Product-led growth (PLG) became a trendy growth model, and many companies adopt it without evaluating whether it actually fits their product. The choice between PLG and sales-led isn’t aesthetic, it’s structural.
What a PLG model needs to work
For PLG to work, the product needs to generate real value without human intervention during the trial: a user has to be able to understand the benefit and activate on their own, without a demo or a salesperson explaining anything. If the product requires a lot of context or upfront configuration, pure PLG rarely works well.
When sales-led is still better
Products with high price points, complex implementations, or purchase decisions involving several people on the buying side (procurement, IT, finance) usually need a guided sales process. There, a human salesperson resolving specific objections converts better than any self-service product.
Hybrid models are the norm, not the exception
Most successful B2B companies today aren’t 100% PLG or 100% sales-led: they use PLG for initial acquisition and activation (freemium, free trial) and add a sales layer for larger or more complex accounts (“product-led sales”). The common mistake is forcing a pure model when the business actually needs both.
The signal that tells you which model to prioritize
If average contract value (ACV) is low and the potential user volume is high, PLG tends to be more efficient. If ACV is high and the potential buyer volume is low, sales-led remains the more profitable model, even though it costs more per acquired account.
If you’re evaluating which growth model makes sense for your product, message me on WhatsApp.