I feel it's unfortunate "growth hacking" took on this connotation (ie, "comparable to astroturfing / fraudulent by definition", given the need for a term to de

I feel it's unfortunate "growth hacking" took on this connotation (ie, "comparable to astroturfing / fraudulent by definition", given the need for a term to describe (genuine / above-board / white-hat) creative approaches to connecting your idea with a market. Reminiscent of "hacker:cracker" usage divide, more generally.