Growth Engineering Glossary

Glossary

Growth Engineering features a lot of jargon. Use this glossary to demystify the subject.

All | # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A

A/B Test
An experiment comparing two variants to determine which performs better on a key metric.

AARRR Framework
A growth model covering Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue.

Acquisition
The process of gaining new users or customers through various channels.

Activation
The moment a user experiences the product’s core value for the first time.

Amplitude
A product analytics platform used to track user behaviour and optimise digital experiences.

Analytics
Tools and practices used to measure user behaviour and product performance.

API (Application Programming Interface)
A way for different software systems to communicate and share data.

Attribution
Assigning credit to marketing channels for conversions or user actions.

Auto Track
A method of tracking all user interactions on a website or app without manual instrumentation.

B

Backend
The server-side part of a web application that handles data processing and business logic.

BigQuery
Google’s fully-managed data warehouse for large-scale analytics.

Bounce Rate
The percentage of users who leave after visiting only one page.

C

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
The average cost to acquire a new customer.

Canonical Event Names
Standardised naming conventions for events to maintain consistency in tracking.

Causal Inference
A method used to determine whether one factor causes an effect in a given context.

CDP (Customer Data Platform)
A system that collects and unifies customer data from multiple sources.

Channel Saturation
The point at which adding more spend to a channel yields diminishing returns.

Churn
The percentage of users or customers who stop using a product over a given period.

CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)
The total worth of a customer over the entire relationship with a brand.

Cohort Analysis
A method of analysing user behaviour grouped by shared characteristics over time.

Conversion Rate
The percentage of users who complete a desired action, like signing up or purchasing.

Copy Testing
Testing different text variations to see which drives better engagement or conversions.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software used to manage customer data and interactions.

Cross-Sell
Encouraging customers to purchase complementary products or services.

CTR (Click-Through Rate)
The ratio of users who click on a specific link compared to total views.

Custom Event
A user-defined event tailored to a specific product or business need.

D

Data Enrichment
Enhancing raw data with additional context or third-party sources.

Data Layer
A structured layer on a site that stores key user and event data for analytics tools.

Data Pipeline
A series of processes that move and transform data from source to destination.

DAU (Daily Active Users)
The number of unique users engaging with a product daily.

Drop-Off
The point in a funnel where users stop engaging or fail to complete a step.

E

E2E Test (End-to-End Test)
A test that simulates real user scenarios to validate full system flow.

Edge Case
A rare or extreme condition that tests the limits of a system or feature.

Engagement Rate
The percentage of users who interact with a feature or content.

Event Taxonomy
A structured system for naming and categorising events across products.

Event Tracking
Capturing specific user actions (e.g. clicks, scrolls, signups) for analysis.

Experiment Holdout
A group of users excluded from changes in an experiment to serve as a control.

Experimentation Velocity
How quickly a team can ship and learn from experiments.

F

Feature Flag
A switch that enables or disables a feature without deploying new code.

Feature Rollout
The gradual release of a new feature to users, often using feature flags.

Friction Point
An obstacle or difficulty that hinders user progress or satisfaction.

Funnel
A visualisation of the steps users take toward a conversion goal.

G

GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
The latest version of Google Analytics, focused on event-based tracking.

Growth Loop
A self-reinforcing system where user actions drive further growth.

Growth Model
A structured representation of how a product grows (users, revenue, etc.).

Growth North Star
The ultimate metric guiding growth efforts across teams.

Guardrail Metric
A secondary metric in experiments used to monitor unintended negative impact.

H

Heatmap
A visual tool showing where users interact most on a page.

I

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
A detailed description of the type of customer who gains the most value from a product.

Incrementality
The additional value generated by an action that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise.

K

K-Factor
A measure of virality based on how many new users each existing user brings.

L

Lagging Metric
An outcome-based metric that reflects past performance (e.g. revenue).

Lead Time
The amount of time between idea conception and experiment delivery.

Leading Metric
A predictive metric indicating future performance (e.g. trial-to-paid conversion).

Looker Studio
A Google tool for building dashboards and visualising data.

LTV (Lifetime Value)
The projected revenue a customer will generate during their relationship with a business.

M

MAU (Monthly Active Users)
The number of unique users engaging with a product each month.

Microcopy
Small bits of UI text (e.g. button labels, error messages) that guide user behaviour.

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
The most basic version of a product that can still deliver value and be tested.

N

North Star Metric
A single, high-level metric that best captures the product’s value to users.

NPS (Net Promoter Score)
A measure of customer loyalty based on likelihood to recommend.

O

Onboarding
The process of guiding users to experience value early in their journey.

Opt-In Rate
The percentage of users who consent to marketing or data collection.

P

Personalisation
Tailoring content, experiences or messaging based on user data.

Pre/Post Analysis
Comparing key metrics before and after a change to assess impact.

Product-Led Growth (PLG)
A go-to-market strategy where the product itself drives acquisition and retention.

Q

Qualitative Data
Descriptive insights (e.g. surveys, interviews) about user motivations and pain points.

Quantitative Data
Numerical data that measures user behaviour at scale.

R

Referral
When existing users bring in new users, often incentivised.

Regression Testing
Re-testing existing features after changes to ensure nothing is broken.

Retention
The ability to keep users engaged and returning over time.

Retention Curve
A graph showing how user retention changes over time.

RFM Segmentation
Grouping customers based on Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value.

RICE Scoring
A prioritisation framework using Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort.

Run Rate
A projection of future performance based on current data (e.g. MRR x 12).

S

Sample Size Calculator
A tool to determine how many users are needed for a statistically significant test.

Segmentation
Dividing users into groups based on behaviour, demographics, or value.

SQL (Structured Query Language)
A programming language used to manage and query databases.

Stickiness
How frequently users return to a product, often measured as DAU/MAU.

T

Time to Value (TTV)
The time it takes for a user to reach a meaningful outcome or benefit.

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