The story so far
I started my career in Marketing, but my interest in data and exceeding targets led me to Product and PLG. Over the last ten years, I've primarily worked with startups in the Seed to Series B stage range, focusing on Growth: the intersection of Marketing and Product.
Taking a step back and looking at what I did prior to the last decade, my experience working for two listed betting operators, Unibet and Sportingbet/Entain, prepared me for my focus on startup Growth. We faced lots of pressure to meet targets and provide regular dividends to shareholders. This taught me that marketing isn't just about creating eye-catching campaigns; it's about delivering on targets and bringing in happy customers and revenue.
This realisation propelled me to focus not only on the KPIs that matter, leaving no room for vanity metrics, but also to delve into data analysis and collaborate with the product to identify growth loops and mitigate customer friction points. By then, I was in charge of the entire Acquisition and Activation teams for Sportingbet/Entain, and my increasing obsession with product and PLG frameworks naturally led me to transition from heavy reliance on paid media to building a Product-Led business.
It was time to move on from the gaming industry, very grateful for the lessons in Data and PLG, two core pillars of Growth. It was time to pursue my passion for problem-solving and building things. I've worked since with disruptive B2C and B2B SaaS startups in various industries such as FinTech, Gig Economy, Marketplaces, HR Tech, and EdTech.
I led Growth at Head of or C-level capacity at four companies, and I've experienced the rollercoaster of startup life, from acquiring customers to finding product-market fit, generating revenue, securing funding rounds, and scaling businesses and teams. Some startups I worked with were successful (two exited), while others hit the wall. I've learned invaluable lessons from both successes and failures.
And then it's when 8percent Growth comes in. I find joy and adrenaline in growing startups and decided to follow the advice of peers, founders and colleagues: "With your expertise and knowledge. Why don't you start working with a few startups at once?"
So, what's on a name?
In Paul Graham's celebrated seminal 2012 essay Startup = Growth, the Co-founder of Y Combinator says:
During Y Combinator we measure growth rate per week, partly because there is so little time before Demo Day, and partly because startups early on need frequent feedback from their users to tweak what they're doing. A good growth rate during YC is 5-7% a week.
This benchmark has stayed with me since, and my ambition to meet and exceed targets has been a driving force throughout my career. I strive to be better than good and aim for an 8% growth rate WoW instead of that 5-7%, yet a reasonable stretch compared to -let's say- growing 80% WoW, pushing boundaries while staying realistic. Happy customers, happy team, happy investors.
This led to the creation of 8percent Growth, with a mission to use data and PLG to acquire customers, generate revenue, exceed targets, and drive growth. And I want other startups to grow with my experience and knowledge.
Work/Life
What's it like working with me?
My core values best convey it: integrity, humility, ownership, authenticity, and, of course, growth.
These values shape my working style, have helped me exceed targets, and earned me the respect of my teams, peers, and managers/founders.
There are a few things that don't sit well with me: silos, red tape, vanity (whether in metrics or people), insincerity, and stagnation.
I thrive in environments that foster collaboration, challenge the status quo, and promote progress and innovation.
What am I like outside of work?
I was born and raised in Asturias, Northern Spain, but I left for three months after finishing Uni and have yet to return. I have lived in the UK, Sweden, and Portugal. London has been Home for the past two decades, and I live here with my partner and our daughter.
While I love my work, I also cherish my spare time. My extended family is very international; hence, travelling and languages are two of my interests. Other than that, you can find me cycling, enjoying food, making artisan coffee, socialising with friends, listening to all sorts of music or suffering Real Oviedo’s fate.
I'm always looking to meet great people, so feel free to connect on LinkedIn or let's have a chat!
