Most startups don’t fail because they can’t grow. They fail because they can’t scale what’s already working.In this episode of Messy Growth, I sit down with Ned Arick (VP of Operations @ Acquisition.com) - someone who’s built and rebuilt revenue engines across multiple companies from $0 → $100M+.We break down:

• Why hiring more salespeople too early kills growth
• The difference between real growth vs fake activity
• What founders get wrong about scaling revenue teams
• Why process is greater than people people (and when that flips)
• The biggest hiring mistakes early-stage founders make
• How to move from founder-led chaos → predictable systems
• Why most companies are solving the wrong problem entirely

This isn’t theory. This is what actually happens inside companies trying to scale.If you’re a founder, operator, or building a SaaS company - this will save you months (if not years).

Most startups still think:→ Find product-market fit→ Scale distribution→ WinThat playbook is breaking.In this episode of Messy Growth, I sit down (again) with Wiktor Sobolak - fractional Head of Product working with startups from Seed to Series B - to unpack what’s actually happening inside product and growth teams right now.We get into:

• Why product-market fit is now a moving target
• The uncomfortable truth: distribution alone won’t save you anymore
• What used to be moats… and why they’re disappearing fast
• How AI is reshaping product teams, roles, and decision-making
• Why most teams are wasting time on roadmaps, experiments, and documentation
• What actually matters now: speed, systems, and product judgment

This is not theory. This is what’s breaking and what’s working inside real companies.If you’re building, scaling, or trying to stay relevant in SaaS… this one will challenge how you think.

Most SaaS companies think they’re doing “growth.”In reality? They’re just doing activity.In this episode of Messy Growth, I sit down with Emilia Korczynska (VP of Marketing @ Userpilot) to break down what actually drives sustainable growth in SaaS and what most teams are getting completely wrong.We go deep on: • Why most marketing efforts don’t translate into real growth • The biggest mistake between sign-up and activation • Why retention problems are often product problems • The truth about SEO, AI content, and “growth hacks” • What it actually takes to build a compounding growth engine • The mindset shift from IC → VP (and why most people struggle with it)Emilia also shares raw, practical insights on: • Delegation and leadership at scale • Why founders underestimate marketing effort • What separates average marketers from great ones in the AI eraIf you’re building, scaling, or stuck trying to grow a SaaS company, this is the conversation you need.

AI is everywhere but very few people actually understand what’s happening under the surface.

In this episode, I sit down with Teo Borschberg, Co-founder & CEO of Ogment AI, to break down what AI agents actually are, how companies are using them today, and where this is all heading next.

Téo has been building in AI long before it became mainstream founding and exiting an AI company to Unity, and operating across global markets like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Lisbon, and San Francisco.

This is not theory. This is real-world execution.

🔍 What we cover:

• What AI agents actually do (and why they’re different from ChatGPT)

• Why most companies are getting AI adoption wrong

• The real risks of giving AI autonomy inside organizations

• How to stay relevant as AI reshapes knowledge work

• Why face-to-face trust still beats Zoom in business

• The future of teams: humans + AI agents working together

• Whether AI will actually replace jobs—or just reshape them

• What skills matter now (and what’s becoming obsolete)

• Lessons from building, scaling, and exiting AI companies

⚠️ Key Insight

AI isn’t just a tool - it’s a force multiplier.

The people who win won’t be the ones who ignore it, but the ones who learn how to use it strategically and think critically.

👤 About the Guest

Téo Borschberg is the Co-founder & CEO of Augment AI, focused on deploying AI agents safely across organizations. Previously founded an AI voice analysis company acquired by Unity Technologies.

Most companies think growth comes from hacks.It doesn’t.In this episode of Messy Growth, I sit down with Julia Salanko, Growth & Experimentation Specialist at Nord Security (NordVPN), to break down what actually drives sustainable product growth.With over 15M+ users, NordVPN isn’t guessing — they’re experimenting, learning, and optimizing at scale.And most teams are doing it completely wrong.🚨 What we cover: • Why most A/B tests fail (and what to do instead) • The biggest illusion founders have about experimentation • Why user feedback can mislead you • The real difference between early-stage vs scale growth • Why acquisition is overrated (and what matters more) • How to avoid “fake productivity” experiments • What breaks when growth actually starts working • AI vs growth: does it actually make things easier? • The #1 mistake marketers make moving into tech🧠 Key takeaway:Growth isn’t about tactics.It’s about understanding: • Human behavior • Product value • And making better decisions with imperfect data👤 About Julia: • Growth & Experimentation @ Nord Security • Worked on products with 15M+ users globally • Ex-GLOVO early team (scaled partner acquisition from 0 → 60K leads) • Runs hundreds of A/B tests across acquisition, onboarding, and activation • Mentor at Turing College🔗 Connect with Julia:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliya-salanko/

Most companies think AI is a shortcut. It’s not.

