The Growth Hour

In this episode, we sit down with Mikhail Chernyshev, Global Brand Director at InDrive, the ride-hailing unicorn reshaping emerging markets. Mikhail shares his journey from growing Dodo Pizza into an international franchise to leading brand at VK and now InDrive.

We dive into:

• How to build purpose-driven marketing that actually converts
• What it takes to sell your vision to a CFO and secure brand budgets
• Why founders need personal brand marketing—and how to do it right
• What growing a global brand from Russia really looked like
• Lessons from scaling Dodo Pizza beyond borders
• The mindset shift from startup to unicorn

Whether you're building a brand, pitching for budget, or figuring out how to grow with purpose — this episode is packed with insight.

Co-founder of Collabwriting, Sandra Idjoski shares how are they growing their startup in real-time. 

Collabwriting is a Serbian startup founded in 2021 by Sandra Idjoski and Ivan Ralic, boasting over 6,000 weekly active users. Startup offers a browser extension designed to enhance online research and collaboration by allowing users to highlight, comment on, and organize content from the web. Additionally, it features an AI assistant called "Research Copilot" to help locate research papers on various topics.​

In April 2024, Collabwriting raised €1.1 million in a seed funding round led by SMOK Ventures, with participation from Underline Ventures, Credo Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, and angel investor Xenia Muntean from Planable. They also received a €300,000 grant from the World Bank-backed Katapult Accelerator.

In this episode, Vukasin, shares his extensive experience in growth marketing, particularly his journey with Lemlist, where he was the first hire and played a crucial role in scaling the company to $13.5 million in ARR. He also touches on his most recent transition from growth consultant to CMO at HeyReach, highlighting the evolution of outbound marketing strategies. He discusses the importance of community, customer feedback, collaboration between marketing, sales, and customer support and organic growth strategies in building a successful brand. 

Takeaways

• Growth marketing is directly tied to revenue KPIs.
• Brand building starts from day one, even in early stages.
• Customer support plays a vital role in brand perception.
• Community feedback is essential for product development.
• Organic growth strategies can outperform paid advertising.
• Content distribution is key to user acquisition.
• Building a lean marketing team allows for flexibility and efficiency.
• Inbound marketing is generally more effective than outbound due to lower effort in lead conversion.
• Understanding your unique value proposition is crucial for effective marketing.
• Founders who understand marketing can significantly impact their startup's growth.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Growth Marketing

07:09 The Lemlist Journey

19:27 Community as a Growth Engine

28:40 Transitioning to New Ventures

30:49 The Evolution of Lead Generation Tools

32:15 Transitioning to CMO at HeyReach

37:05 Building a Lean Marketing Team

38:52 Inbound vs. Outbound: The Lead Generation Debate

44:31 The Importance of Founders in Marketing

48:43 Mentorship and Growth: Learning from Experience

53:19 Key Strategies for Startup Growth

57:25 Trends in B2B Marketing

01:01:43 Rapid Fire Questions: Quick Insights

In this episode, we have one of the most prominent executives, founders, and advisor in the gaming industry - Marija Ilic. She is a mentor at Google for Startups Accelerator, previously co-founded TwoDesperadors gaming company, and President of the board at the Serbian Gaming Association. She discusses the challenges of product development in gaming, the 60-30-10 rule for game design and explains the significance of creating a vertical slice for testing. She delves into the complexities of self-publishing in the gaming industry, the importance of user retention and analytics, and the value of user feedback in improving game design. Finally, she discusses the important role of mentorship in supporting founder and startup growth. 

