The Performance Ops Cadence
by Timothy Davis • Performance Marketing Lead at Shopify
Timothy leads performance marketing for Shopify and previously consulted for major tech companies like Pinterest, LinkedIn, Redfin, and Eventbrite to kickstart and scale their paid growth teams.
🎙️ Episode Context
Timothy Davis breaks down the tactical playbook for building and scaling performance marketing engines, from running initial "signs of life" tests to structuring high-performing teams. He demystifies platform selection, offering granular advice on Google, Meta, and LinkedIn, while introducing operational frameworks to separate signal from noise in data analytics.
Problem It Solves
Solves the chaos of ad account management, preventing critical tasks from being overlooked and ensuring consistent optimization rather than reactive firefighting.
Framework Overview
A structured operational framework (often a spreadsheet) that categorizes marketing tasks into 'Rocks' and 'Pebbles' and assigns a specific frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) to each, creating accountability and visibility.
🧠 Framework Structure
Categorize Tasks: Break down work int...
Define Frequency: Explicitly state ho...
Visual Accountability: Use a shared t...
When to Use
Essential when managing agencies to ensure they are working, or for internal teams to maintain hygiene as spend scales.
Common Mistakes
Allowing the cadence to slip during busy periods or failing to update the cadence as platform features change (e.g., manual bidding vs. automated).
Real World Example
Timothy uses a specific spreadsheet where 'Keyword Granularity' and 'Negative Keywords' are tracked. If a stakeholder asks when ad copy was last updated, the Ops Cadence provides an immediate, evidence-based answer.
I'm a firm believer in getting shit done... making sure that they're doing the things that need to be done in the account.
— Timothy Davis