Ursula Llabres’ Post

WARNING: Getting hired at The Growth Square is extremely difficult. We make candidates walk on hot coal and decode ancient manuscripts... Just kidding! 😄 But here's what's real - The Growth Square - Personal Branding Agency a fast-growing personal branding agency. We help founders and CXOs build powerful personal brands that reach millions We're looking for people who can do more than tick off a job description. We're looking for people who bring something extra to the table. For our Writers: 1. Research ninjas: You should love diving deep into entrepreneurship content. 2. Voice chameleons: Ability to write in different styles - one day you're writing for a tech founder, the next for a wellness coach 3. Data-driven storytellers: You know how to combine data and insights to write the perfect post For our Business Development Executives: 1. Connection builders: Creating genuine relationships matters more than hitting send on cold messages 2. Industry explorers: You get excited about understanding different businesses and their unique needs 3. Solution finders: When Plan A doesn't work, you already have Plans B through Z ready In general, we want you to have: → A hunger to learn and grow (we're big on upskilling)  → Taking ownership of your work  → Meeting deadlines like they're sacred  → Going the extra mile, every single time The best part? You'll work alongside some of India's most influential founders, get to experiment with new strategies, and be part of a team that celebrates both wins and learning moments. If you think you’re a fit mail us at [email protected]

Building a growth team? Here's how to get it right: - First, take a good look at your business and where it stands. Hold off on hiring until you have a deep understanding of your customer base and your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is fully developed. - Clearly define your goals. What do you want to achieve with your growth team? Identify the key roles you'll need, such as growth managers, growth marketers, growth engineers, and others. - Begin your search for growth experts. Look for individuals who meet your specific needs and who will integrate well into your planned team structure. For more detailed guidance on structuring and hiring a growth team, check out my complete guide: https://lnkd.in/dMVpusvb.

3 months into running Dodeka Digital full-time, and wow, what a ride! 🎢 Here are some hard-earned lessons that might help fellow entrepreneurs (or remind me when I inevitably forget): 1. Prioritization is king 👑 There are a million ways to grow a business and to find clients. But spreading yourself thin doesn't work. We chose LinkedIn as our focus, forsaking automation for quality. Better to do one thing well than five things poorly. 2. Your network is your net worth 🕸️ I used to hate the term "networking". But now it's bringing our best clients and opportunities. Old connections have become new partnerships. Treat people well - it always comes back around. 3. Quality deals > Quantity 🏆 We've turned down deals where we couldn't drive meaningful ROI. Short-term gain isn't worth sacrificing long-term reputation. 4. Embrace the unknown 🌫️ The hardest part? The sheer ambiguity. As a process guy, building the plan from scratch is both exhilarating and terrifying. 5. Right person, right seat 💺 I've seen the pain of misalignment and the joy of finding the perfect fit. Hiring slow to hire right is our mantra now. 6. You can't do it all (and that's okay) 🤹 I learned this the hard way when I started dropping balls with my team (sorry Fraser and Sarah!). Now, I'm embracing documentation and realistic capacity planning. 7. Business is timing ⏰ Some sure-thing deals fall through. Others appear out of nowhere. Control what you can, and stay ready for opportunity. The biggest lesson? It's all about people. Clients, team, partners - genuine connections make all the difference.

Steps of a Startup 1. Idea Generation - Brainstorming and identifying market needs - Conceptualizing the product or service - Conducting market research 2. Market Research and Validation - Analyze target audience, competition, and demand - Create a minimum viable product (MVP) - Get feedback from potential customers 3. Business Plan Development - Outline the business model - Financial projections and budgeting - Strategy for marketing, sales, and growth 4. Funding and Resources - Self-funding or bootstrapping - Seeking investment (angel investors, venture capital) - Crowdfunding, grants, or loans 5. Building the Team - Hiring co-founders, employees, or contractors - Defining roles and responsibilities - Establishing company culture 6. Product Development - Develop the MVP into a full product - Iterations based on feedback - Testing and refining 7. Marketing and Branding - Establish brand identity - Launch marketing campaigns (social media, SEO, content marketing) - Build an online presence (website, social media profiles) 8. Launching - Release the product or service to the public - Set up distribution channels - Offer initial discounts or promotions 9. Scaling and Growth - Expand customer base and market presence - Scale operations (hiring, manufacturing, logistics) - Explore new revenue streams 10. Evaluation and Adaptation - Monitor performance metrics (sales, user engagement, feedback) - Adapt business strategies based on data - Prepare for long-term sustainability please add if I missed any step. thanks 👍

