You're pre-launch with no way to build momentum
Turn your waitlist into a growth engine. People move up the list by inviting friends. Creates urgency, virality, and a massive launch list.
When to use
You're pre-launch or about to launch a new feature and want to build anticipation and an initial user base.
Hypothesis template
If we add a referral mechanic to our waitlist where inviting friends moves you up [N] spots, we'll grow the list to [target] because people want early access.
Method
The problem: You're building something but haven't launched. You need to build a list of people who want in.
What Robinhood did: Created a waitlist where your position moved up when friends joined through your link. People went from "I'll check it out later" to actively recruiting friends. They hit 1 million signups before launch.
Why it works:
- Scarcity (limited spots) creates urgency
- Social proof (showing waitlist size) builds credibility
- Referral mechanic turns passive interest into active promotion
- You launch with momentum, not from zero
How to build it:
- Create a simple landing page with email capture
- After signup, show their position: "You're #4,521 in line"
- Give them a unique referral link
- For each friend who joins: move up X spots
- Show progress: "You've moved up 15 spots!"
- Optional: top referrers get extra perks (beta access, lifetime deal)
Launch page essentials:
- Clear value prop (one sentence)
- What they're waiting for
- How the referral mechanic works
- Social proof (counter or testimonials)
Key insight: The waitlist IS the marketing. Every person on the list is motivated to grow it for you.
Success metrics
- •Waitlist signups
- •Referral rate (% who share)
- •Viral coefficient
- •Conversion to actual users at launch
- •Cost per waitlist signup
Prerequisites
- Landing page
- Email capture
- Referral tracking
- Something worth waiting for
Common pitfalls
- •Waitlist with no launch date (people lose interest)
- •Not actually giving early access to top referrers
- •Making it too easy to game
- •Forgetting to nurture the list while they wait
Source: Robinhood. 1M waitlist signups before launch.
Suggested ICE scores
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