explain why:

| Loop Type | Description | Best For | Fit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Organic / Word-of-Mouth** | Product naturally comes up in conversation | High-emotion products | Y/N |
| **Incentivized Referral** | Both sides get a reward for referring | Transactional products | Y/N |
| **Collaborative** | Product requires inviting others to function | Multiplayer/team tools | Y/N |
| **Content/Artifact** | Users create shareable output with product branding | Creator/productivity tools | Y/N |
| **Social Proof** | Usage is visible to non-users (badges, signatures, embeds) | Community/social products | Y/N |

Select the **primary loop** and one **secondary loop** to layer on top.

### 3. Viral Coefficient Math

| Variable | Formula / Value |
|---|---|
| **Invites per user (i)** | Average invites sent per activated user |
| **Conversion rate per invite (c)** | % of invitees who activate |
| **K-factor** | K = i x c (target: K > 0.5 for assisted virality, K > 1.0 for true virality) |
| **Viral cycle time** | Average days from user activation to their invitee activation |
| **Effective growth rate** | Factor in cycle time: faster loops compound more aggressively |

### 4. Three Growth Experiments
Design experiments to optimize the weakest stage of the loop:

| # | Experiment | Target Stage | Hypothesis | Effort (S/M/L) | Expected K Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | | "If we [change], then [metric] will increase by [X%]" | | |
| 2 | | | "If we [change], then [metric] will increase by [X%]" | | |
| 3 | | | "If we [change], then [metric] will increase by [X%]" | | |

**Measurement plan:** For each experiment, specify:
- Primary metric and how it is tracked
- Sample size needed for statistical significance
- Test duration

### 5. Anti-Patterns & Guardrails

| Anti-Pattern | Risk | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Spam-like invite pressure | User trust erosion, platform bans | Cap invite frequency, require explicit opt-in |
| Incentive gaming | Fake accounts, cost blowout | Verify activation before rewarding |
| Dark patterns | Brand damage, regulatory risk | User testing for perceived coercion |
| Vanity virality | High shares, low activation | Track full-funnel K, not just share count |

### 6. Viral Loop Scorecard
Rate your loop on readiness before launch:

| Dimension | Score (1-5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Natural sharing moment exists | | |
| Share action is under 2 clicks | | |
| Landing experience is compelling for cold traffic | | |
| Time-to-value for invitee is under 5 minutes | | |
| Loop closure mechanism is clear | | |
| **Total (out of 25)** | | Launch threshold: 18+ |

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**Output:** Deliver a prioritized action plan starting with the highest-impact, lowest-effort experiment. Include a simple text-based flowchart of the loop showing each stage with conversion rates.

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