An inside look at Deel’s unprecedented growth | Meltem Kuran Berkowitz (Head of Growth)
Meltem Koron-Berkowitz, Head of Growth at Deal, discusses how the company achieved rapid growth, reaching $295M ARR in three years while staying EBITDA positive. She shares strategies for leveraging low-cost channels like communities and SEO, optimizing paid ads, structuring growth teams, and fostering a culture of speed and optimism.
Deep Dive Analysis
14 Topic Outline
Meltem's Background and Deel's Unprecedented Growth
Leveraging Low-Cost Growth Channels for B2B Startups
Effective Strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Deel's 'Traffic Light System' for Content Prioritization
Step-by-Step Process for Publishing SEO Articles
When to Invest in SEO and When to Avoid It
Prioritizing Early Growth Investments: Build the Skeleton First
Strategies for Diversifying Paid Ad Channels
Why Early Awareness Campaigns are Ineffective for B2B
The Importance of Product Quality in Growth
COVID-19's Impact on Deel's Global Work Platform
Structuring and Hiring for Early Growth Teams
Building a Culture of Speed, Optimism, and Customer Care
Meltem's Remote Work Experience and Deel's Culture
5 Key Concepts
Traffic Light System
A framework used by Deel's content team to prioritize keywords for content creation. Keywords are ranked by volume and then categorized by user intent (green for high intent, yellow for medium, red for low) to decide what content to publish.
Creative Fatigue
The phenomenon where an advertisement loses its effectiveness over time because the audience becomes tired of seeing it. To combat this, Deel's paid team updates ads monthly, with exceptions for straightforward Google ads.
Little Hands
A concept at Deel emphasizing that every team member, regardless of seniority, must be willing to engage in the nitty-gritty, foundational work. It signifies a culture where no task is considered 'below' anyone.
Deal Speed
A core cultural value at Deel, representing the urgency with which the company operates. It means acting quickly on behalf of customers, building products rapidly, and solving problems efficiently, often in a fraction of the time competitors might take.
Default Optimism
A cultural value at Deel encouraging team members to approach challenges with a positive mindset. Instead of focusing on why something won't work, the expectation is to explore how it can work and then address associated risks.
10 Questions Answered
Deel is a payroll, HR, and compliance platform for global teams, helping companies expand globally with tools for employer of record hiring, independent contractor hiring, global and US payroll, and immigration services.
Focus on places where people are actively asking questions related to the problem your product solves, such as search engines (SEO), online communities like Reddit and Quora, and social channels like Twitter, by providing genuine value and answers.
The most effective way is to genuinely explain the solution to the problem first, treating the person like a friend, and then, if appropriate, present your solution, rather than just directing them to your website.
SEO is a good idea if you are in a space where people are actively looking for a solution to a problem, which is common for most B2B products. It's less effective for consumer goods where people might search on social media instead.
A common mistake is trying to cut corners or automate the process too much, which results in low-quality content that doesn't fully answer user questions, preventing it from ranking well in search results.
Start with the basics: ensure a fast, discoverable website, then create valuable content to be found. Only after these foundational steps are solid should you consider investing in paid ads.
Early awareness campaigns for B2B are often a waste of time because they require significant effort without guaranteed resonance, and B2B products typically address an immediate need, making bottom-of-funnel conversion efforts more effective initially.
Partner with entities that not only share your target audience but are also seen as a trusted resource or guide for the specific solution you offer, such as venture capital firms recommending solutions to their portfolio companies.
Focus on both messaging and optimization, constantly updating creative to avoid fatigue (monthly for most ads), ensuring messaging evolves with the product, and tracking full-funnel metrics like client conversion and one-year revenue, not just lead volume.
Look for candidates willing to commit to full-funnel KPIs (like closed-won revenue), who are comfortable operating with limited resources, and who embody the 'little hands' mentality of doing foundational work.
