Growth engineer

Lee Smith.

Growth that works
across your whole business.

I combine marketing, operations and technology to find opportunities in your business, build the systems you need and scale what works.

10+ years in startups. Hands-on from the first idea to the processes your team keeps.

View my complete CV
10+years

Building in startup environments

1,000+

New paying customers · MadFit

≈ 5×

Return on acquisition spend · Vibe Media

01 / PROFILE

Beyond the
marketing brief.

I improve acquisition and the operations that turn demand into revenue. That can mean fixing a follow-up process that loses enquiries, or automating administration when growth outpaces your team’s capacity.

I’m used to making limited budgets work hard: finding the highest-potential opportunities, getting hands-on with testing them, and investing more when the results justify it. That work spans acquisition, product, operations, automation and the processes connecting them.

I can jump in solo or work inside an established team. The goal is lasting capability: your business keeps the systems, knowledge and ownership.

Performance marketingBusiness operationsAI & agentic workflowsDevelopment & automationCreative & media productionProduct & e-commerce
02 / SELECTED WORK

Built. Tested. Scaled.

A selection of my hands-on projects
and the outcomes I helped deliver.

/01

MadFit

Fitness · App & e-commerce

Grew app customer value and built a new commerce revenue stream.

I combined subscription acquisition, conversion improvements and creative automation to increase customer value, then built and launched a physical equipment business that extended the brand’s revenue beyond the app.

+20%Customer lifetime value
+500%Conversion rate increase
≈ $200kInitial product revenue
Inside the project
  • I designed seasonal lifetime subscription campaigns around highly engaged audiences, increasing user lifetime value by 20% and adding 1,000+ new paying customers.
  • I built Meta funnels across exposure, engagement and conversion to move warm audiences towards purchase, then removed friction from the landing page, increasing conversion rate by 500%.
  • I automated video ad production using AI to create clips, subtitles and test variants at scale, reducing the creator’s workload and accelerating creative testing.
  • I identified winning creatives that ran at up to 4× lower cost than alternatives, improving media efficiency and conversion performance.
  • I built a physical fitness equipment business from the ground up, spanning product design, manufacturing, packaging, fulfilment, logistics and e-commerce. The launch generated approximately $200,000 in initial revenue and extended customer lifetime value beyond the app. As part of the launch, I integrated the range with Google Merchant Center, YouTube and Meta, expanding product visibility across the creator’s existing audience and content ecosystem.
/02

Madore Athletics

Apparel · Brand & performance

Built acquisition around customer value and inventory economics.

I helped turn the founder’s apparel concept into an operating business, aligning acquisition, retention and inventory pricing with the value customers generated beyond their first purchase.

Up to 1,000%Hot-audience campaign ROAS
≈ 600%Always-on retargeting ROAS
>$600Customer lifetime value
Inside the project
  • I helped build the apparel business from concept to operation, translating the founder’s brand vision into a functioning commercial business. I built cold, warm and hot acquisition funnels around existing brand audiences, converting attention elsewhere in the brand into apparel sales; hot-audience campaigns achieved up to 1,000% return on ad spend.
  • I ran always-on retargeting at approximately 600% ROAS and developed repeat-purchase and retention campaigns that increased customer lifetime value to more than $600.
  • I developed influencer campaigns through talent agencies and direct creator relationships, expanding reach while directing spend towards placements with a credible path to conversion.
  • I automated product and pricing feeds across Google Merchant Center, YouTube and Meta, eliminating manual catalogue maintenance and reducing the operational overhead of managing those channels.
  • I used pricing and promotions to turn ageing inventory into customer acquisition opportunities while reducing warehousing costs. I evaluated low-margin first orders against long-term customer value, using highly profitable post-purchase campaigns to make acquisition valuable beyond the initial sale.
/03

Vibe Media

Digital products · AI & automation

Validated digital products and built the systems to scale them.

I led digital products from founder concept to launch, testing commercial potential before scaling investment and building AI and automation into product delivery, acquisition and internal operations.

≈ $50Customer acquisition cost
≈ 5×Return on acquisition spend
100sAI image & video ad concepts
Inside the project
  • I led digital product operations from founder concept through launch, building the products, acquisition funnels and internal systems needed to operate them. I used a fail-fast model to test ideas cheaply, discontinue weak concepts quickly and scale winning products.
  • I designed product, marketing and operational systems using AI and automation to reduce reliance on agencies, middlemen and unnecessary headcount. I built dynamic AI-personalised web funnels for individual relevance and rapid conversion testing, alongside personalised backend product systems that increased the products’ perceived value and relevance.
  • I built AI creative production workflows capable of generating hundreds of image and video ad concepts, giving a minimal team the production capacity to compete with much larger creative operations.
  • I produced advertising with high click-through rates and engagement, improving Meta auction efficiency and reducing acquisition costs. Customer acquisition costs reached approximately $50, delivering approximately 5× return on acquisition spend.
  • I designed and validated workflows before hiring for execution, adding headcount only once a process had demonstrated its value. I also improved operating processes across the wider business, increasing throughput while keeping the team deliberately lean.
03 / SKILLS

Skills I put to work.

