Build a product that sells itself — and a growth engine that scales it.

Self-serve sign-ups stalled. Conversion is opaque. Sales wants PQLs but no one's instrumented them. In 12 weeks, you'll rebuild your PLG motion — activation, conversion, monetization and expansion — with AI-native instrumentation behind it.

★ Founding Cohort — 7 Seats12 Weeks5 Anchor Outputs + 1 Live PLG EngineDemo Day

The Reality Check

PLG is the easiest motion to start and the hardest to scale — and the data debt catches up at $5M ARR.

You're a senior growth or product leader at a PLG company — Head of Growth, VP Growth, CPO, or PLG founder. You own activation, conversion, monetization and expansion.

You've A/B tested the onboarding flow three times. You've added a paywall, then softened it, then hardened it. You've watched activation spike and retention not budge.

But your funnel data is still in five tools that don't talk to each other. Your PQL definition has been rewritten by every new sales hire. And your CEO wants to know — credibly — when self-serve will hit $10M ARR.

You need to design the funnel. Not keep retro'ing the symptoms.

The Opportunity

Close the PLG Activation Gap.

The PLG leaders who instrumented activation, conversion, monetization and expansion as one system are running 2–3× the per-signup revenue of teams still optimizing each step in isolation. The ones still doing local experiments are watching CAC creep up while ARPU stays flat.

Boards now ask PLG leaders about activation-to-revenue ratios and expansion velocity, not just MAUs. And a small group of growth leaders has gone further — building portfolio careers as fractional Heads of Growth and PLG advisors, on the back of the systems they shipped.

This program makes you more valuable inside your current role first. Then it gives you optionality.

The Solution

The PLG Mastery OS

A 12-week peer advisory program for sitting growth and product leaders at PLG companies. One goal per week, five tasks per goal, 12 live sessions, and 5 anchor outputs — plus one live PLG workflow running on your real funnel data.

1

Build the PLG System of Record

Stop running PLG on hunches. You'll ship an activation model, a PQL definition, a monetization map, and an expansion playbook — all instrumented end-to-end.

2

Ship Tangible Growth Artifacts

Five anchor outputs you can use immediately. Funnel diagnostic, activation model, PQL spec, monetization map, expansion playbook. And one live AI growth workflow.

3

Cross-Pollinate in a Private PLG Room

Pressure-test your experiments in a curated, NDA-protected room of fellow PLG leaders. Peer pairs, weekly check-ins, no vendor pitches.

4

Build Portfolio Optionality

Learn the sequence to make yourself indispensable where you are — and, when you're ready, to land fractional growth mandates.

The Five Anchor Outputs

No PLG leader leaves with just notes. You leave with the engine.

#
Output
Ships
1
PLG Funnel DiagnosticActivation, conversion, retention, expansion, CAC payback scored. One page.
Week 3
2
Growth Second BrainClaude Code + Notion querying funnel data, user interviews, experiment notes. The infra your growth workflows run on.
Week 4
3
Activation ModelActivation event, time-to-value, leading indicators. The model the whole org agrees on.
Week 6
4
PQL Definition & SpecWho's product-qualified, what they look like, how sales engages. The doc that closes the PLG–sales gap.
Week 7
5
Monetization & Expansion MapPricing, packaging, paywall placement, expansion paths. The doc that turns activation into revenue.
Week 9
Live AI Growth WorkflowOne AI workflow on your real funnel — activation predictor, PQL scorer, or churn-risk agent.
Week 11
🎤
Demo DayPresent 5 anchors + live workflow to the cohort and sign your 90-day plan.
Week 12

Who This Is For

This room is intentionally curated.

Senior PLG Leaders

Heads of Growth, VPs of Growth, CPOs, PLG founders at Series A+ companies running a self-serve motion.

Data-Native Operators

You live in Mixpanel/Amplitude/PostHog. You want to make the data work — not just look at it.

Non-Technical Builders

You don't code. You want a structured environment to put AI to work in growth — not another Substack newsletter.

Not for: PLG-curious founders without a self-serve product, sales-led companies looking to bolt on PLG, or anyone looking for a 'Reforge alternative.' This is a PLG-operator room.

Your Guide

Forward Achieve Faculty

Forward Achieve Faculty

Veteran Growth Leader · PLG Operator · Forward Achieve Partner

Your guide has run growth at two PLG unicorns, instrumented activation from zero at three companies, and currently advises Series A–C PLG teams as a fractional Head of Growth. The curriculum draws on the Forward Achieve PLG library, the Beast Score diagnostic and a library of unlisted PLG leader interviews.

