Messy Growth

Syed Asad
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Building businesses isn’t clean. It’s messy, uncertain, and full of mistakes. Messy Growth features growth operators, founders, and leaders building B2B companies - from Poland and beyond - scaling from $1M to $50M+ ARR (and everything in between). Most guests are based in Poland - my home base - but I also sit down with founders and operators across Europe and globally. What you’ll get: → Real GTM strategies (not theory) → How to scale sales without burning cash → The uncomfortable truth about building in public → Honest operator stories from the trenches No fluff. No fake metrics. Just

  1. 12/16/2025

    From Film School to Running a $10M+ Tech Company | Anna Zarudzka

    Anna Zarudzka runs Boldare, a 100-person digital product company in Poland that's built 300+ products and operates without traditional managers.But she didn't start in tech. She started in jazz, painting, and TV production at Poland's biggest channels.In 2008, she left a dying industry (TV) to co-found what became Boldare. They scaled to 200 people using Holacracy (no hierarchy, no bosses), then intentionally scaled back to 100.Why? Because fast growth broke their leadership, killed operational excellence, and turned the company into something they didn't recognize.In this conversation, Anna breaks down:→ Why she chose client services over building a SaaS unicorn (and why most founders are chasing the wrong thing)→ How Holacracy actually works at scale (and where it broke)→ What it's like to fire 100 people (and why she still doesn't sleep well)→ Why "being at the top" is a myth that keeps you stuck→ How her chaotic creative background (film, jazz, law) prepared her to run a tech company→ The difference between strategy that works on slides vs. strategy that survives reality→ Why she co-founded a democratic elementary school where kids vote on budgetsWe also talked about:✅ Co-CEO dynamics (sharing power without killing each other)✅ Why most Polish tech talent stays in smaller cities (not Warsaw)✅ The worst project disasters and what they taught her✅ How to compete with massive outsourcing shops (EPAM, Soft Serve) with only 100 people✅ Why "top of the mountain" thinking will burn you outIf you've ever felt like you need to build a unicorn to matter, or wondered what leadership looks like without traditional hierarchy, this one's for you.

    1 hr

  2. 12/11/2025

    How to Build Marketing Engines That Actually Drive Revenue | Mateusz Zalubski

    Mateusz Zalubski left Google to join FlixBus (a bus company), co-founded and sold an e-commerce business, became CMO at Incogni (a privacy tech company), and won CMO of the Year 2024.In this conversation, we break down:→ Why he left Google to work for a bus company (and what he learned about brutal markets)→ The real difference between CMOs who drive revenue vs those who just run campaigns→ Why big corporations aren't doing marketing "wrong" (controversial take)→ How to market products people need but don't want to think about (privacy tech)→ The 3 biggest mistakes marketing leaders make when building teams→ Why he refuses to pretend he knows everything (and why that makes him better)→ How to market a product in 50+ countries simultaneously→ Why entrepreneurship is 10x harder than being a CMO at a scale-up→ The importance of feedback (and why most leaders screw it up)→ What he looks for when hiring marketers (hint: it's not experience)Mateusz has built marketing teams at Google, FlixBus, Supersonic, and now leads growth at Incogni, part of Surfshark (a company serving millions of users globally). He's also did an Executive MBA at Kozminski while being a full-time CMO (because he's apparently a masochist).If you're a marketer, founder, or anyone trying to build a marketing engine that actually drives revenue, this conversation is packed with tactical insights from someone who's done it at scale.

    52 min

  3. 12/09/2025

    How to Get Results in 90 Days: Ex-Google VP of Growth Reveals Her Exact Process | Agata Krzysztofik

