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/