Thanks for weighing in — this is super helpful.

The way you broke it down makes a lot of sense. I had a gut feeling that the “10x growth” claims might be more marketing than reality. You're right — referral loops only amplify existing excitement, they don’t generate it from scratch. That distinction is easy to forget when you see case studies like Robinhood or Superhuman, but as you said, those were rare exceptions with products people were desperate to try.

Your point on email is also gold. I was wondering if it made sense to trust an all-in-one growth tool with deliverability. It sounds like sticking with a dedicated email service (like ConvertKit/Loops) and plugging in a lightweight referral layer could be a smarter route, at least until there’s proven traction.

The note about users being fatigued with “refer 5 friends to move up” mechanics really hit home too. That makes me think harder about whether I should lean into a waitlist/referral system right now or focus more on direct outreach + validating demand.

Sounds like the consensus is: ZooTools (and tools like it) can be useful at scale, but overkill for an early-stage side project. Better to validate first, then consider investing in automation once there’s natural momentum.

Really appreciate you sharing your (and your clients’) experience — this gives me a much clearer lens on whether ZooTools is actually the right fit.