How this growth loop worked
A creator builds a template in Notion and publishes it as a public page that ranks for a query like "content calendar" or "CRM template." A searcher lands there and clicks Duplicate — but copying it into their own workspace requires a signup. Some of those new users publish their own templates, which become fresh pages ranking for new queries. Each published template is the next searcher's entry point.
The template was both the product demo and the acquisition channel. Every one added a permanent, indexed page aimed at a long-tail query the company never had to commission. Here, K sits near 0.28: the loop doesn't replace each user with more than one, so it can't run on its own. What it does is recycle a slice of new users into free search inventory, pushing blended acquisition cost down each cycle.
If your product creates artifacts, ask whether users can publish them somewhere Google indexes. A loop that pays back part of your acquisition cost is worth building even if it never crosses K=1: treat sub-1 loops as a discount on paid channels, not a replacement. And put the signup where the value transfers — Notion gated duplication at the exact moment someone wanted the template.