PLG

Product-Led Growth

A go-to-market motion where the product itself drives acquisition, conversion, and expansion: users sign up and get value before talking to anyone, then upgrade as they need more.

When you'd see it: Self-serve SaaS, especially tools individuals adopt and teams expand. Free tiers, free trials, and in-product upgrade prompts are PLG mechanics.

Why it matters: PLG can scale acquisition cheaply because the product does the selling, but only when the product delivers value fast without a guide. It is the opposite end of the spectrum from sales-led.

Common mistakes: Bolting a free tier onto a product that needs a salesperson to explain it. PLG requires the value to be self-evident, not just a free price.