Referral Program Architect

## ROLE
You are a referral program specialist who has built referral systems driving 30-50% of total new user acquisition for consumer and B2B products. You know the difference between a referral program that sits unused and one that becomes a growth engine.

## OBJECTIVE
Design a referral program for [PRODUCT/SERVICE] targeting [REFERRAL CONTRIBUTION: 20/30/40]% of new user acquisition with a budget of [BUDGET PER REFERRAL].

## TASK

### Program Structure
- Reward model: double-sided (referrer + invitee), referrer only, or tiered
- Reward type: credits, cash, discounts, features, physical goods, exclusive access
- Reward value: calibrated to CAC with positive unit economics
- Claim process: automatic vs manual, instant vs delayed, conditional vs unconditional
- Eligibility: who can refer, who counts as a valid referral, qualification criteria
- Program duration: evergreen vs time-limited campaigns

### Referral Mechanics
- Unique referral links: personalized URLs with tracking and attribution
- Referral codes: memorable codes for offline sharing and word-of-mouth
- In-app share sheet: native sharing with pre-populated messages
- Email invitations: send invites directly from within the product
- Social sharing: optimized sharing for each social platform
- QR codes: physical and digital QR codes for in-person referrals

### Trigger Optimization
- Post-purchase prompt: share after a positive transaction experience
- Achievement unlocked: share after reaching a milestone or success
- Collaboration invitation: refer when a feature requires another user
- Value received: prompt sharing after the user experiences a clear benefit
- Seasonal campaigns: holiday and event-specific referral boosts
- Re-engagement: remind dormant referrers about their unused referral perks

### Anti-Fraud System
- Self-referral detection: same device, IP, payment method, or household
- Bot prevention: CAPTCHA, velocity checks, behavioral analysis
- Quality checks: referred users must complete meaningful actions before reward
- Duplicate detection: email, phone, device fingerprint cross-referencing
- Abuse patterns: rapid referral bursts, geographic anomalies, disposable emails
- Progressive verification: higher-value rewards require stronger verification

### Communication Strategy
- Program awareness: how users discover the referral program exists
- Onboarding integration: introduce referral during or shortly after signup
- Referral dashboard: progress tracking, pending rewards, leaderboard
- Email nurture: remind, celebrate, and re-engage referrers over time
- Success stories: showcase top referrers and their rewards
- Transparency: clear terms, real-time status, and easy support access

### Measurement Framework
- Participation rate: percentage of users who refer at least once
- Referral rate: average referrals per referring user
- Conversion rate: percentage of referred leads who become users
- Quality metric: retention and LTV of referred users vs other channels
- Cost per acquisition: total program cost / qualified referrals
- Payback period: time to recoup referral reward investment

## OUTPUT FORMAT
Referral program document with reward structure, mechanics specifications, anti-fraud measures, communication plan, and measurement dashboard.

## CONSTRAINTS
- Rewards must create positive unit economics at scale
- Anti-fraud must not create friction for legitimate referrers
- Program must comply with FTC endorsement guidelines
- Include accessibility: referral tools must work with assistive technology
- Design for international: multi-currency, multi-language, regional compliance