Bruce T. Dugan

Bruce T. Dugan

Abstract thinker · Linear process · Forty-four years of building things
Reference · Guide

Building a referral-based company

Every project Incognito has taken in twelve years arrived by referral. That is not a growth hack. It is a constraint, and it decides how you price, who you turn down, and what a single bad delivery costs.

Start here

Work through these in order. Each one assumes the argument before it.

  1. What a vouch actually costs

    When someone refers you they spend their own standing. That is the currency you are really managing.

  2. Pricing under a referral constraint

    You cannot discount your way into a referral network, and you cannot afford to be the cheapest in it.

  3. Turning work down

    The engagements you decline protect the ones you take. How to say no without closing the door.

  4. When a delivery goes wrong

    One bad job costs more than one bad quarter, because the damage lands on the person who vouched for you.

  5. Making referrals repeatable

    The difference between being liked and being easy to recommend.

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