# 7 Product-Led Growth Examples To Inspire Success

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## Table of contents

- What is PLG?
- Top 7 product-led growth examples
- Key lessons from PLG companies and a look at their moat
- Final takeaway

If you’re looking for the right strategy for your SaaS company to establish an edge in the competitive market, product-led growth (PLG) is a great one. PLG prioritizes delivering value through the product itself, making it the primary driver of user acquisition, retention, and revenue.

In this guide, we will deep dive into 7 standout **product-led growth examples** in the real world and and extract actionable insights from these examples.

## What is PLG?

**Product-led growth or PLG is a go-to-market strategy where the product is designed and placed as the primary driver of growth. This process minimizes friction, provides instant value, and allows users to experience the product's benefits firsthand.**

Modern buyers prefer self-service models and products that speak for themselves. PLG caters to this demand by offering solutions that encourage adoption by offering a seamless platform and immediate results.

<div class="highlight-gray"> <p> <strong>💡 Related guide: <a href=https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/product-led-growth/></strong>What is Product-Led Growth?</a></p> </div>

## Top 7 product-led growth examples

Let’s dive into some brands that implemented PLG successfully to see how this strategy has impacted their growth, user adoption, and market dominance:

1.  ### Slack
    

<a href="https://slack.com/intl/en-sg/" rel="nofollow">Slack</a> has disrupted traditional workplace communication by offering a product that makes collaboration effortless. The platform boasts an intuitive design coupled with a freemium model, which allows teams to experiment at no cost. Slack’s viral growth stemmed from team-based onboarding, where one user’s positive experience naturally extended to their colleagues. This created an organic loop of [user acquisition](https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/customer-acquisition/) and engagement. By the time Slack introduced premium features, teams were already hooked.

**Impact:** Slack is forecasted by Statista to scale to [47 million daily active users](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1025213/worldwide-slack-active-users/) in 2025.

![1.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/f_auto,q_100/v1739295597/strapi/1_f47578b484.png)

2.  ### Dropbox
    
Through its referral program, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" rel="nofollow">Dropbox</a> turned user acquisition into a shared experience. Users have access to extra free storage space for each individual they invite onto the platform, and the simplicity of sharing links has made this overall process seamless. This strategy not only motivates users to promote the platform but also ensures that people in the circle experience immediate value. This is what caused the company to create a viral loop that exponentially grew its user base without indulging in any significant marketing spends.

**Impact:** [Dropbox](https://growsurf.com/blog/dropbox-referral-program) achieved 3,900% growth within 15 months of launching its referral program.

![2.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/f_auto,q_100/v1739295626/strapi/2_89495f9763.png)

<div class="highlight-gray"> <p> <strong>💡 Related guide: <a href=https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/referral-marketing/></strong>All You Need To Know About Referral Marketing</a></p> </div>
  
3.  ### Canva
    
<a href="https://www.canva.com/en_in/" rel="nofollow">Canva</a> makes design accessible to everyone, irrespective of prior or professional experience. By offering an easy-to-use platform with free design tools, templates, and a drag-and-drop interface, Canva has lowered barriers to entry for users across industries. The freemium model allowed users to create basic designs at no cost, while premium subscriptions unlocked advanced features for businesses and professionals. This approach ensured widespread adoption, as users shared their creations and recommended the platform to peers.

**Impact:** Canva launched in 2013 and grew to over [75 million MAU](https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2022/03/31/how-canva-is-being-a-force-for-good-by-empowering-the-whole-world-to-design/) by 2021, leveraging its freemium model that provided users with free access to basic design tools while offering premium features through paid plans.

4.  ### Calendly
    
<a href="https://calendly.com/" rel="nofollow">Calendly</a> addressed a universal pain point—scheduling meetings. Its user-centric design simplified the process by allowing users to share availability through a link, eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails. Calendly’s freemium model introduced users to the platform’s core functionality, while paid plans targeted professionals and teams requiring advanced features like customizable branding, group scheduling, and multiple calendar integrations (Google, Outlook, Office 365).

They also include advanced reporting and analytics, [automated reminders and follow-ups](https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/automated-email-follow-up/), and team collaboration tools to streamline scheduling and enhance user experience. These features are designed to meet the needs of professionals and teams requiring more control and efficiency. Its adoption grew organically as satisfied users shared the tool within their networks.
  
**Impact:** As of 2023, Calendly reported an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of [$270 million](https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/22/how-calendly-is-building-a-platform-by-turning-scheduling-into-a-center-stage-event/), marking a 46% increase from the previous year.

![3.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/f_auto,q_100/v1739295669/strapi/3_39172ca002.png)

5.  ### Notion
    
<a href="https://www.notion.com/" rel="nofollow">Notion</a> reimagined productivity tools by offering an all-in-one workspace that combined notes, tasks, databases, and more. Its flexible interface allows users to customize their workflows, creating a highly personalized experience. Notion empowered users to unlock the product’s potential by engaging its community with free templates and tutorials. The freemium model further supported adoption by providing free access to core features, making it a preferred tool for individuals and teams alike.
  
