How Growth Models Evolved
Growth models don't replace each other. They emerge when previous bottlenecks stop working.
The Five Growth Models
Sales-Led Growth
How do we sell this?
Message is clear
Speed & scalability
Product-Led Growth
How do users adopt this?
Value is obvious
Message discovery at scale
Marketing-Led Growth
How do we tell the story?
Messaging works
Learning resets per campaign
Performance-Led Growth
How do we scale efficiently?
Right message exists
Creative fatigue & message clarity
Creative-Led Growth
What message actually works?
Message is discovered
The Shared Blind Spot
All models assume the message is already known.
They optimize distribution, not discovery.
Why CLG Had to Exist
Creation became commoditized
AI made output infinite. Clarity stayed scarce.
Platforms optimized for speed
Freshness + relevance > spend. Slow cycles lose.
Buyers stopped trusting hype
Logic, proof, resonance win. Not volume.
The hardest problem is no longer distribution. It's message discovery.
Where CLG Sits
CLG is the decision layer. Marketing packages it. Performance distributes it.
Creative-Led Growth
Decision — What belief to test
Marketing-Led Growth
Narrative — Campaigns & launches
Performance-Led Growth
Distribution — Spend & optimization
CLG decides what to say. MLG packages it. Performance distributes it.
Other models optimize around a message.
CLG discovers and validates the message.
CLG sits above other growth models as the 'Decision' layer. While others assume the message is known, CLG exists to discover and validate it.
What do all traditional growth models (SLG, PLG, MLG, Performance) have in common?