Who should I follow to learn about Growth Marketing?

If you want to learn **growth marketing seriously** (not just “10 hacks that worked once”), follow people who teach **experimentation, customer research, retention, funnels, and scalable systems**. A strong starter list: [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## The foundational thinkers - Sean Ellis - Start here. He coined the term “growth hacking,” worked on early growth at companies like Dropbox and Eventbrite, and focuses on experimentation-driven growth. His book Hacking Growth is a classic introduction. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Brian Balfour - One of the best people to follow for building a **growth system** rather than isolated campaigns. His writing on growth loops, retention, and experimentation is especially useful. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Andrew Chen - Excellent for understanding network effects, marketplaces, user acquisition, and why some products scale while others stall. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Morgan Brown - Great for practical growth frameworks and connecting marketing with product-led growth. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## For product-led growth and startups - Lenny Rachitsky - Strong interviews and frameworks around product growth, user acquisition, and retention. [Top 10 Growth Marketers to Follow in 2025 - TechBullion](https://techbullion.com/top-10-growth-marketers-to-follow-in-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Casey Winters - Follow for marketplace growth, SEO at scale, and how companies move from early traction to large-scale growth. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Reforge - Not a person, but one of the highest-signal places to learn modern growth strategy from practitioners. [12 Growth Experts to Follow | Steve Johnson](https://amazonmike.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/12-growth-experts-to-follow/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## For content, positioning, and customer understanding - Katelyn Bourgoin - Great for learning customer psychology, messaging, and how to identify what customers actually care about. [9 Growth marketers to follow in 2026 and what they | Soar Agency](https://www.soar.sh/blog/growth-marketers-to-follow-and-what-they-do?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Ann Handley - Strong for content strategy, storytelling, and building audience trust. [The Top Growth Marketing Experts of 2026 – First Page Sage](https://firstpagesage.com/seo-blog/the-top-growth-marketing-experts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## If you work in B2B SaaS - Kieran Flanagan - Good for modern go-to-market, AI-era marketing, and B2B growth systems. [Who are the best growth marketers to follow on LinkedIn right now?](https://www.reddit.com/r/growthmarketing/comments/1sm4tyi/who_are_the_best_growth_marketers_to_follow_on/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - April Dunford - Not strictly a growth marketer, but positioning is a major growth lever; her work is highly relevant for SaaS and startups. ## A simple learning path 1. **Learn the fundamentals** - Sean Ellis → growth experiments - Brian Balfour → growth models and retention - Andrew Chen → scaling and network effects 2. **Learn execution** - Lenny Rachitsky → product growth - Casey Winters → scaling playbooks - Katelyn Bourgoin → customer research 3. **Practice** - Pick a product you know. - Map its funnel: acquisition → activation → retention → referral → revenue. - Create 10 hypotheses. - Run small experiments and measure results. A good rule: spend more time with people who publish **case studies, experiments, and frameworks** than people who only publish “growth tips.” [Who are the best growth marketers to follow on LinkedIn right now?](https://www.reddit.com/r/growthmarketing/comments/1sm4tyi/who_are_the_best_growth_marketers_to_follow_on/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

**If you want to learn Growth Marketing, follow practitioners who share real frameworks, experiments, and case studies. The most influential voices today include Sean Ellis, Morgan Brown, Andrew Chen, Brian Balfour, Chase Dimond, Asia Orangio, and Hila Qu.** ## 📌 Key Growth Marketing Experts to Follow Expert| Best Known For| Where to Follow| Why They Matter ---|---|---|--- **Sean Ellis**| Coined “growth hacking,” first marketer at Dropbox| seanellis.me, Twitter/X @SeanEllis| Founder of GrowthHackers.com, co-author of _Hacking Growth_. Shares practical experiments and mindset shifts. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/) **Morgan Brown**| Co-author of _Hacking Growth_, Product Lead at Facebook| Twitter/X @morganb| Deep insights into scaling startups like Uber, Airbnb, Dropbox. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/) **Andrew Chen**| Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, ex-Uber Rider Growth| andrewchen.co| Over 650 essays on growth; advisor to Dropbox, AngelList, Gusto. