In the past few years, Product-Led Growth (PLG) became one of the most overused words in the startup world. The promise was seductive: grow efficiently, scalably, and with the product at the center. Who wouldn’t want that?
But here in 2025, I’m starting to hear a new narrative that raises red flags:
“PLG didn’t work.”
“We tried it, but saw no results.”
“Let’s go back to traditional marketing, SDRs, and heavier sales ops.”
Here’s my take: PLG isn’t dead. What died was a shallow, copy-pasted version of it — sold as a silver bullet.
The hard truth many don’t want to face:
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PLG isn’t just a UX experiment.
It’s a growth strategy that demands operational excellence and alignment between product, marketing, data, and customer success.
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PLG requires cross-functional maturity.
Launching a “start for free” button isn’t enough. You need clear user journeys, strong behavioral data, value delivery, and retention mechanisms working together.
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Many startups didn’t fail because of PLG itself — they failed due to lack of Product-Market Fit, or by expecting the product to magically replace a go-to-market strategy.
So what am I doing about it?
At Arquiteto de Bolso, we’re entering a scale-up phase with an AI-powered product. I’m taking this opportunity to put years of research, experiments, and international case studies into practice.
I’ve developed a hands-on PLG Mandala — a visual and strategic model that connects activation, value, retention, monetization, virality, and data culture — all through the lens of product.
The goal? Test it in the real world. Learn. Iterate. And if it works, share the full framework with the community.
So… is PLG still worth betting on?
I believe it is — but not as a magical formula. As a living system that evolves with your product, your users, and your data.
And maybe what’s really emerging now is a new era: Hybrid-Led Growth, where product, content, community and sales collaborate intentionally.
What about you?
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Has your team tried PLG already?
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Was it a case of misaligned expectations — or poor execution?
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Do you still believe in building a product-driven growth engine in 2025?
Let me know what you think. This conversation is just getting started.