Takeaways
- The 60-30-10 rule for game development.
- Creating a vertical slice is essential for testing.
- Emotional detachment is important as a founder for decision-making.
- Understanding user behavior is key in gaming.
- User retention is crucial for the success of a game.
- User feedback is essential for understanding player behavior.
- The first indicator of a founder's potential is their coachability.
- Failing fast is better than seeking textbook answers.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Maria Ilic and Her Journey
03:01 Transition from Service-Based to Product-Based Business
06:05 The Challenges of Game Development
09:07 The Importance of Metrics in Gaming
12:08 Going All In: The Decision to Focus on Gaming
14:58 The 60-30-10 Rule in Game Development
17:57 Building a Vertical Slice for Game Testing
21:03 Self-Publishing in the Gaming Industry
28:54 Going to Market: The Self-Publishing Journey
34:16 Understanding User Retention and Analytics
42:13 The Importance of User Feedback
44:34 Advising Founders: Insights from Experience
51:24 Rapid Fire: Key Decisions in Entrepreneurship

In this episode, we hosted Kseniya Strelnikova, Product Director at Raiffeisen Bank, who went from being a teacher to one of the best product experts in fintech. We discussed how to build products people actually need and how to use customer loyalty to grow revenues. Ksenia discusses the challenges faced in a regulated environment, strategies for global expansion, and the critical nature of customer retention as a growth driver. Together we dig into effective loyalty programs (hint, these are not what you expect) for reducing customer acquisition costs and enhancing customer retention. Furthermore, we explore the importance of customer support in product development and the need for deep customer understanding.

Takeaways
- Product managers must connect the vision of founders, investors, and customers.
- Understanding customer needs is crucial for product success.
- In regulated environments, creativity and adaptability are key to overcoming challenges.
- Customer retention is more cost-effective than acquiring new customers.
- Loyalty programs can drastically reduce customer acquisition costs.
- Retention metrics should focus on active users, not just logged-in users.
- Customer support teams provide invaluable insights for product development.
- Segmentation of customers is key to understanding their needs.

Sound Bites
"You have to know your customer really, really well."
"You should never describe your product."
"You have to be very thorough with the market research."
"The cost of acquiring a new customer is so high."
"You need to have a very strong brand offering."
"Retention is number one."
"Customer support is the voice of the market."

Chapters
00:00 Identifying a Good Product
00:52 The Journey from Teaching to Product Management
03:01 The Role of a Product Manager
06:02 Understanding Customer Needs
08:55 Building a Successful Product
12:01 Navigating Challenges in FinTech
15:02 Mindset in a Regulated Environment
17:46 Prioritizing Product Features
21:00 Effective Customer Conversations
23:59 Global Expansion Strategies
26:51 Customer Retention as a Growth Driver
31:23 Understanding Customer Acquisition Costs
34:19 Building Effective Loyalty Programs
36:51 The Importance of Brand Trust
39:57 Merchandising as a Brand Strategy
43:27 Measuring Retention and Success
49:38 Increasing Revenue Without New Customers
55:46 The Role of Customer Support in Product Development

In this episode, we talk about how to achieve Product Market Fit and the critical scaling phase that follows. The episode discusses the mindset required for founders, the importance of continuous customer feedback, and the need for a sustainable growth strategy. The conversation also touches on the challenges of navigating market changes, the significance of global expansion for startups, and the complexities of scaling businesses post-product market fit while emphasizing the importance of understanding market dynamics. Finally, we discuss the chaotic nature of growth and the reality of founder challenges, highlighting the need for adaptability while achieving sustainable growth.

Takeaways
- Achieving product market fit is just the beginning.
- Founders must maintain a growth mindset post-product market fit.
- Market dynamics can change; stay adaptable.
- Invest in long-term strategies once product market fit is confirmed.
- Customer segments evolve as businesses grow; adapt accordingly.
- Growth can be messy and requires embracing chaos.
- Understanding your numbers is vital for sustainable growth.

Sound Bites
"There's a life cycle to identifying product market fit."
"Localization is incredibly hard to scale."
"Invest in a good CRM system."
"You can still build a profitable business."
"You need to know your numbers."
"Don't get confident after product market fit."