My hands-on experience across marketing,
creative production, AI and business systems.

Performance marketingMeta Ads Manager · Google Ads · TikTok Ads Manager

Tools & technologies

  • Meta Ads Manager
  • Google Ads
  • TikTok Ads Manager
  • LinkedIn Campaign Manager
  • Microsoft Advertising
  • Google Merchant Center

Capabilities

  • Full-funnel campaign architecture
  • Audience targeting and retargeting
  • Budget allocation and bid strategy
  • Creative testing and iteration
  • CAC, ROAS and contribution margin analysis
  • Search and shopping campaign strategy
  • Influencer campaign planning
Analytics & measurementGoogle Analytics 4 · Google Tag Manager · Amplitude

Tools & technologies

  • Google Analytics 4
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Amplitude
  • PostHog
  • Mixpanel
  • Google Sheets

Capabilities

  • Event taxonomy and tracking plans
  • Meta Pixel and Conversions API implementation
  • Funnel, cohort and retention analysis
  • Attribution and measurement limitations
  • Experiment analysis and A/B testing
  • Dashboard design and decision reporting
App growth & ASOApple App Store Connect · Google Play Console · AppTweak

App Store optimisation (ASO)

Tools & technologies

  • Apple App Store Connect
  • Google Play Console
  • AppTweak
  • App Radar
  • Sensor Tower

Capabilities

  • Apple App Store ASO strategy
  • Google Play ASO strategy
  • ASO keyword research and rank tracking
  • App metadata optimisation
  • App icons, screenshots and preview optimisation
  • Apple Product Page Optimization
  • Apple Custom Product Pages
  • Google Play store listing experiments
  • Google Play custom store listings
  • ASO localisation
  • App rating and review management

App advertising and user acquisition

Tools & technologies

  • Apple Ads (formerly Apple Search Ads)

Capabilities

  • Apple Ads campaign and bid strategy
  • Apple Ads keyword and search-term optimisation
  • Google Ads App campaigns
  • Meta app install and app event campaigns
  • App ad and store-page message alignment

Mobile attribution and monetisation

Tools & technologies

  • AppsFlyer
  • Branch
  • RevenueCat

Capabilities

  • Install-to-paid-user acquisition economics
  • App onboarding and paywall testing
  • Subscription trials, churn and conversion analysis
  • Privacy-aware mobile attribution
CRM, lifecycle & searchKlaviyo · Mailchimp · Google Search Console

CRM and lifecycle marketing

Tools & technologies

  • Klaviyo
  • Mailchimp

Capabilities

  • Customer segmentation
  • Lifecycle email and SMS automation
  • Customer lifetime value and repeat purchase
  • Lead qualification and pipeline measurement

SEO and content marketing

Tools & technologies

  • Google Search Console
  • Semrush

Capabilities

  • Keyword research and search intent
Design & UXFigma · Adobe Illustrator · Canva

Tools & technologies

  • Figma
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Canva
  • Adobe XD

Capabilities

  • Layout and visual hierarchy
  • Typography and colour systems
  • Wireframing and user flows
  • Interactive prototyping
  • Responsive interface design
  • Design systems and developer handoff
  • Brand and campaign asset design
Image editing & photographyAdobe Photoshop · Adobe Lightroom · Capture One

Image editing

Tools & technologies

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Lightroom

Capabilities

  • Retouching and cleanup
  • Masking and selections
  • Image compositing
  • Colour correction for images
  • Product image preparation
  • Batch image processing
  • Image export and optimisation

Photography

Tools & technologies

  • Capture One

Capabilities

  • Camera exposure and manual settings
  • Composition and framing
  • Portrait photography
  • Product photography
  • Lighting for photography
  • Lens and perspective selection
  • RAW workflow and file management
Video editing & productionAdobe Premiere / Premiere Pro · CapCut · Adobe After Effects

Video editing

Tools & technologies

  • Adobe Premiere / Premiere Pro
  • CapCut
  • Adobe After Effects

Capabilities

  • Narrative editing and pacing
  • Colour grading for video
  • Subtitles and caption design
  • Audio cleanup and synchronisation
  • Multi-format video delivery

Video creation and creative strategy

Capabilities

  • Creative concept development
  • Direct-response scriptwriting
  • UGC and presenter direction
  • Camera operation for video
  • Lighting and sound on set
  • Product demos and explainers
  • Creative testing strategy
  • Production planning and asset management
  • Creative performance diagnosis
Audio & AI music productionAbleton Live · VST plugins · Virtual instruments

Tools & technologies

  • Ableton Live
  • VST plugins
  • Virtual instruments
  • Suno

Capabilities

  • Voice recording and microphone technique
  • Noise reduction and dialogue cleanup
  • Audio mixing and loudness control
  • AI music production
AI image generationChatGPT image generation · Midjourney · Stable Diffusion

Tools & technologies

  • ChatGPT image generation
  • Midjourney
  • Stable Diffusion
  • ComfyUI
  • Gemini image generation / Nano Banana

