Before growth hacking was mainstream, teenage creators formed private group chats to share knowledge. They collaboratively decoded the Instagram algorithm, sharing tips on hashtags and what content worked, creating a powerful competitive advantage for the members of the private community.
In Instagram's early days, the non-curated "Explore" feed was a key growth lever. Creators discovered that driving high engagement in the first five minutes of a post could trigger a massive, exponential boost from the algorithm, turning 600 likes into 100,000 in hours.
Early on, Kit Chilvers consciously rejected lucrative but misaligned advertising offers to avoid "selling out." This disciplined approach, which prioritized the audience experience, built significant trust and ultimately led to a stronger community and more valuable partnerships with top-tier brands.
At 16, Kit Chilvers chose a hands-on apprenticeship at viral publisher Ladbible over traditional education. This role gave him direct access to experienced media professionals from Vice and the BBC, teaching him the commercial side of the business and providing the blueprint for his own company.
A key growth tactic involved finding heartwarming text stories buried in niche subreddits. The team would then repackage these narratives into visually digestible formats for Instagram, often using "tweet style text" over images, making them shareable and accessible to a broader audience.
To diversify revenue, Puberty Group built an in-house "studio" that functions as a creative agency. They leverage their platform expertise to offer services like running a brand's social media, creating bespoke content, and managing events, moving up the value chain from simple ad sales.
Kit Chilvers intentionally positioned Puberty Group to fill a market gap for positive, wholesome social media content. He sourced undiscovered heartwarming stories from niche Reddit communities, repackaged them for Instagram, and built a massive brand around universally understood, uplifting narratives.
Kit Chilvers, a teenage gamer, approached growing his first Instagram account by "gamifying" it. He posted 30 times daily, viewing content performance as game feedback. This data-driven, trial-and-error mindset, rather than creative genius, was key to his initial success.
To find top talent, Puberty Group posts job openings on its own social media pages. This unconventional method yielded 15,000 applicants for a single role. It creates a funnel of candidates who are already fans, ensuring they understand the brand's voice and are passionate about the work.
Realizing user-generated content (UGC) drives reach but not deep community, Puberty Group is creating original content franchises like "Old Friend Club." This strategy aims to build more durable media brands and foster a stronger, more loyal audience connection than viral hits alone.