In this episode, Jonathan Kvarfordt (VP of GTM Strategy & Marketing @ Momentum + Founder of GTM AI Academy) breaks down what’s actually happening inside modern go-to-market teams and why most companies are getting AI completely wrong.

We go beyond the hype and dive into:

• Why AI is NOT an “easy button” for growth

• The difference between using AI vs operationalizing AI

• How one company replaced 15 BDRs with 2 (and increased pipeline)

• Why most AI strategies fail before they even start

• What AI is already better than humans at (and what it’s not)

• The future of sales roles in an AI-first world

• How to actually start using AI inside your GTM team today

If you’re in sales, marketing, RevOps, or leadership - this is a must-watch.

⸻

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why AI is NOT just about doing things faster

• The difference between AI experimentation vs operationalization

• Why only ~7–24% of companies are truly using AI effectively

• How one company replaced 15 BDRs with 2 (and increased pipeline)

• The biggest mistake companies make when adopting AI tools

• Why process matters more than tools

• Where AI is already outperforming humans (and where it fails)

• The future of sales roles in an AI-first world

• How to actually start implementing AI in your GTM strategy

• The skill every revenue leader must develop to stay relevant

🎯 Who This Episode Is For:

• Founders & startup operators

• Sales leaders & RevOps professionals

• Marketing & GTM teams

• Anyone trying to implement AI beyond ChatGPT prompts

Raising money sounds glamorous… until you actually try to do it.In this episode of Messy Growth, I sit down with Kat Weaver - exited founder, investor, and founder of Power to Pitch - to break down what really happens behind the scenes of fundraising.We go beyond pitch decks and tactics and dive into: • Why venture capital is NOT your first option (and should be Plan F) • What founders consistently get wrong about raising money • Why weak startups get funded while strong ones don’t • The psychology behind investors (it’s more emotional than you think) • The biggest lies founders tell themselves about fundraising • Why storytelling can make or break your raise • The real cost of taking VC money (that nobody talks about)Cat has helped founders raise $70M+ and shares brutally honest insights you won’t hear on LinkedIn or TechCrunch.If you’re a founder, operator, or thinking about raising capital — this is a must-watch.Whether you're pre-seed, Series A, or just exploring your options - this conversation will change how you think about raising capital.🎙️ About Kat WeaverKat is an exited founder, investor, and the creator of Power to Pitch - a program that has helped founders raise over $70M in funding. She works with early-stage startups on fundraising strategy, pitch development, and investor readiness.Kat's LI:   / katweaverKat's Instagram:   / iamkatweaver

What if everything you’ve been told about success… is wrong?In this raw, unfiltered conversation, we dive deep into: • Why work becomes your identity (and why that’s dangerous) • The hidden cost of hustle culture • Why making more money doesn’t actually make you happier • How AI and modern work are reshaping purpose • What truly matters when you look back on your lifeWe also explore: • “Life KPIs” and what they actually mean • Why people feel lost without work • The trap of productivity and constant optimization • How companies treat people as resources (and why it’s broken) • The difference between success, wealth, and fulfillmentThis isn’t your typical business conversation. It’s honest. It’s uncomfortable. And it might change how you think about your life.

Something feels off.Content is getting weirder. Attention spans are collapsing. AI is moving faster than anyone expected. And most people don’t even realize what’s happening.In this episode, we go deep on: • Why reaction content and split-screen videos work • The rise of echo chambers and validation loops • How AI is shaping behavior (more than we admit) • Whether this is a bubble… or something much bigger • What happens if jobs, purpose, and meaning start to shiftThis isn’t a surface-level conversation. It’s about where things are actually heading.

Most companies are still guessing when it comes to AI and go-to-market. ElevenLabs isn't.In this episode of Messy Growth, I sit down with Jonathan Chemouny, who works in GTM for Europe at one of the fastest-growing AI companies in the world.We go beyond the hype and talk about what’s actually working inside a company scaling at insane speed.We get into: • Why distribution is greater than product in 2026 • What founders understand that most operators miss • How AI is actually changing GTM (and what’s just noise) • Why leaders at ElevenLabs are still doing outbound themselves • The biggest mistake companies make when scaling sales teams • Why moving upmarket breaks most SaaS companies • And what great GTM leaders do differentlyPlus: • AI SDRs vs human SDRs (what’s real vs hype) • Why in-person sales is still a massive edge • What sales teams will look like in the next 3–5 yearsIf you’re building in SaaS right now - this is a real look behind the scenes.