Capabilities

  • Image prompting and reference control
  • Inpainting, outpainting and image refinement
  • AI image quality and consistency checks
AI video & avatarsHiggsfield · Runway · Kling

Tools & technologies

  • Higgsfield
  • Runway
  • Kling
  • Seedance
  • Google Veo
  • Luma AI
  • HeyGen
  • Synthesia

Capabilities

  • Image-to-video and reference-led direction
  • Character and scene continuity
  • AI video quality and transcript checks
AI voice & speechElevenLabs · Whisper

Tools & technologies

  • ElevenLabs
  • Whisper

Capabilities

  • Text-to-speech direction
  • Voice cloning and identity consistency
  • Dubbing and speech localisation
  • Voice agent conversation design
  • Speech quality and pronunciation checks
AI automation & agentic workflowsZapier · OpenAI API · Anthropic API

AI automation and agents

Tools & technologies

  • Zapier
  • OpenAI API
  • Anthropic API
  • Gemini API

Capabilities

  • Agent workflow design
  • Tool calling and API orchestration
  • Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
  • Automation reliability and monitoring
  • AI evaluation and regression testing
  • AI latency and cost optimisation

Agentic AI workflows

Tools & technologies

  • OpenAI Agents SDK
  • Claude Code
  • Codex

Capabilities

  • Multi-agent coordination
  • Agent memory and context management
  • MCP tool and server integration
  • Human-in-the-loop agent workflows
  • Browser and computer-use agents
  • Reusable agent skills and instructions
  • Agent task decomposition and handoffs

AI assistants and research

Tools & technologies

  • ChatGPT
  • Claude
  • Gemini

Capabilities

  • Prompt design and structured outputs
  • Source verification and output evaluation
  • Reusable AI workflows
  • AI tool selection and cost tradeoffs
AI models & deploymentHugging Face Hub · Hugging Face Diffusers · Hugging Face Transformers

Tools & technologies

  • Hugging Face Hub
  • Hugging Face Diffusers
  • Hugging Face Transformers
  • fal.ai
  • Runpod

Capabilities

  • Model selection and benchmarking
  • LoRA and model fine-tuning
  • GPU deployment and inference operations
Architecture & tech stack designSoftware architecture design · Tech stack selection and design

Capabilities

  • Software architecture design
  • Tech stack selection and design
Development & software deliveryPython · JavaScript · TypeScript

Development and integrations

Tools & technologies

  • Python
  • JavaScript
  • TypeScript
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • Node.js
  • React
  • Next.js
  • Visual Studio Code
  • Postman

Capabilities

  • REST APIs and webhooks
  • Authentication and access control
  • Database design and data modelling
  • Debugging, testing and error handling
  • AI-assisted development

Software delivery and cloud

Tools & technologies

  • Git
  • GitHub
  • Docker
  • GitHub Actions
  • Vercel
  • Cloudflare
  • AWS
  • Supabase
  • Firebase

Capabilities

  • Deployment, secrets and environment management
E-commerce & business operationsShopify · Notion

E-commerce and product operations

Tools & technologies

  • Shopify

Capabilities

  • Landing page and checkout optimisation
  • Product feeds and catalogue operations
  • Inventory pricing and promotions
  • Product design and manufacturing coordination
  • Packaging, fulfilment and logistics
  • New revenue stream development
  • Subscription offers and lifetime value

Growth strategy and business operations

Tools & technologies

  • Notion

Capabilities

  • Growth constraint diagnosis
  • Opportunity prioritisation
  • Commercial modelling and unit economics
  • Lean validation and experiment design
  • Workflow mapping and process improvement
  • Systems documentation and team handover
  • Stakeholder communication and delivery ownership
04 / HOW I WORK

Find the opportunity.
Make it work. Make it yours.

Minimal bloat. Measurable progress.
Capability that stays in your business.

  1. 01

    Understand

    I examine your customers, products, costs and operating capacity to identify where investment can make the greatest difference.

  2. 02

    Map your business

    I trace acquisition, conversion, delivery and retention to identify lost revenue, operational friction and work your team could automate.

  3. 03

    Prioritise

    Together, we rank opportunities by potential return, cost, effort and available resources, then agree the budget and measures of success.

  4. 04

    Build & test

    I implement the smallest practical test that can demonstrate commercial value before you commit more software, manpower or budget.

  5. 05

    Measure & scale

    I assess revenue, margins, acquisition costs, repeat purchases and time saved, then direct investment towards what earns its place.

  6. 06

    Make it yours

    I embed proven processes through automation, documentation and team capability, keeping the systems, knowledge and ownership with you.

I work closely with you and your team, with a clear view of what we’re doing, why it matters and what results we’re seeing.

05 / LET’S TALK

Where’s the next
opportunity in your business?

Tell me what you’re building and what’s getting in the way.

START A CONVERSATION

Tell me about
your business.

A little context helps me understand where I could make a difference.

Monthly revenue / turnover optional

I’ll use these details only to respond to your enquiry.

Prefer email? lee@arksmith.co.uk