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/) **Brian Balfour**| Ex-VP Growth at HubSpot, founder of Reforge| reforge.com| Runs advanced growth training programs; writes detailed essays on growth models. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work) | Growth Method](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/) **Chase Dimond**| Email marketing & retention expert| LinkedIn (480k+ followers)| Generated $200M+ in email-attributed revenue; strong on audience-led growth. [Growth Marketers: 10 Experts to Follow in 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/growth-marketers-10-experts-follow-2026-business-drfic) **Asia Orangio**| SaaS growth strategist, founder of DemandMaven| LinkedIn| Helps SaaS founders diagnose growth bottlenecks before scaling channels. [Growth Marketers: 10 Experts to Follow in 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/growth-marketers-10-experts-follow-2026-business-drfic) **Hila Qu**| Product-led growth frameworks| LinkedIn| Former growth leader at GitLab & Acorns; shares activation, retention, and experimentation playbooks. [Growth Marketers: 10 Experts to Follow in 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/growth-marketers-10-experts-follow-2026-business-drfic) **Andrew Capland**| Growth team leadership| LinkedIn| Coaches VPs/Heads of Growth; expertise in experimentation and onboarding. [Growth Marketers: 10 Experts to Follow in 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/growth-marketers-10-experts-follow-2026-business-drfic) ## 🎯 How to Use These Experts * **Follow their blogs/newsletters**: Andrew Chen’s essays, Brian Balfour’s Reforge content, Sean Ellis’s Medium posts. * **Engage on LinkedIn/Twitter**: Chase Dimond and Asia Orangio share frequent tactical posts. * **Listen to podcasts**: Sean Ellis’s _Breakout Growth Podcast_ and Morgan Brown’s interviews. * **Study their frameworks**: Many publish detailed case studies and growth models you can apply directly. ## ⚠️ Risks & Considerations * **Beware of hype**: Growth marketing often gets conflated with “hacks.” The best experts emphasize _systematic experimentation_ over quick tricks. * **Context matters**: What works for SaaS may not work for e-commerce or B2B. Always adapt frameworks to your industry. * **AI-driven changes**: Many leaders now integrate AI into growth strategies. Following them helps you stay ahead of automation trends. [25 Marketing & Brand Strategy Leaders in 2026 | The Industry Leaders](https://www.theindustryleaders.org/top-25-marketing-brand-leaders-2026) 👉 If you’re just starting, I’d recommend beginning with **Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown’s book **_**Hacking Growth**_ for fundamentals, then following **Andrew Chen and Brian Balfour** for deeper essays and frameworks. Would you like me to suggest a **step-by-step learning path** (books, blogs, podcasts) to build your growth marketing knowledge systematically?

To truly master growth marketing, you should follow the pioneers who invented the frameworks, as well as the active operators sharing real-time playbooks. The top growth marketing experts, thought leaders, and platforms to follow include: ### 1\. The Industry Pioneers (The Foundations) * **Sean Ellis:** Widely known as the "father of growth hacking," Sean coined the term, was the early marketer at Dropbox, and founded GrowthHackers.com. Follow him for core experimentation mindsets. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=Growth%20Marketing%20Experts%23%20*%20Sean%20Ellis%23%20Sean,the%20acclaimed%20growth%20marketing%20book%20Hacking%20Growth.) * **Morgan Brown:** Co-author of _Hacking Growth_ alongside Sean Ellis. He has held senior growth roles at Facebook and Shopify, focusing heavily on product-led growth loops. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=Growth%20Marketing%20Experts%23%20*%20Sean%20Ellis%23%20Sean,the%20acclaimed%20growth%20marketing%20book%20Hacking%20Growth.) * **Andrew Chen:** A general partner at Andreessen Horowitz who previously led the Rider Growth team at Uber. His essays on loops, network effects, and metrics are essential reading. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=*%20Andrew%20Chen%23%20One%20of%20the%20world's,the%20world%2Dfamous%20venture%20capital%20firm%20Andreessen%20Horowitz.) ### 2\. The Systems & Tactical Experts (The How-To) * **Brian Balfour:** The former VP of Growth at HubSpot and founder of **Reforge**. Follow him for deep dives into why traditional marketing tactics fail and how to build structural growth engines. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=He%20now%20advises%20companies%20like%20Dropbox%2C%20AngelList%2C,as%20Vice%20President%20of%20Growth%20at%20HubSpot.) * **Casey Winters:** Former CPO at Eventbrite and growth leader at Pinterest and Grubhub. He is one of the best minds to follow for scalable SEO, two-sided marketplaces, and retention loops. