Product-Led Growth (PLG)

Patterns for building products where the product itself drives acquisition, conversion, and expansion. PLG flips the traditional funnel: users experience value BEFORE you ask for anything. These patterns help teams design self-serve experiences that compound growth without scaling sales headcount.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Designing user onboarding or activation flows
• Building freemium or free trial experiences
• Creating self-serve upgrade paths
• Adding viral or referral mechanics
• Optimizing conversion funnels
• Defining product-qualified leads (PQLs)
• Setting up retention and engagement loops

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Activation	CRITICAL	activation-
2	Onboarding	HIGH	onboarding-
3	Conversion	HIGH	conversion-
4	Virality	MEDIUM	virality-
5	Expansion	MEDIUM	expansion-
6	Retention	MEDIUM	retention-

Quick Reference

1. Activation (CRITICAL)

• activation-aha-moment - Identify and optimize the single moment users first experience core value
• activation-time-to-value - Minimize steps between signup and value; measure in minutes, not days
• activation-remove-friction - Defer everything that doesn't lead directly to the aha moment

2. Onboarding (HIGH)

• onboarding-progressive-value - Each step must deliver immediate value, not just collect data
• onboarding-skip-everything-skippable - Only require what's essential; make the rest optional
• onboarding-teach-by-doing - Guide users through real actions, not feature tours

3. Conversion (HIGH)

• conversion-pql-over-mql - Trigger upgrades from usage signals, not form fills
• conversion-self-serve-upgrade - Users upgrade themselves at moment of realized need
• conversion-in-context-prompts - Show upgrade CTAs where users hit limits, not random banners

4. Virality (MEDIUM)

• virality-inherent-sharing - Build sharing into the core product action
• virality-incentivize-after-activation - Only ask for referrals after users love the product
• virality-both-sides-win - Reward both referrer and referee equally

5. Expansion (MEDIUM)

• expansion-usage-based-pricing - Revenue grows as user value grows
• expansion-proactive-tier-suggestions - Surface upgrades before users hit hard limits
• expansion-seat-based-growth - Make adding team members frictionless

6. Retention (MEDIUM)

• retention-habit-loops - Design cue → routine → reward cycles that create cravings
• retention-variable-rewards - Vary the reward to maintain engagement
• retention-notification-value - Every notification must deliver value, not just ask for attention

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

rules/activation-aha-moment.md
rules/conversion-self-serve-upgrade.md

Each rule file contains:

• Brief explanation of why it matters
• Anti-patterns to avoid
• Correct implementation pattern
• Code examples where applicable

Full Compiled Document

For the complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md