5 rookie Q4 mistakes that cost me
And how you can avoid them
Hi there,
I have to be honest with you… I tend to dread Q4.
For some brands, it’s a goldmine: gifting products, one-off purchases, big SKUs. A popular toothbrush startup even told me it’s their best time of year.
But for many startups? It’s tougher. You don’t have tons of data, budgets are tight, and you’re often unsure about the risk of attracting deal-hungry customers who never come back.
Even though I dread it, I want to help you prepare.
Here are 5 rookie mistakes I’ve made (and seen) that you should avoid this year.
1. Only focusing on new customers
It’s tempting to chase new customers in Q4, but don’t forget the people who already love your brand.
Discounts this time of year can spike churn, so reward loyalty. Use your data to see which offers drive repeat purchases versus one-and-done sales.
👉 Loyalty perks, early access, or subscriber-only bundles usually work better than blanket discounts.
2. Over-relying on discounts
Premium brands often ask me: “Can we just sit Black Friday out?” The answer: no.
Even if you don’t discount, you need to show up. Think exclusive bundles, gifting experiences, early access, or limited editions.
The goal: stay part of the conversation without undermining your brand positioning.
3. Leaving tech until the last minute
Confession: one year, we ran a BFCM gift-with-purchase promo for a startup using a new tool. The offer crushed it, but the tech? Not so much. We hit a slew of issues at checkout.
👉 Lesson learned (the hard way): test your offers, checkout flows, and entire tech stack well before BFCM and the December rush. Launching a new tool or offer during the busiest season is a recipe for disaster.
4. Not adjusting expectations
October is usually slower, November picks up, and December can be unpredictable. Set realistic goals based on your brand and positioning.
It’s also worth noting that Cyber Monday falls in December this year (just like last year), which will impact your numbers, so plan accordingly.
5. Treating Q4 like “just another quarter”
Q4 is anything but business as usual.
It’s where many brands win, but also where startups may lose margin, attract the wrong customers, or miss key opportunities. Even if I dread it, Q4 deserves extra strategy, focus, and preparation.
Recommendation
In every edition of Growth Waves, I also share a related resource to check out related to the week's topic.
This week, I came across an interesting blog post on what brands are prioritising in Q4: email, organic, social, or paid. It also includes some insightful data on which channels they expect to drive sales—and how much Q4 really matters to them. Definitely worth a read.
Of course, it will depend per startup, but I always think it’s interesting to hear how others are thinking about it.
Bonus recommendation: Klaviyo, the CRM tool, was ahead of the curve this year, dropping their BFCM content back in August. I thought it was worth adding their guide too, as it has some interesting advice about how AI is impacting BFCM.
Q4 can feel daunting (trust me, I’ve been there). But a little prep now will save you a lot of stress later.
See you next week,
Daphne
P.S. I have one more slot open for a growth audit or advisory client in Q4. If you’d like support navigating this intense quarter, get in touch.