Scaling System: Build the Growth Engine — a practical case study from Skore

# Executive snapshot When the author joined Skore, the company had eight people, tacit knowledge, and an unpredictable acquisition model. Over ~five years she helped scale the company to about 70 people and through an acquisition by UOL EdTech. The piece explains the sequence of systems and changes that produced repeatable growth rather than more activity.

# What to build first: the operating system

# Define who you sell to with evidence Most early ICPs are guesses. The author analyzed customer profitability, product usage, and operational fit and identified segments where Skore consistently won: technology and startups, fintech, agriculture, and distributed/field-workforce companies. The ICP was used as a practical filter: targeting in marketing, the sales motion, and product prioritization. That alignment tuned the funnel to the customers who actually convert and produce value.

# Build the marketing team after clarity The author started as the sole marketer and finished leading six internal hires plus three external teams responsible for strategy, positioning, branding, research, campaigns, sales enablement, content, the website, and GTM materials. The hiring and role design followed once the ICP and positioning were clear and the operating system was in place. Without that clarity, a marketing team can be costly and ineffective.

# Fix the funnel and the handoff Leads fail to convert when follow-up is inconsistent or untimely. The author rebuilt the connective tissue: optimized lead scoring and qualification logic in HubSpot, refined intent and keyword signals to detect better-fit leads, and set explicit qualification rules and SLAs between marketing and sales. A disciplined follow-up cadence—approximately 9–13 touches across 21 days—ensured promising leads did not fall through the cracks.

# Events and ABM as a pipeline engine For mid-to-enterprise B2B SaaS, events drive relationships. The author ran webinars and ABM campaigns as direct revenue motions, even with no budget. One webinar produced about 300 registrations, roughly 200 attendees per session, and three new enterprise customers. Earlier online events produced 30 large enterprise opportunities and three closed contracts. The formula: match audience fit, provide a convincing reason to attend, and have a structured follow-up motion targeting named accounts.

# Practical sequence and final point The recommended order is: clarity first (operating system and OKRs), then evidence (ICP and positioning), then team and funnel, and finally campaigns and events. The campaigns become the easier work once the engine—rhythm, filters, handoffs, and disciplined follow-up—is built.