25 Actionable Insights
1. Build a Solid Product Core
Recognize that acquisition channels are ineffective without a top-notch product that meets or exceeds expectations, as a poor product will lead to churn and negative word-of-mouth. Prioritize product and engineering hires in early-stage B2B companies to ensure a strong foundation.
2. Prioritize Core Website Experience
Before investing in paid ads, ensure your website is fast, discoverable by search engines, and has content that helps people find it. A slow website (e.g., loading in four-plus seconds) will hinder the success of any paid advertising program.
3. Delay Early Awareness Campaigns
For B2B businesses, prioritize bottom-of-funnel conversion efforts (people actively looking for solutions) before investing in broad awareness campaigns. Early awareness efforts can be a waste of time and resources if the core messaging isn’t refined or the product isn’t well-understood.
4. Engage Existing Communities
Tap into existing online communities like Reddit, Quora, Twitter, or closed Slack groups by actively setting up keyword alerts and answering user questions. Add genuine value by explaining solutions before presenting your product, as this serves as a low-cost channel to introduce your solution.
5. End the Google Search
When creating content for SEO, focus on comprehensively answering the user’s query so they don’t need to return to Google. Search engines prioritize content that fully resolves user intent, making it crucial to provide complete answers.
6. Invest Time in Quality SEO
Avoid cutting corners or over-automating SEO efforts, as doing it well requires consistent, time-consuming dedication to research and content creation. Quality resources are paramount for long-term SEO success.
7. Assess SEO Business Fit
Prioritize SEO if your business solves an active problem that users actively search for (common in B2B). De-prioritize it for consumer goods where discovery often happens through social media or influencers, as your website may not be the primary source for such queries.
8. Deeply Understand Search Intent
Before writing, research what users are truly seeking when they type a keyword, including subsequent questions they might ask (often found in Google’s ‘People also ask’ section). This helps create comprehensive and relevant content that fully addresses user needs.
9. SEO Keyword Prioritization
Use a ’traffic light system’ to prioritize SEO keywords by volume and search intent (green for high intent, yellow for medium, red for low). Focus content creation on high-intent, high-volume green keywords first, as these users are most likely to become customers.
10. Write for Readability
Use tools like ClearScope to ensure your SEO content is written in simple, accessible language (e.g., a fourth or fifth-grade reading level) and correctly incorporates keywords. Avoid overly sophisticated vocabulary that might bore or confuse readers.
11. Craft Specific Messaging
Ensure your website copy, especially one-liners, is highly specific to your product and cannot be easily applied to other businesses. Generic statements like ‘we do the complex things so you can focus on what you do best’ are ineffective because they lack differentiation.
12. Partner with Trusted Resources
When seeking partnerships, prioritize entities that your target audience views as trusted advisors for the specific problem your product solves. For example, VCs are trusted by portfolio companies for recommendations on tools to expand their teams.
13. Diversify Paid Ad Channels
After mastering major ad platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook), invest in ’long-tail’ channels like review sites, smaller outlets, newsletter ads, and podcast ads. These individually small contributors add up to diversify lead flow and reduce reliance on a few platforms.
14. Update Paid Ad Creatives Monthly
Regularly update paid ad creatives (e.g., monthly) to combat creative fatigue and ensure messaging remains fresh and aligned with product evolution. This continuous refresh keeps ads engaging and relevant to the audience.
15. Track Paid Ad Full-Funnel ROI
Beyond lead volume, track the full customer journey from ad click to qualified opportunity, closed-won customer, and one-year revenue. This allows for accurate assessment of the return on investment for each paid channel and informs spending decisions.
16. Hire for Revenue Commitment
During hiring, assess candidates’ willingness to commit to full-funnel, closed-won revenue KPIs, not just lead generation or traffic. This ensures they are focused on the business’s bottom line and overall growth.
17. Seek ‘Little Hands’ Mentality
Hire individuals at all levels who are willing to do the ’nitty-gritty’ work and aren’t afraid to get involved in the smallest tasks. This ’little hands’ mentality is crucial for early-stage companies with limited resources and fosters a hands-on culture.
