The 'Skeleton Before Makeup' Hierarchy
by Meltem Kuran Berkowitz • Head of Growth at Deel
Meltem is the Head of Growth at Deel, leading the company from less than $1M to $295M ARR in just three years while remaining EBITDA positive. She oversees a comprehensive growth strategy including paid ads, product marketing, content, community, and brand.
🎙️ Episode Context
Meltem shares the tactical playbook behind Deel's historic growth trajectory, focusing on low-cost channels like community engagement and a rigorous SEO framework. She discusses how to prioritize growth investments (building the skeleton before the makeup), the importance of operational discipline in content marketing, and how to build a culture of speed and ownership.
Problem It Solves
Prevents startups from burning cash on paid acquisition before the product and funnel are ready to convert.
Framework Overview
A sequential framework for allocating growth resources. It mandates fixing the technical and organic foundation before layering on paid spend or brand awareness.
🧠 Framework Structure
Technical Foundation - Ensure the web...
Discoverability - Create content so u...
Paid Performance - Only invest in pai...
Brand Awareness - Leave broad awarene...
When to Use
During the early stages of a startup or when auditing a leaky marketing funnel.
Common Mistakes
Launching 'cool' creative brand campaigns before having a fast website or clear value proposition.
Real World Example
When Meltem joined Deel, instead of immediately spending budget, they first moved the hard-coded website to a CMS to allow A/B testing and focused on page speed and SEO.
Build the skeleton before you put on the makeup.
— Meltem Kuran Berkowitz