Chapters
00:00 Understanding Product Market Fit
03:00 The Journey Beyond Product Market Fit
05:48 The Importance of Customer Feedback
09:08 Navigating Market Changes
12:03 Building a Sustainable Growth Strategy
15:06 Global Expansion and Market Focus
27:05 Navigating International Expansion
30:40 Challenges of Scaling in Diverse Markets
32:14 Sales Strategies Post-Product Market Fit
37:57 Understanding Growth Beyond Product Market Fit
39:26 The Mindset Shift for Founders
45:44 Embracing the Chaos of Growth
49:09 The Reality of Founder Challenges

In this conversation, the founder and COO of FishingBooker, Vukan and Dino, share their journey of building a successful international startup in the fishing tourism industry. They discuss the challenges of bootstrapping, the importance of sustainable growth, and their marketing and sales strategies. The conversation also delves into the complexities of managing a two-sided marketplace, learning from mistakes, and balancing user feedback with business goals. They also shared news about launching a new business - Boat Booker.

Takeaways

• Investors should provide money and step back.
• Bootstrapping can lead to sustainable growth.
• User feedback should be balanced with business goals.
• Not all user feedback is valuable; know your audience. User feedback is crucial for understanding edge cases.
• Sales strategies should focus on creating urgency and clarity.
• Startups should prioritize customer acquisition over retention in early stages.
• Failing fast allows startups to learn and adapt quickly.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Fishing Booker
03:05 The Journey of Building a Startup
05:59 Bootstrapping and Sustainable Growth
08:46 Marketing and Sales Strategies
12:08 Navigating Challenges in a Two-Sided Marketplace
15:09 Learning from Mistakes and User Feedback
17:54 Balancing User Feedback with Business Goals
20:50 The Importance of Persistence and Adaptability
38:32 Understanding User Feedback and Edge Cases
43:15 Sales Strategies and Entrepreneurial Mindset
48:18 The Importance of Complementary Skills in Founding
53:37 Navigating Co-Founder Relationships and Equity
56:02 Launching New Ventures: Lessons from Experience
01:01:09 Marketing and Sales Approaches in Established Businesses
01:07:23 The Balance Between Strategy and Tactics in Startups

In this episode, Anna Savina shares her journey from journalism to the head of marketing at Archetype AI. She discusses her experiences at Miro, the importance of content marketing, and the challenges of navigating the startup landscape. Anna emphasizes the significance of community building and how it can drive growth, as well as the role of AI in marketing strategies. She also reflects on her transition to Archetype AI and the exciting opportunities in the field of physical AI and discusses where

Follow Anna's journey on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-savina-9ab10a65/

Takeaways

• Anna's journey from journalism to tech startups
• Scaling Miro from early stage using community and content
• Content marketing is crucial for startup success.
• Community engagement can significantly enhance brand loyalty.
• Celebrating failures is essential for a healthy company culture.
• Understanding your audience is key to effective storytelling.
• Proactive communication is vital in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Building a strong brand narrative helps in competitive markets.
• Feedback loops between marketing and product teams drive innovation.
• Investing in community can lead to organic growth and advocacy.
• AI tools can streamline marketing processes but should not replace creativity and critical thinking.

Welcome to The Growth Hour, the no-BS podcast to scaling startups and growing revenue and businesses where we discuss real growth strategies, real wins, and the hard lessons that actually move the needle.

In this episode of The Growth Hour, the hosts discuss the challenges and insights of the Serbian startup ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of effective marketing strategies for startups. They explore the high percentage of unprofitable startups, the need for in-house marketing talent, and the pitfalls of outsourcing marketing efforts. The conversation highlights the necessity for founders to understand their market and customer needs while building a strong foundation for growth and scalability. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of marketing, emphasising the need for data-driven strategies and the importance of building a strong brand. They discuss the challenges faced by marketers, the pitfalls of vanity metrics, and the necessity of understanding market dynamics, especially when considering regional versus global expansion. The dialogue also touches on the role of founders in navigating these challenges and the impact of political and economic factors on business independence.