Playbook · Idea / prototype to Searching (pre-PMF)
Idea and Searching × Spread
Referral programs amplify love that isn't there yet. The one Spread move in season is the founder personally asking early fans to bring in people like them.
- M0 Idea / prototype
- Is there a real itch, felt often enough?
- M1 Searching (pre-PMF)
- Who, if anyone, is it a must-have for?
- Spread
- Does normal use bring in other people?
M0-M1 × Spread
The playbook
Goal. Learn whether fans will vouch for the product, one conversation at a time.
Move. The founder asks early fans personally, right after they've had a success with the product INF-T-LK-01 (Influence Ch.5, p.126) INF-T-LK-21 (Influence Ch.5, p.146). Spread binds only after a segment shows fit.
Lead with these moves
- TechniqueEvidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.
Ask through someone they know
friend or founder as the asker
Route the ask through a person the prospect knows and likes: early on, the founder asking people personally; later, a team admin inviting colleagues, a host or creator selling to their audience, a friend's group-buy link. People say yes to people, and refusing a friend feels different from refusing a company.
Not now
- Two-sided referral programReferral programs amplify love that isn't there yet.
- Cash bounty per inviteSmall cash rewards can backfire; make the reward more of the product.
- Share buttons everywherePeople share what they love; there's no must-have segment yet.
Questions to answer first
Limits
What we don’t claim
- Seasons are defaults for the cell. Evidence from your own product can move a technique in or out of season.
- A playbook names candidate moves; which one goes first depends on the binding constraint in your product.
Sources
Influence · Robert Cialdini
Ch.5, p.126 · Ch.5, p.146
Source IDs: INF-T-LK-01INF-T-LK-21
Book content is paraphrased, never quoted at length. Last verified October 24, 2026.
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