    Agata Krzysztofik spent 7 years at Google shaping community strategy and scaling global platforms, then became VP of Growth at multiple high-growth startups (Piktochart, SimScale, Demodesk), and now runs Growth52 - an agency helping B2B SaaS companies fix their Google Ads and hit profitable growth in 90 days.In this conversation, we break down:→ The exact 90-day process she uses to achieve solid ROAS and healthy LTV:CAC ratios→ Why most agencies focus on MQLs instead of revenue (and why that's killing your growth)→ The 3-part audit she runs before touching a single campaign (conversion economics, funnel leakage, messaging)→ The real difference between good OKRs and bullsh*t OKRs (most companies get this wrong)→ Why Google Ads fail for B2B SaaS (and how to fix broken conversion tracking)→ How to transition from founder-led sales to sales-led motion without breaking everything→ PLG vs Sales-Led: which growth engine to build and when→ Why she burned out as a VP and started her own agency (and why she's never going back)→ How to prevent CAC inflation when scaling paid channels→ What channels to bet on if you're starting a B2B SaaS company todayAgata has rebuilt marketing organizations, doubled sales performance, and driven radical improvements in conversion and retention across multiple startups. She's also a Growth52 mentor and helps subscription businesses (B2B SaaS and B2C) scale profitably with Google Ads.If you're a founder, marketer, or growth leader trying to build a marketing engine that actually drives revenue (not just vanity metrics), this conversation is packed with tactical frameworks you can implement immediately.

    1h 2m

  4. 12/04/2025

    From Corporate to Startup: How to Pivot Careers Without Starting Over | Sylwia Maslowska

    Most career advice tells you to "follow your passion" or "network more." Sylwia Masłowska actually did the work, she went from BNP Paribas and Thomson Reuters (corporate) to Netguru and 10Clouds (tech startups), managed $40M revenue divisions, built customer success teams from scratch, and led operations teams of 100+ people.Sylwia is the CSO at Polcode and she also runs Shift & Pause, a consultancy helping people navigate the messy parts of career transitions: getting laid off, pivoting industries, and figuring out what's next when the path isn't clear.In this conversation, we cover:→ Why she left corporate for tech (and how she knew it was the right time)→ The biggest difference between corporate and startups (it's not what you think)→ The #1 mistake people make when trying to pivot careers (spoiler: they focus on titles, not skills)→ How to convince employers you're qualified when you don't have "relevant experience"→ Why fractional executive roles are exploding (20% annual growth) and if it's real or rebranded consulting→ The messiest period in her career (and what it taught her)→ Why working the hardest doesn't mean you'll succeed (and what actually does)→ How to balance conflicting interests when running a $40M division→ The growth play that completely flopped (cold outbound, and why it never really worked)→ Why companies focus on the wrong metrics (growth vs. retention)→ Her advice to her younger self: "You've got this. You can do it."KEY TAKEAWAYS:1. Skills are transferable - focus on what you're good at, not the next title2. Career paths aren't ladders- they're messy, non-linear, and that's okay3. Working smart beats working hard - sustainable success requires boundaries4. The best time to pivot is when you have enough experience to transfer but not so much that you're stuck5. Retention metrics matter more than growth metrics (but companies forget this)

    1h 5m

  5. 12/02/2025

    Building a Startup While Raising Kids

    Most founders struggle to build one thing at a time. Paulina Walkowiak built a UX analytics company while being pregnant, raising two kids, and moving between Berlin, Poland, Madeira, and Lisbon.She's the CEO of CUX.io - a tool helping e-commerce companies eliminate conversion blockers. She's competed against giants like Hotjar and Mixpanel for 6+ years, survived near-failures, hired too fast after investment, and figured out that consultancy beats pure SaaS for her business model.In this conversation, we talk about:-Why she embraces being called a "mompreneur" (and why most women hate it)-How she works while breastfeeding on client calls What big companies get wrong about UX despite having all the dataWhy corporate stability is an illusionThe moment she realized she had everything she wanted but wasn't happyWhy freelancing might've been the better pathThis isn't a textbook success story. It's messy, honest, and real.If you're building something while life is happening around you - this one's for you.

    52 min

  6. 11/27/2025

    Support Agent to CEO in 8 Years (No Job Hopping)

