Design is Marketing

Where should small and medium businesses really start with marketing? In this episode of Growth Architects, I talk with Reed Hansen, a marketing strategist who helps SMEs build strong, realistic marketing foundations — without wasting money on the wrong channels. We break down what actually works when you’re trying to grow a business in a crowded market, and how to combine strategy with execution...

If you're curious to dive into the behavioral aspects of storytelling, this episode is for you. My guest Jimi Gibson, now a successful marketeer and speaker at TEDx, started his career as a magician. The skills he has learned as a magician have been very powerful in his career and he's sharing them with us. Along the way, he mastered the art of grabbing attention and keeping it and today,...

What separates successful entrepreneurs from the rest? And how can authors use those insights to grow their brand and sell more books? In this episode, I talk with Robert Plank — author of Next Level Self, host of DFY Podcast, and a master of getting things DONE. We dig into the lessons from his book (inspired by dozens of high-performing entrepreneurs) and how authors can apply these insights to...

In this episode of Growth Architects, we interview Dmitri Dragilev, a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in SEO and PR.Dmitry has launched several companies and sold them to the likes of Google and SEM Rush. Dmitri shares insights on the importance of combining technical and marketing skills for SEO success, the evolution of SEO in the age of AI, and his personal journey from developer...

What if your book wasn’t just a book, but the starting point for a profitable online course, a loyal community, and a sustainable business? In this episode, I talk to Josh from CADClass, who went from studying pharmacy to becoming an educator in 3D printing and CAD design. But this isn’t just a story about design—it’s a blueprint for authors, educators, and niche creators who want to turn their kn...

When your company manages multiple brands, it’s easy for things to get messy — fast. In this episode of Growth Architects, I break down how to maintain brand consistency across different sub-brands, business units, or products — without losing strategic clarity or confusing your audience. We also dive into how to design product experiences that drive adoption from day one, and what it really takes...

In this episode of Growth Architects , I sat down with Ben Wainwright to unpack how he built a successful coaching business—one that doesn’t just sell sessions, but defines a whole new category around mental fitness . We talked about what it takes to stand out in the crowded services space, how to build a real community around your offer, and why launching a coaching business today is less about c...

Thinking about launching a micro-SaaS to make some extra income—or even build a sustainable solo business? Ivan Homola, an Indie Maker who lives off the products he builds and sells online, joins us to share exactly how he does it. In this episode, Ivan walks us through his journey from freelancing to launching multiple SaaS products, his approach to validating ideas quickly, and why distribution...

You’ve validated your product—now how do you scale it? Simone Angeloni, Head of Product at CareerFairy, joins us to break it down. With a background in innovation at one of the Big Four, Simone has helped CareerFairy become a leading platform for HR events across Europe. His approach? Razor-sharp product development rooted in user needs. In this episode, we discuss: How to uncover the true "j...

In this episode of Growth Architects, I'm joined by Hannah Boomgaarden from Plug and Play. We discuss the dynamics of collaboration between startups and large corporates. We explore the concept of open innovation, the importance of building trust, and the steps necessary for successful partnerships. Leveraging her experience, Hannah shares insights on navigating the tender process, the phases...

What are the elements that influence growth in a startup? And how has the role of user experience changed over time? I'm your host Federico and in this episode of Growth Architects, I'm joined by Andy Budd, VC investor and a pioneer in UX design and author of 'The Growth Equation'. We discuss the evolution of user experience design, its strategic role in business, and how design ca...

In this episode, Federico interviews Ed Johnson, the founder of Pushfar, a mentoring platform. Ed has launched, scaled and exited Pushfar and has been awarded as Forbes 30 under 30 in Europe this year. He shares with us his entrepreneurial journey, importance of profitability from day one, trust in co-founders, and the value of hiring self-motivated individuals. Ed also shares the challenges of pr...