**Impact:** Notion grew from 1 million users in 2019 to over [30 million by 2022](https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/notion-spotlight/) and surpassed 100 million users in 2024.

![4.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/f_auto,q_100/v1739295698/strapi/4_bae327000e.png)

6.  ### Figma
    
<a href="https://www.figma.com/" rel="nofollow">Figma</a> transformed the design landscape by prioritizing collaboration. As a cloud-based platform, Figma allowed teams to work on the same design file in real time, breaking down barriers for remote and hybrid teams. Its freemium model enabled smaller teams to use the platform for free, while premium plans offered additional features for larger organizations like version history, team libraries, advanced permissions and AV conferencing. This focus on accessibility and teamwork positioned Figma as the go-to design tool for both individuals and enterprises.

**Impact:** [Figma](https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2022/adobe-to-acquire-figma), founded in 2012 with an initial valuation of $10 million, was acquired by Adobe for $20 billion in 2022.

7.  ### Mailmodo
    
<a href="https://www.mailmodo.com/" rel="nofollow">Mailmodo</a> disrupted traditional [email marketing](https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/email-marketing/) by introducing a platform that enables interactive, app-like emails. Its user-friendly interface allows businesses to create actionable emails with features like forms, surveys, and calendars that users can complete directly within the email itself. This reduces friction and improves conversion rates, creating a seamless user experience. They also offer a host of free [online tools](https://www.mailmodo.com/tools/) that include an AI subject line generator, some calculators, an AI email writer, a campaign planner, and an [email template library](https://www.mailmodo.com/email-templates/). Mailmodo even offers a 21-day free trial with advanced features through higher plans, ensuring businesses can scale their marketing efforts effectively.

**Impact:** [Mailmodo](https://inc42.com/startups/yc-backed-mailmodo-looks-to-revamp-email-marketing-with-app-like-experiences-in-the-inbox/) has helped businesses achieve up to 3x higher conversions compared to traditional email campaigns, becoming a trusted tool for growth-focused SaaS companies.

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## Key lessons from PLG companies and a look at their moat

The most successful PLG companies share a common foundation: they deliver undeniable value through their product while removing barriers for users to experience it.

As seen above, whether it’s Dropbox’s referral program or Figma’s collaboration-first approach, each company's core principle amounts to creating a product that markets itself by solving a specific pain point exceptionally well.

This value-driven strategy goes beyond offering functionality; it involves designing experiences that are intuitive, seamless, and immediately impactful. The companies also focus on reducing friction by adopting strategies like freemium models, self-service options, or viral sharing loops. This allows the companies to build an organic growth engine which is fuelled by customer advocacy and user satisfaction.

Let’s take a look at the "moat" these companies create around their strategies.

In the PLG context, a moat refers to the competitive edge that makes a product indispensable and hard to replicate.

For example, Slack’s team-based viral growth ensures that the value of the product increases as more people adopt it within an organization. Similarly, Notion offers community-driven templates and customization which can be deeply embedded in users workflows. These strategies lead to the creation of network effects, user lock-in, or significant switching costs, which ensures that users remain loyal and engaged.

The key lesson? A strong PLG moat doesn’t just involve creating the best product in your category; its about creating a product that your users can’t imagine living without.

## Final takeaway

PLG is a product-first strategy where the product is at the center of user acquisition, retention, and expansion. Companies like Slack, Dropbox, Figma and Mailmodo are excellent examples of how the focus is on seamless onboarding, viral growth strategies, and community-driven adoption to ensure business success

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can PLG principles be applied to industries outside of SaaS and tech?


Yes, PLG principles can be adapted for industries like retail, education, healthcare, and entertainment. Offering free trials, samples, or valuable content helps customers experience the product's value upfront, driving organic growth and loyalty. The key is to provide easy access, high-quality value, and frictionless experiences, enabling customers to quickly understand and benefit from the product.


### What are the key metrics to measure product-led growth?


Key metrics to measure product-led growth include user activation rate, customer lifetime value (CLV), churn rate, net promoter score (NPS), daily active users and monthly active users.

### How does the freemium model drive PLG? 


The freemium model allows users to experience the core value of a product before committing to a paid plan. By offering basic features for free and premium features as upgrades, companies can attract a large user base. This encourages organic growth, as satisfied users often share the product with others, leading to increased adoption and, eventually, conversions to paid plans.

### Share an example of a successful PLG


Dropbox is a classic example of PLG in action. By offering free storage space and easy-to-use file-sharing features, it allowed users to experience the product's value quickly. The freemium model incentivized referrals, with users gaining additional storage by inviting others, driving viral growth and boosting user acquisition.


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---

**Author: Mashkoor Alam**

Mashkoor has always been passionate about writing. He used to write short stories on his blog before he started writing for SaaS companies years back. He aspires to have a book under his name.

