Rapid Search
Data-driven marketing at an early-stage startup
Overview
Joined Rapid Search, an AI-powered search and filter app for Shopify stores, as the sole marketing hire in a 4-person team. Built and executed the entire marketing function from scratch, driving 3x growth in the first year.
The challenge
As the entire marketing department at an early-stage startup, I had extremely limited bandwidth and zero room for wasted effort. Every initiative needed to be high-impact. Before launching any campaigns, I needed to understand exactly what moved the needle for this product and audience.
The solution
I started with a deep dive into platform usage data across multiple customer segments, focusing on four critical questions: What drives traffic? What drives conversions? Which product features are essential versus nice to have? And what makes people unsubscribe? The answers informed everything from marketing messaging to product development priorities. I shared these insights with the product team and developers, advising on feature prioritization and onboarding flow improvements based on actual usage patterns.
With a clear picture of what mattered, I executed across every available channel. I ran PPC campaigns, built out SEO foundations, created content, and managed both inbound and outbound email marketing. I negotiated strategic partnerships that secured free advertising and promotional placements, stretching our limited budget further. Every campaign was measured, and underperformers were cut quickly so resources could flow to what worked.
Results
- ▹3x growth in first year
- ▹Informed product roadmap with usage-based insights
- ▹Secured multiple strategic partnerships for zero-cost promotions
- ▹Built marketing function from zero as sole marketing hire