Sean Ellis

Sean Ellis

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Forgiven sinner. Work in progress. Husband. Father. Chemistry teacher. Geek. Coercive grant hater.

Find Growth Alpha by Spotting AI’s Bad Advice
SocialFeb 10, 2026

Find Growth Alpha by Spotting AI’s Bad Advice

I’ve found a new favorite way to use LLMs: Checking for bad advice. Whenever I'm riffing on growth with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and I strongly disagree with a premise, I know I’ve struck gold on both content and execution....

By Sean Ellis
Planning Your First Sales Hire? You Don't Need a Performer. You Need a Producer.
BlogFeb 4, 2026

Planning Your First Sales Hire? You Don't Need a Performer. You Need a Producer.

In this episode, Garrett Brown explains why early-stage startups should hire a Sales Producer—not a traditional Sales Performer—for their first sales hire. He defines the Producer role as the person who invents the sales playbook, identifies target customers, sets pricing,...

By Sean Ellis
In Early-Scale Growth, the Dominant Cost Is Not CAC. It’s Time.
BlogJan 28, 2026

In Early-Scale Growth, the Dominant Cost Is Not CAC. It’s Time.

The episode argues that for early‑scale startups with clear product‑market fit and ample runway, the biggest cost isn’t customer‑acquisition spend but the time lost to slow learning. It explains why obsessing over CAC too early can double burn by extending...

By Sean Ellis
AI Tools Like Gamma Expand Markets, Not Just Replace Incumbents
SocialDec 8, 2025

AI Tools Like Gamma Expand Markets, Not Just Replace Incumbents

Great AI solutions do not just replace incumbents. They massively expand the market. Gamma is a great example of this. They remove so much friction from creating an effective presentation that I am now using its preso format to communicate...

By Sean Ellis
The Most Powerful Growth Engine in AI: Freemium Fueled Word of Mouth
BlogDec 4, 2025

The Most Powerful Growth Engine in AI: Freemium Fueled Word of Mouth

Sean Ellis explains that AI product growth hinges on a freemium model that creates an instant "wow" moment, enabling frictionless first use and sparking word‑of‑mouth referrals. He argues AI lacks latent demand, so viral adoption depends on users experiencing powerful...

By Sean Ellis
The First 30 Seconds Matter More Than You Think
BlogNov 26, 2025

The First 30 Seconds Matter More Than You Think

The episode explores how the first 30 seconds of a product experience can determine its success, illustrated by the host’s journey from a frustrating start with Beautiful.ai to the instant wow factor of Gamma. It highlights Gamma co‑founder Grant Lee’s...

By Sean Ellis
Hidden Price Hikes Push Customers to Switch via AI
SocialNov 25, 2025

Hidden Price Hikes Push Customers to Switch via AI

Quick heads-up for anyone using LegalZoom as a registered agent. My annual fee quietly jumped from $299 to $499 this year without any notice. That is already two to three times the cost of other reputable providers. With a quick...

By Sean Ellis