By a founder who’s been through the early chaos and learned the hard way.
If you don’t have a funnel, you’re not marketing — you’re just posting.
Growing a product isn’t about viral tricks or big ad budgets it’s about building a repeatable system that attracts the right people, engages them, converts them, and keeps them coming back.
That system is your marketing funnel.
In this post, I’ll Walk you through how to build a scalable marketing funnel that grows with your product not ahead of it or behind it. I’ll also share how it connects to startup metrics, MVPs, and the most common mistakes I’ve seen founders make (including myself).
First, what is a Marketing Funnel?
A marketing funnel maps out the journey your users take — from discovering your product to becoming loyal customers (and ideally, promoters). It has four basic stages:
1. Awareness – They hear about you
2. Interest – They explore what you offer
3. Decision – They compare and consider
4. Action – They sign up, subscribe, or buy
You can think of it as a journey from “I’ve never heard of this” to “I love this product.”
But real growth happens when this journey is designed intentionally and scales alongside your product development, user base, and feedback loops.
Why Founders Need a Funnel — Early
I used to think funnels were just for big companies. But even during my MVP phase, I realized: if I don’t build a path for people to find, understand, and try the product, they simply… won’t.
Your funnel isn’t just for sales. It’s for:
▪️Validating your messaging and positioning
▪️Learning what channels actually work
▪️Tracking conversion metrics (like signups or product trials)
▪️Creating a repeatable growth system before spending money on ads
-> If you haven’t read our Startup Metrics 101 Guide, it breaks down which funnel metrics matter at each stage.
How to Build a Scalable Funnel (Stage by Stage)
Here’s how I recommend breaking it down, especially for startups in early traction or post-MVP stage:
1. Awareness: Get in Front of the Right People
This is where they discover you. At this point, you don’t need mass traffic you need qualified attention.
Tactics that work well for early-stage products:
▪️Content marketing: Blogs, case studies, or thought-leadership posts
▪️LinkedIn/Twitter: Share your journey, not just your product
▪️Startup directories or communities: Product Hunt, IndieHackers, Reddit, etc.
▪️SEO basics: Write about the problem you solve not just your brand
Check out our blog: 10 Startup Mistakes to Avoid — Mistake #6 is about underestimating marketing at this very stage.
2. Interest: Help Them Explore and Understand
Now that they’ve landed on your site or profile, what do they see? Do you answer their biggest question: “Is this for me?”
Must-haves:
▪️A clear, benefit-driven landing page
▪️Explainer video or product screenshots
▪️A call to action like “Get early access,” “Join waitlist,” or “Try demo”
Use the MVP wisely here. Your product doesn’t need to be perfect it just needs to give a taste of value. If you haven’t built your MVP yet, start here:
-> How to Build Your MVP: A Practical Guide
3. Decision: Build Trust and Nudge Them Forward
At this stage, users are weighing their options. Maybe they’re comparing tools, or wondering if you’re legit.
How to help them decide:
▪️Show testimonials or early user feedback
▪️Add a comparison chart (“Why us vs X”)
▪️Offer a low-barrier entry free trial, freemium, or demo
▪️Use retargeting or email sequences to re-engage
A tip that helped me: If someone doesn’t convert immediately, don’t chase them. Educate them.
4. Action: Make It Easy to Convert
Here’s where they take action. The biggest mistake? Making this step confusing or high-friction.
How to improve it:
▪️Have a simple sign-up or checkout flow
▪️Reduce steps: no unnecessary fields, no hidden pricing
▪️Offer instant value after signup (dashboard tour, onboarding video)
Your funnel doesn’t end here this is just where it loops.
5. Retention & Referrals: Keep Them Coming Back
The best marketing is word-of-mouth. If users stay, use, and share your product that’s your funnel feeding itself.
Retention & referral ideas:
▪️Email onboarding with small wins
▪️Check-in surveys or feedback forms
▪️In-app referral rewards
▪️Surprise updates or small “delighters”
If you’re measuring retention, check out:
-> Startup Metrics 101 Guide – Covers retention, churn, and engagement KPIs in detail.
Funnel + Product = Growth That Scales
The truth is: your funnel should evolve with your product.
As you move from MVP to a full-featured product:
▪️You can test new acquisition channels
▪️Upgrade onboarding flows based on usage data
▪️Automate lead nurturing with tools like CRMs or email drip campaigns
▪️Shift messaging to focus on outcomes instead of features
It’s not about building the perfect funnel on Day 1 it’s about building one that adapts with what you learn.
If your product improves, your funnel should too.
Final Thoughts
There’s no such thing as a “perfect” funnel. You’ll change it 10 times before it sticks and that’s normal.
The key is to start simple, stay close to your users, and treat your funnel like a living system. Learn from what works, double down, and let go of what doesn’t.
If you want to dig deeper, check out my earlier posts:
▪️How to Build Your MVP the Right Way
▪️Startup Metrics 101: What to Track and Why
▪️10 Mistakes to Avoid When Launching a Startup
Your funnel isn’t separate from your product. It’s how your product is experienced.
Design it with care — and let it grow with you.