18. Test Resourcefulness in Hiring
Use case studies in interviews to assess how candidates would strategize with varying budget levels (e.g., $0, $10k, $100k). This gauges their resourcefulness and ability to scale with different levels of spend and commitment.
19. Structure Growth by Function & Region
Organize growth teams with both functional experts (e.g., product marketing, content, paid ads) and regional managers. This allows functional teams to maintain deep expertise while regional teams provide local market insights and execute strategy.
20. Cultivate ‘Deal Speed’ Urgency
Foster a culture of ‘deal speed’ where team members act with urgency to solve problems quickly and properly for customers. This involves constantly pushing to find the quickest way to deliver solutions and build products faster than competitors.
21. Embrace Default Optimism
Encourage a ‘default optimism’ mindset where team members first explore reasons why a solution will work and then proactively address associated risks. This prevents pessimism from slowing down progress and fosters a problem-solving attitude.
22. Prioritize Customer Livelihood
Instill a deep sense of empathy for customers, recognizing that your product impacts their livelihood, paychecks, and business operations. This care ensures a commitment to delivering reliable solutions and building trust.
23. Offer Work Flexibility
Provide employees with flexibility in choosing their work location and hours, empowering them to manage their lives while meeting their professional commitments. This freedom can be a significant benefit that attracts and retains talent.
24. Ground Values in Reality
Define company values based on who the organization truly is and how it operates, rather than aspirational ideals. Values should reflect existing behaviors to ensure they resonate authentically with employees and drive consistent actions.
25. Embrace Remote Authenticity
Leverage the remote work environment to foster authenticity and sincerity among team members. Allowing colleagues to see glimpses into each other’s home lives can naturally build camaraderie and a more genuine team culture.
5 Key Quotes
Most of the businesses are started because there's an active problem. And so when you go out to the market and try to answer people's questions, like people don't want to be solved. They want their problems solved.
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz
If someone reads your content, if they typed in something to Google and then they read the article that you've published, are they going back to Google to continue reading more? Or is the Google search over?
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz
If your one liner can also work for another business, please don't let that be your one liner, like make it so that people actually understand what you do.
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz
Acquisition channels just straight up don't work if you have a product that doesn't live up to the expectation.
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz
The world is run by insecure overachievers.
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz
3 Protocols
Deel's Traffic Light System for Content Prioritization
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz- Identify up to 700 keywords related to the company's domain, ranging from closely to distantly related.
- Rank these keywords from highest to lowest search volume.
- For each keyword, determine the search intent: Is the person looking to solve an existing problem and likely to become a customer (Green Light)? Is the intent ambiguous or not immediately transactional (Yellow Light)? Or is the person unlikely to be a customer (e.g., a student doing research) (Red Light)?
- Prioritize content creation by starting with Green Light keywords (highest volume first), then Yellow Light (highest volume first), often never reaching Red Light keywords.
Process for Publishing an SEO Article
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz- Understand the search intent: Determine why someone is typing the keyword and what they are trying to understand. Check what Google currently services for that keyword (e.g., 'EOR' might mean 'enhanced oil recovery' to Google, not 'employer of record').
- Consult 'People Also Ask' sections on Google: Use these to understand follow-up questions users might have after their initial search, ensuring the article provides comprehensive answers.
- Utilize SEO tools (e.g., ClearScope): Ensure the written content is in simple language (e.g., 5th-grade reading level) and that relevant keywords are appropriately placed to guide search engines.
- Publish the article once it meets quality and SEO criteria.
Early Growth Investment Prioritization
Meltem Kuran Berkowitz- Ensure a functional website: Confirm you have a website that is fast and discoverable by search engines.
- Optimize website performance: Make sure the website provides a good user experience and that people understand what your company does through clear messaging.
- Invest in content creation: If people can't find your website, write content (SEO) to make sure they can.
- Consider paid advertising: Only after the above foundational questions are answered and you have a solid core experience, then consider investing in paid ads.