The partnership
We only win when you do
Not an agency you hire. A partner that buys into your outcome. Cash keeps us serious. Equity keeps us honest.
The shape
Three principles. No fine print.
01
Cash + equity, always
Every partnership pairs a retainer with equity. The structure flexes with conviction: when we believe deeply, we lean into the upside. Terms are shaped on the call, for your company specifically.
02
Diligence before any deal
We research every applicant like an investor: thesis, why-now, market, traction, founder. If we take the partnership, it's because we believe it compounds.
03
3–4 partners. That's it.
No hourly. No cheap retainers. No discounts. No fifty-client roster. A handful of companies get the whole engine.
Questions founders ask
Should I hire a head of growth or a growth studio at seed stage?
A growth leadership search routinely takes six months or more, and the hire still needs quarters to build from scratch. Early growth is a sequence, not a person. Install the engine first; whoever you eventually hire inherits a running machine instead of a blank page.
What is a growth studio, and how is it different from a growth agency?
An agency sells hours across a large roster and optimizes for renewals. A studio takes a handful of companies, installs and operates the whole growth engine, and holds equity in the outcome. Different incentives, different depth.
How does Outlier charge?
A cash retainer plus equity, shaped per partnership. The retainer keeps both sides serious; the equity means we only truly win when your growth compounds. Exact structure is discussed on the call, never on a pricing page.
How much equity does a growth partner take?
A small piece, sized by stage and conviction, alongside the retainer. We do not publish numbers because no two partnerships should be shaped the same. Exact terms are agreed on the call.
Why does Outlier take equity?
It changes the relationship. An agency optimizes for renewals; an owner optimizes for the outcome. It also keeps us honest: we say no to companies we would not invest in.
What does a GTM engine install actually include?
The full channel sequence, in the order that works: founder-led outbound to the buyer you already close by hand, then community, then content that compounds, with paid last on a proven offer. Systems, playbooks, and the operating cadence, built with your team so it keeps running without us.
Do you run paid ads?
Yes, last. In the $0 to $250k MRR run, paid did not turn on until $150k, on a proven offer with real case studies behind it. Paid pours gas on a fire. It does not start one.
Do you work with consumer apps or only B2B SaaS?
Both, as separate engines. B2B SaaS runs outbound into community into content into paid. Consumer runs creative volume, UGC, ASO, and retention loops before real media spend. Same studio, same diligence, different physics.
What stage should my company be at?
Early-stage and funded, typically pre-seed through Series A, with a live product and early proof that someone wants it. If it is too early, we say so and tell you what to fix first.
How do startups keep growing after a launch spike or an accelerator batch?
The halo decays, so the engine has to replace it. That means founder-led outbound to the exact buyer you already close by hand, with authority content layered on top so demand compounds instead of relying on warm intros. That transition is most of our work.
How many companies does Outlier work with?
Three to four at a time, by application. Capacity is the product. The work stays deep because the roster stays small.
What happens after I apply?
Real diligence, the way an investor runs it: thesis, market, traction, founder. A fit gets a call and a specific plan. A pass gets an honest reason, usually with a pointer on what to fix first.
Does Outlier guarantee results?
No honest operator guarantees revenue. We guarantee the engine gets built and operated at full effort. Our equity means we lose alongside you if it does not work.