HEY Growth Playbook
Email needs a do-over.
Privacy
First
Strategy
Manifesto
The Spark
Jason Fried and DHH (Basecamp) were disgusted by how email had become a dump for spammers, trackers, and unwanted noise, where the recipient has zero power over their own attention.
The Growth Engine
The 'Screener' Consent Loop & The 'Manifesto-as-a-Service' Launch: HEY tacticaly won by making 'Saying No' the default. Their growth engine is 'The Screener'—forcing the user to explicitly 'Yes' or 'No' every single individual who emails them for the first time. By launching with a viral manifesto and a controversial 'Apple App Store Battle,' they positioned HEY as a movement for privacy and digital sovereignty. Their growth relies on 'Domain-Status'—offering @hey.com addresses to early adopters, turning a simple email service into a high-status digital identitiy in the tech world.