Brian Balfour’s Growth Framework - One Problem, One Solution, One Channel

Brian Balfour, former VP of Growth at HubSpot and founder of Reforge, developed one of the most effective frameworks for startup growth. This model is based on the idea of starting with extreme focus to achieve product-market fit before expanding.

📌 Core Principle of the Framework

A startup should focus on solving one specific problem, with one clear solution, using one scalable acquisition channel before diversifying.

🔥 The 4 Fundamental Principles

1. One Problem

• Every startup exists to solve a problem.
• This problem needs to be specific, relevant, and painful for the target audience.
• Startups fail when they try to solve too many problems at once or choose a problem that isn’t critical enough for the market.
• Questions to validate the problem:
  • Is this problem truly painful for the user?
  • Are users actively trying to solve it in other ways?
  • Are the existing alternatives ineffective or too expensive?

Example:

• Slack identified that teams struggled with fragmented communication across emails and chat tools. This was a clear and urgent problem for tech companies.

2. One Solution

• Once a clear problem is defined, the startup must provide one unique and efficient solution that addresses it in the best possible way.
• A generic or poorly differentiated solution will struggle to gain traction.
• Rules for defining the solution:
  • It should be simple and clear (avoid unnecessary complexity).
  • It should solve the problem in a measurable way (e.g., X% faster, Y% cheaper).
  • It should stand out from existing alternatives.

Example:

• Airbnb initially focused on one specific problem: people who wanted to rent out extra space to make money and travelers looking for a cheaper and more unique alternative to hotels.

3. One Channel

• Many startups fail by trying to use multiple acquisition channels at once, spreading resources too thin and making it harder to identify what actually works.
• The goal is to find one scalable acquisition channel before expanding to others.
• Criteria for choosing a channel:
  • The channel must be scalable (can it grow with the business?).
  • The channel must be profitable (does the acquisition cost justify the return?).
  • The channel should have low competition initially (is there an opportunity to leverage it before saturation?).

Examples of potential channels:

• SEO (Google)
• Paid Ads (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads)
• Content (Blog, YouTube, LinkedIn)
• Referrals & Viral Marketing
• Strategic Partnerships

Example:

• Dropbox used referral marketing as its primary acquisition channel. They offered extra storage space for every user who invited friends, driving viral growth.

4. One Business Model

• Startups need to have a clear business model from the beginning, even if it’s just a working hypothesis.
• Without a solid business model, the startup may grow but struggle to monetize.
• Common models:
  • Subscription (SaaS)
  • Marketplace (Airbnb, Uber)
  • Freemium (Spotify, Notion)
  • Advertising (Google, Facebook)

Example:

• HubSpot, where Brian Balfour worked, focused on Inbound Marketing as its core solution and used a subscription-based SaaS model, ensuring predictable revenue.

🚀 How to Apply This Framework

1️⃣ Define a clear, validated problem.
2️⃣ Build a single, effective solution for that problem.
3️⃣ Pick one acquisition channel and maximize its effectiveness before exploring others.
4️⃣ Have a defined business model from the start.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Solving multiple problems at once → The startup loses focus and fails to find product-market fit.
❌ Testing multiple acquisition channels at the same time → Spreads resources thin and prevents real learning.
❌ Not validating the business model → The startup may grow but struggle to generate enough revenue to sustain itself.

🎯 Real-World Examples

🎯 Final Summary

Brian Balfour’s framework emphasizes that to scale a startup successfully, founders must focus on solving one problem with one solution, using one scalable acquisition channel and one clear business model before expanding. This approach helps startups gain traction efficiently without wasting resources.