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=*%20Casey%20Winters%23%20Casey%20Winters%20was%20the,blogs%20on%20his%20personal%20website%20at%20https%3A%2F%2Fcaseyaccidental.com%2F.)[Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=One%20of%20Brian's%20most%20popular%20talks%20is,for%20his%20knowledge%20of%20scalable%20SEO%20strategies.) * **Elena Verna:** A prominent B2B growth advisor and product-led growth (PLG) expert. She shares incredible, granular breakdowns on monetization, product-led sales, and freemium loops on LinkedIn. ### 3\. Platforms & Communities for Ongoing Learning * **Reforge:** Not just a person, but a collective of top operators who publish incredible public essays and advanced cohort-based courses. [8 Best Growth Marketing Courses & Certifications (2026)](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/growth-marketing-training-courses#:~:text=Reforge.%20Reforge%20is%20the%20deep%20end.%20Cohort%2Dbased,it%20assumes%20you%20already%20work%20in%20growth.) * **GrowthHackers:** The community platform founded by Sean Ellis where practitioners share case studies, AMAs, and daily growth discussions. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=Sean%20is%20the%20founder%20of%20GrowthHackers.com%20and,popular%20growthhackers.com%20website%20\(with%20Sean%20Ellis%2C%20above\).) * **Demand Curve:** Known for tactical, highly actionable playbooks covering customer acquisition, landing page optimization, and paid media. [8 Best Growth Marketing Courses & Certifications (2026)](https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/growth-marketing-training-courses#:~:text=Price%20Paid%20\(subscription\)%20Format%20Self%2Dpaced%20%2B%20cert.,their%20own%20growth.%20General%20Assembly.%20Price%20Paid.) ### Where to start? If you want to read immediately, start with Andrew Chen’s blog essays or pick up the book _Hacking Growth_ by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key Work)](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/#:~:text=Growth%20Marketing%20Experts%23%20*%20Sean%20Ellis%23%20Sean,the%20acclaimed%20growth%20marketing%20book%20Hacking%20Growth.) Are you looking to learn growth marketing for an early-stage startup, or are you trying to pivot your career into a dedicated growth role?

To master growth marketing, it helps to follow practitioners who focus on data, experimentation, and full-funnel acquisition rather than just traditional brand awareness. Here are the top growth marketing experts, thinkers, and builders to follow, categorized by their specific areas of expertise: * * * ** _Andrew Chen_** (Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, former growth lead at Uber) * **Best for:** Silicon Valley-style tech growth, metrics, and mobile acquisition. * **Where to follow:** Read his deep-dive essays on the Andrew Chen Blog and his frequent insights on X (formerly Twitter). * * * **_Brian Balfour_** (Founder of Reforge, former VP of Growth at HubSpot) * **Best for:** Systematic, framework-driven growth and building growth teams. * **Where to follow:** Check out the Reforge Blog for elite-level breakdowns of retention, acquisition loops, and product-market fit. * * * **_Sean Ellis_** (Co-author of _Hacking Growth_ and founder of GrowthHackers) * **Best for:** The foundational mechanics of growth hacking and cross-functional experimentation. * **Where to follow:** Connect with the community and his case studies on GrowthHackers. * * * **_Julian Shapiro_** (Founder of Demand Curve and Bell Curve) * **Best for:** Tactical, step-by-step startup marketing playbooks. * **Where to follow:** Explore the free guides and frameworks on Julian.com and his tactical threads on X. * * * **_Neil Patel_** (Co-founder of NP Digital) * **Best for:** SEO, conversion rate optimization (CRO), and practical lead generation. * **Where to follow:** Follow his data-driven case studies on the Neil Patel Blog and his active Neil Patel LinkedIn Profile. * * * **_Asia Orangio_** (Founder of DemandMaven) * **Best for:** Diagnosing SaaS growth engines, customer onboarding, and retention. * **Where to follow:** Follow her tactical advice and operational breakdowns on the DemandMaven Blog. * * * **_Rand Fishkin_** (Co-founder of SparkToro and Moz) * **Best for:** Organic audience research, SEO strategy, and anti-hype, ethical marketing. * **Where to follow:** Read his insights and audience data experiments on SparkToro. [Growth Marketing Experts to Follow in 2026 (Bios, Links & Key](https://growthmethod.com/growth-marketing-experts/)[Growth Marketers: 10 Experts to Follow in 2026 - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/growth-marketers-10-experts-follow-2026-business-drfic) Are you looking to focus on a **specific niche** (like B2B SaaS, e-commerce, or mobile apps), or do you want recommendations for **podcasts and newsletters** instead of social media accounts?