Building a growth team? Here's how to get it right: - First, take a good look at your business and where it stands. Hold off on hiring until you have a deep understanding of your customer base and your Minimum Viable Product is fully developed. - Clearly define your goals. What do you want to achieve with your growth team? Identify the key roles you'll need, such as growth managers, growth marketers, growth engineers, and others. - Begin your search for growth experts. Look for individuals who meet your specific needs and who will integrate well into your planned team structure. For more detailed guidance on structuring and hiring a growth team, check out my complete guide: https://lnkd.in/dMVpusvb.

🚀 Unleashing Creativity: Facebook 's(Meta) Innovative Approach to Employee Empowerment Mark Zuckerberg discussing Facebook's unique strategy for fostering employee creativity. As someone passionate about innovation in the workplace, I found his approach Right on Mark especially for Startups ## 🎨 The Facebook Formula for Creativity Unlike Google's famous 20% time policy, Facebook takes a different route: 1. Move Fast, Be Bold⚡ • Emphasize speed in idea generation and execution • Encourage risk-taking and experimentation 2. Rapid Prototyping 🛠️ • Quick transition from idea to prototype • Immediate user feedback for iteration 3. Focused Execution 🎯 • Prioritize projects with high launch potential • Concentrate resources on the most promising ideas ## 🔍 Key DIFFERENCES from Google's Approach • Emphasis on integrating creativity into daily work • Focus on company-aligned innovations ## 💡 The Power of This Approach 1. Fosters a culture of continuous innovation 2. Aligns creative efforts with company goals 3. Accelerates the idea-to-market pipeline ## 🧠Key Takeaways 1. Creativity thrives under the right cultural conditions 2. Speed and boldness can be more effective than allocated "creative time" 3. Balancing creativity with focus is crucial for business success ## 🛠️ Implementing Facebook's Creative Strategy How to apply these insights: 1. Encourage team members to pitch ideas regularly 2. Set up a rapid prototyping process 3. Create a system for quick feedback and iteration 4. Align creative projects with core business objectives ## 🤔 Questions to Ponder 1. How does your organization foster creativity? 2. Do you think a structured "creative time" or a more integrated approach works better? 3. How do you balance creativity with the need for focused execution? Share your strategies for nurturing workplace creativity in the comments. After all, innovation is the lifeblood of any successful business! 💼💡 #Creativity #Innovation #Strategy #WorkplaceCulture #leadership #productivity #startups

Your product is gaining traction. Your Growth team must be ready. But who should you hire first? In my 7 years in Growth—including 2.5 years working closely with Breega’s portfolio startups—I’ve seen founders make great hiring decisions… and others that stalled their momentum. Here’s where to start building your Growth team: 1️⃣ Growth Strategist Your architect. This person designs and optimizes the growth funnel. • Understand your business model inside out. • Must be hands-on, not just directing from above. • May be junior, as long as they have the resources to grow. Without this role, your growth efforts will lack focus. 2️⃣ Content Specialist Content is the fuel for your growth engine. • Craft lead magnets, webinars, and testimonials for every stage of the customer journey. • Focus on repurposing content: 20% creation, 80% distribution. The right hire amplifies your message—they don’t just add noise. 3️⃣ Channel Specialist • Choose a specialist for your most critical acquisition channel. • Paid ads? Product marketing? Cold outreach? Pick based on your business model. • Their focus is streamlining customer acquisition. Early focus on a unique channel makes scaling faster and more efficient. My advice? Start small and intentional. These 3 hires form the backbone of any scalable Growth team.