Welcome back to Growth Architects, the podcast where we break down the strategies, tools, and insights mid-sized companies need to scale effectively. In this episode, I’m joined by Fabian Maume, a former founder who has mastered the art and science of digital marketing. With expertise in SEO, email marketing, and paid ads for B2B SaaS, Fabien now works with funds and investors to grow their portfo...

Summary In this episode, Federico interviews Enrique Hoyos, CMO of Pexels, discussing the importance of data in driving growth, the integration of marketing and product strategies, and the unique challenges of managing a free content platform. Enrique shares insights from his journey in marketing, the significance of onboarding for contributors, and how qualitative insights can lead to better deci...

In this episode of Design is Marketing, Rafa Brandao, Head of UX at iFood and previously Head of UX at HBO Max, discusses the role of UX and design in different industries and the importance of collaboration with other teams. He emphasizes the need for UX specialists to contribute to strategic conversations and bring user insights to drive business decisions. Rafa shares his experience in building...

In this episode of "Design is Marketing," we tackle the challenge of creating engaging learning journeys in the crowded e-learning market. We welcome Henny Hoekstra, the Chief Customer Officer of Pluvo, a leading online learning platform in Europe. Together, we explore Pluvo's evolution from a startup to a major player in the industry, highlighting their emphasis on user-friendly des...

In this insightful episode of "Design is Marketing," host Federico tackles the crucial question of choosing the right platform for building websites for course creators and learning companies. Federico emphasizes the importance of aligning your platform choice with your goals, target audience, and content types. The episode delves into key features like ease of use, customization, scalab...

In this episode of "Design is Marketing," Federico interviews Elisabet Innala, the head of marketing at Planacy, about effectively redesigning a B2B SaaS website. Elisabet shares her extensive experience in marketing, particularly in the B2B tech industry, and discusses the strategic and executional aspects of website redesign. She highlights the importance of understanding the target au...

In this episode of "Design is Marketing," our guest is Carly Shutes, an experienced marketing manager currently serving as the head of marketing at FoodCycle. For most non-profits and NGOs, it is challenging to keep their audience engaged and motivated. The impact on their growth and mission can be significant. Carly seems to have cracked the nut! She shares her experience with marketing...

This episode with Jenny is everything you need to know about landing pages. In this interview we look at: - how many landing page you should create - how to create a landing page that converts - what goals to set for your landing page - how to change your landing page strategy as your company evolves - why your landing page is not ranking high on search engines Jenny Shymon, a marketing manager wi...

In this episode of Design is Marketing I'm joined by Thelma Dhlovu. With her we discuss the power of continuous website improvement to generate leads and how to position yourself as a thought leader to engage the audience. Starting from the fashion industry, Thelma now leads her own marketing and communication firm. In between she has launched marketing campaigns that have been all over London...

In this episode of Design is Marketing we talk about B2B marketing and how to apply product-led growth (PLG) to fintech. I'm joined by Tina Fisher, CMO of Intix and previous startup founder. With her we'll look at how she applied PLG to increase users activation and engagement. Tina will also share her entrepreneurial journey and how she managed to overcome gender biases while doing fundra...

The e-learning landscape offers amazing possibilities. However standing out amidst the competition requires great skill and continuous development. In this episode, we're joined by Christian Bjerre Nielsen, the Head of Product at uQualio, a cutting-edge platform revolutionizing course creation. Christian shares invaluable insights into what separates successful course creators from the rest. F...

Gamification is a powerful tool to enhance engagement. It has revolutionised certain industries such as e-learning and social network. However for most companies gamification is just adding badges and leaderboard. If that’s also your case that means you’re missing out to 90% of the gamification tactics. I’m Federico from Sparkr (sparkr.co) and in this episode we look at a framework of 8 proven tac...

Branding is often an afterthough in B2B. Although it's a longer and more difficul process, branding is as crucial in business as it is in consumer marketing. Alp Oztekin, a veteran marketer for some of the largest brands shares with us how to do approach branding in B2B. With him we discuss how to build a brand to educate your audience and support the sales cycle. Alp also gives some practical...