Hiten-ShahGrowth Hacking. If you've heard this term, you likely have Hiten Shah to thank for it. He co-founded both KISSmetrics and Crazy Egg, helped coin the term growth hacking, and is the man to meet in Silicon Valley when your startup is ready to get serious about growth metrics. (Trust me on this, I speak from personal experience with oneforty!)

Shah has been creating and growing SaaS analytics businesses since 2005 and has helped dozens of companies improve their marketing, product and growth. Hiten will join our stellar roster of speakers this September in Boston for INBOUND 2014. We caught up with him to glean tips on how he manages to get all this done while discovering and consuming the information he needs to maintain his edge.

What is your #1 source for staying on top of your world?

I use Tweetbot 2 (older version) on my phone, and Twitter.com on my desktop.

When and what do you read online?

I really like using http://getprismatic.com and I also regularly check a bunch of the a few of the link aggregators (growthhackers.com, inbound.org and producthunt.co)

What is your favorite place on the web?

Google.com.

Which people or feeds or blogs do you follow?

Who is someone undiscovered that we should be reading?

Scott Brinker: @ChiefMartec and http://chiefmartec.com/. Scott's been getting more popular recently, but I've been reading him for years. 

What is your biggest pet peeve about content? 

Most content is only worth a skim, not a detailed read. Lots of copycat content out there too. I prefer content that is unique, worth spending time to read and is actionable.

What is the most memorable piece of content of all time?

I still remember this article by Dustin Curtis where he tests call to actions for getting Twitter followers. he has since taken down the article but it can still be viewed here.

How would you rank your favorite social apps?

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If content types were stocks, which ones would you buy, which would you sell, and which would you hold?

BUY: newsletters, video, ebooks/white papers & blog posts. 

HOLD: infographics and slide desks. 

SELL: podcasts and books.

What haven't we asked that you'd like to talk about?

My favorite foods to consume tend to include tomato sauce, guacamole or salsa. In no particular order. Usually with some chili peppers.

Don't miss Hiten Shah, Chris Brogan, Simon Sinek and a whole roster of incredible speakers coming to Boston September 15-18 for INBOUND 2014. Tickets (regularly $1499) are just $799 through May 31.

INBOUND 2014: Register Today and Save $700!

Originally published May 19, 2014 4:33:00 PM, updated January 18 2023