What to Expect

Designed for a working growth leader's calendar.

Duration12 weeks · Starts [START DATE]
CadenceLive sessions [DAY] at [TIME + TIMEZONE]
Time Commitment2–3 hrs most weeks; ~5 hrs in build weeks (Weeks 4, 7, 11).
FormatLive sessions (60–90 min) · Peer pairs · Async build sprints
Learning TracksPick Read OR Listen each week — your call
ToolingClaude Code, Notion / Obsidian, Mixpanel / Amplitude / PostHog, paywall templates
CommunityPrivate Circle space + office hours
Cohort Cap7 seats
InvestmentFounding-cohort pricing starts at [$X]. Final fit and price confirmed on a short intro call.

Frequently Asked

The questions every PLG leader asks first.

Will this work with our analytics stack?

Yes. Every artifact runs on your real Mixpanel/Amplitude/PostHog/Snowflake. We don't make you replatform.

Is this for B2B or B2C PLG?

B2B-leaning, but the activation, monetization and expansion frameworks generalize. Pure consumer apps with no monetization layer may not fit.

Do I need a Series B+ company?

No. We've designed for Series A+ with real self-serve traction. The room is curated for stage fit.

How much time will this take?

2–3 hours most weeks, ~5 in build weeks.

How is this different from Reforge?

Reforge is curriculum. This is execution — five anchors and a live workflow on your real funnel, in a curated 7-person room.

What if it's not for me?

Ship Anchor 1 by Week 3 and decide — tell us and we'll refund. [CONFIRM refund terms.]

The Full Syllabus

Curious about the week-by-week?

Three stages. Twelve weeks. Click any stage to expand.

Week 1

The Snap and the Score

Run the PLG Beast Score. Diagnose activation, conversion, retention, expansion. Draft 12-week target.

Session 1 · 90 min · Orientation.

Week 2

Reading Your Funnel

Map your funnel against Substitute/Augment/Elevate. Top 3 leak points.

Session 2 · 60 min · Funnel clinic.

Week 3Anchor 1 ships

Ship the PLG Funnel Diagnostic

One-page diagnostic across activation, conversion, retention, expansion, CAC. Peer-tested live.

Session 3 · 90 min · Diagnostic clinic.

Week 4Anchor 2 ships

Build the Growth Second Brain

Claude Code + Notion. Load funnel data, user interviews, experiment notes. Query your KB.

Session 4 · 60 min · Build session.

Week 5

Activation Done Right

Workshop activation events that actually predict retention. Ship one production prompt for a scoring model.

Session 5 · 90 min · Activation lab.

Week 6Anchor 3 ships

Ship the Activation Model

Activation event, time-to-value, leading indicators. Whole org alignment.

Session 6 · 60 min · Activation clinic.

Week 7Anchor 4 ships

Ship the PQL Definition

Who's product-qualified, what they look like, how sales engages. Closes the PLG–sales gap.

Session 7 · 90 min · PQL shipped.

Week 8

Choose Your Monetization Bet

Pre-score 3 candidate paywall placements. Run the Filter Test. Lock your anchor.

Session 8 · 60 min · Monetization clinic.

Week 9Anchor 5 ships

Ship the Monetization & Expansion Map

Pricing, packaging, paywall, expansion paths. Push to leadership in week.

Session 9 · 90 min · Monetization role-play.

Week 10

Experiment Velocity in the AI Era

Walkthrough of AI-augmented experiment design. Ship one experiment spec in room.

Session 10 · 60 min · Experiment audit.

Week 11System ships

Build the Live AI Growth Workflow

Ship one workflow on real funnel data — activation predictor, PQL scorer, or churn-risk agent.

Session 11 · 90 min · Workflow built live.

Week 12Demo Day

Demo Day + 90-Day Plan

Present 5 anchors + live workflow. Sign 90-day plan.

Session 12 · 90 min · Demo Day.

Apply

First cohort. 7 seats. Founding-member status.

This is the inaugural run of the program. Pricing, access, and the seat at the table all reflect that — and won't repeat in future cohorts.

Founding Pricing
Materially below what future cohorts will pay.
Direct Access to Your Guide
A 7-person room means real 1:1 time every week.
Shape the Curriculum
Your feedback locks in v1. Future cohorts inherit it.

Seven seats deserve a conversation, not a form — so there's one step:

Internal: Sales playbook — ICPs, Apollo search & 5-touch sequences ↗

If you're a sitting Head of Growth, VP Growth, CPO or PLG founder ready to design the engine — let's talk.