Practical Growth > Perfection: Lior Handelsman on the Realities of Marketing & Scaling Startups

🎙️ “Don’t try to optimize everything. Everything should be just right for now.”
That’s just one of many sharp insights shared by Lior Handelsman, General Partner at Grove Ventures, on a recent episode of the Founders’ Marketing Compass podcast with Etgar Shpivak.

Drawing on his experience scaling a company from $12 million to $3 billion in sales and helping lead it to a $20B valuation, Lior opened up about the realities of growth, marketing, and the mindset founders need to succeed—especially in the early stages.

Key Takeaways for Founders & Startup Teams

✅ Founders Must Drive Early Marketing
Hiring a marketing leader too early rarely works. Instead, Lior recommends starting with hands-on trial-and-error, supported by advisors or fractional CMOs. Founders who understand what works (and what doesn’t) equip themselves to lead marketing through scale.

✅ Don’t Market Big—Market Repeatable
True growth isn’t about flashy campaigns. It’s about creating a repeatable engine: Can you consistently close deals using the same messaging, targeting similar customers, and delivering the same value proposition? If not, it’s too soon to scale.

✅ Smooth Sailing Is a Myth
Many founders believe that if they just fix a few problems, their startup will enter a frictionless growth phase. That moment, according to Lior, never arrives:

“Fifteen years in a company, starting with $12M in sales and finishing with $3B—I never had a single day of smooth sailing.”

The real job? Decide what needs fixing now—and what can wait. Growth is about prioritizing action, not chasing perfection.

A Must-Listen for Founders Focused on Smart Scaling

Whether you’re at seed stage or beyond, this episode is packed with practical advice on marketing, leadership, and company-building from someone who’s done it all.

🚀 Listen to the full episode of the Founders’ Marketing Compass here:
🎧 Spotify
📺 YouTube