    Most people think you need to job hop every 18 months to climb the ladder in tech. Margaret Sikora proved them wrong.She started at Woodpecker in 2017 as a junior customer success agent answering support tickets. Eight years later, she's the CEO. Same company. No shortcuts.Junior CS → Customer Success Officer → Head of Support → Head of Product → COO → CEO.She didn't parachute in from Google. She didn't get an MBA. She just kept proving she could do the next thing. Oh, and she got a PhD in law along the way (which she admits was mostly pointless).This is the most honest conversation I've had about what it actually takes to go from entry-level to CEO in B2B SaaS. Most people think you need to job hop every 18 months to climb the ladder in tech. Margaret Sikora proved them wrong.She started at Woodpecker in 2017 as a junior customer success agent answering support tickets. Eight years later, she's the CEO. Same company. No shortcuts.Junior CS → Customer Success Officer → Head of Support → Head of Product → COO → CEO.She didn't parachute in from Google. She didn't get an MBA. She just kept proving she could do the next thing. Oh, and she got a PhD in law along the way (which she admits was mostly pointless).This is the most honest conversation I've had about what it actually takes to go from entry-level to CEO in B2B SaaS.WHAT WE COVER:- Why most customer success people burn out (and how she avoided it)- The exact moment she realized she could transition from CS to Product- How to manage people who used to be your peers without it getting weird- Why she got a PhD while scaling to CEO (spoiler: prestige is fake)- The hardest decision she made as CEO (withdrawing products her team built)- Is it actually lonely at the top? Her honest answer- Why "follow your passion" is garbage advice (discipline beats motivation)- The one skill every CEO needs that no one talks about- How Woodpecker competes in a crowded cold email market (Lemlist, -Instantly, Smartlead)- Her take on whether cold emailing is dead in 2025- What changes when you become CEO (and what doesn't)- How she avoids burnout as CEO (or doesn't - her answer surprised me)If you're in customer success, product, sales, or any GTM role and you're wondering how to build a real career without job hopping every year, this is for you.Margaret doesn't do corporate speak. She's brutally honest about imposter syndrome, making decisions that piss people off, and why being CEO is exhausting but worth it.

    48 min

  7. 11/25/2025

    We Quit the VC Treadmill — Profit, Remote Work & Gaming

    Most founders raise VC money and stay on the treadmill. Raise. Burn. Grow. Repeat.Maciej Sawicki did something different.After raising $4M and scaling inStreamly to 150,000 streamers (working with Samsung, Disney, PlayStation), he had 10 months of runway left and two choices: collapse or pivot to profitability.He chose profit.Now inStreamly is fully remote, fully profitable, and fully independent. No more VC treadmill.Maciej's been in gaming for 20+ years. Co-founded Headshot TV in 2005 (streaming esports before Twitch existed), hosted Polish esports shows with 500K+ viewers, and understands the gaming industry better than most VCs ever will.In this conversation, we talk about:Why he stopped chasing growth when the money ran outHow to run truly async teams (not fake "remote-first")Why most brands still don't understand the gaming marketThe biggest myth about remote workWhy working 12 hours a day is a terrible ideaWhat VCs actually bring to the table (spoiler: not much)Why your company should always be for saleThis isn't about unicorns or exits. It's about building something sustainable while staying sane.If you're tired of the growth-at-all-costs narrative, this one's for you.

    1 hr

  8. 11/21/2025

    From Zero → 75K Customers: How to Build & Scale Products That Actually Win

    Abram built Natu.Care from nothing into one of Poland’s fastest-growing premium supplement brands — 75,000 customers and 5× growth in 2024 — while previously architecting product & AI transformations for platforms serving 900K+ users. In this episode of Messy Growth we go deep on:• How to win trust in a scam-filled category (transparency, lab tests, customer feedback loops)• Building product-led growth that scales — SEO, experimentation and influencer playbooks• Running multiple high-impact products without burning out (systems, energy, hiring)• How to set up autonomous teams and a 40%+ experiment success culture• Practical AI automation: where to start and what to avoidIf you’re building products, running GTM, or scaling teams — this is for you. Abram is a builder’s builder: CTO, CPO and founder who turns chaos into systems.

    49 min
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About

Building businesses isn’t clean. It’s messy, uncertain, and full of mistakes. Messy Growth features growth operators, founders, and leaders building B2B companies - from Poland and beyond - scaling from $1M to $50M+ ARR (and everything in between). Most guests are based in Poland - my home base - but I also sit down with founders and operators across Europe and globally. What you’ll get: → Real GTM strategies (not theory) → How to scale sales without burning cash → The uncomfortable truth about building in public → Honest operator stories from the trenches No fluff. No fake metrics. Just

Information

  • Creator
    Syed Asad
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Syed Asad
  • Show Website
    Messy Growth