It's common to hear 'strategy' and 'tactics' used interchangeably, but distinguishing the two is key to achieving success. Strategy answers the 'what/where/why', while tactics cover the 'how'. ❌ Not a strategy 1: "My plan to boost online presence involves posting on X/Twitter 10 times a day." This is a tactic (how), not a strategy (what or why). ✅ Actual Strategy Example: "To attract more clients (why), I'll leverage social media (where) to enhance my online presence (what)." ❌ Not a strategy 2: "Our holiday season strategy is to offer discounts to increase sales." This, again, is a tactic, not a strategic goal. ✅ Actual Strategy Example: "We aim to grow our market share (why) by leveraging seasonal shopping behaviors (what)." Why does this distinction matter? 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Distinguishing between strategies (goals) and tactics (methods to achieve those goals) clarifies the path forward. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Ensures every team member understands the overarching objectives and their role in achieving them, fostering unified efforts. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Allows for the establishment of clear benchmarks for success, differentiating between long-term strategic goals and short-term tactical achievements. Admittingly, we've all mixed these up at some point. ✍️ What examples have you encountered? ♻️ Reshare if these are helpful.

“What happens if you can’t work tomorrow?” That’s the question I ask every founder I work with. And most of the time, the answer is a nervous laugh… followed by silence. I get it. For years, I was the one holding it all together. As a long time "integrator" then operations manager turned COO for multi-million-dollar businesses, I was the go-to person—the one who solved the problems, answered the questions, and kept the wheels turning. But here’s the thing: If your business relies on one person—whether that’s you or someone else—it’s fragile. I’ve seen what happens when businesses hit crises: 💥 A Meta account hacked, and ad spend frozen during key campaigns. 💥 A key team member leaving with no backup plan. 💥 A founder stretched so thin, they burn out entirely. That’s why I created the Lean Operator Lab—to help businesses future-proof their operations. We don’t just teach operators to “get the job done.” We mentor them to think strategically, lead teams, and prepare for the unknown. Every founder, operator and business is different, cookie cutter "training" doesn't work for these key roles. It’s not about putting out today’s fires. It’s about building a business that thrives tomorrow—no matter what comes. If that’s the kind of business you want to build, DM me. Let’s make it happen.

There's been a big shift in eCom Founder mentality in the last few years around team sizes! From... Founders wanting to have the largest teams possible. Often lead by the mentality that a larger team can deliver more (+ it looks good in the market). Versus the now.... Where Founders only want a super lean team of killers. Often fully remote (with some meet ups) to access the best talent. Recruiters would normally wince at this change of approach (in theory less roles), but we see it as a net positive, why is that? - They only want to hire 'A' player talent, rather than B players to fill a void/headcount number. - There is an increased need for a headhunter to find this elevated talent (unless employer brand / internal talent teams are spot on) - Lack of resource in any area can be detrimental. So time out of the game = lost revenue or more costs = need to find the right talent, fast. - Wider range of locations to hire from, including outside of the country of registration. Locating and engaging this talent is time consumer and challenging for Founders. - Founders want to only work with eCom recruiters that are specialists who ‘get’ their brand (and know where to look). - Hires on average stay longer because they are true operators that add value, and profitability means less fluctuation with head count during quieter periods. - + much more It’s now a lot sexier to have a lean and mean team - with well under 15% of revenue going towards head count (including the costs if functions are outsourced to agency or a freelancer) or approx 1 person per £1mil rev (give or take). This all = better ran businesses, that can be bootstrapped & are significantly more profitable. Caveat is it needs to all be balanced with team resource not being too thin - to avoid burnout. Founders that have their ears to the ground here can keep on top of this. It’s all about understanding your team’s needs/workload. The next 5-10 years is super exciting with so many profitable scale ups coming through 😍