Building a Growth Engine: Mark Fulford and Jolanta Pilecka discuss Hg's Growth Framework
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What is Hg’s Growth Framework and why was it created?
For me, far too many times I I see boards and board decks reporting on very laggy metrics, which is obviously just revenue, or sometimes not at all. So not even quizzing at board level the effectiveness of the growth engine. So that's kind of how we like to view it. So again viewing the whole pie, if you like. End to end. End to end. Exactly. Now one of the the most important pieces of that pie I think is that top of funnel, you know, lead generation and flow through.
Welcome to Orbit, the HG podcast series where we speak to leaders and innovators from across the software and tech ecosystem and aim to discuss the key trends that change how we all do business. I'm Jolanta Pilecka, part of the HD's Portfolio Growth team. And today I'm joined by Mark Fulford to discuss the GIS Growth Framework. A blueprint we created to help our portfolio campany z drive scale. When growing. So great to see you, Mark. Thank you for joining.
Good to see you.
Why don't we start Mark by explaining, introducing the growth framework, the what and the why?
Thanks, Yolanta. I think about the growth framework as a single Comprehensive structure for understanding how effectively and efficiently this engine works. So, in other words, how it acquires, how it retains and develops customers. And the reason I came up with this model is because frankly, I was finding that the old approach of just looking at function-by-function performance as outdated, ineffective, and not really driving the inputs and results that I wanted to see. So thinking of the growth framework. As a comprehensive way of looking at these elements was for me the way forward. And so thinking around things like You have your go-to-market strategy, you think about your market potential, but then really, how do you think about acquisition and the elements that play a part of that?
Retention and renewals is an element of that, especially in SaaS-based businesses. And of course, expansion around upsell, cross-sell, and pricing and packaging. And all those drive revenue, all of those are seen as growth levers. And so for me, thinking holistically about that, you know, almost in a sense of This role of being a chief growth officer. Well, how would you think about that model? How would you measure it? How would you optimize it? How would you have your functions working together? Was really the driver. And so for me, that's why we have the Growth Engine.
How does the framework define the end‑to‑end growth engine?
That's why we run a growth summit. That's why we invited our executives from across the functions together, because I think it's such an important aspect.
That that's exactly something we we spot straight away the moment you start with a new project. And uh What I see that the best performing companies tend to function like a seamlessly connected system so in other words well oiled machines, yes?
Yeah.
And the handshake between various teams defines the common quality denominator. And and the weakest link tends to expose the business and negatively impacts the outcome.
Yeah, yeah. What do you think the telltale signs are? What is it that you see that you kinda go, Ah, yeah, that's not working well.
Again, based on experience, the the key things I look at, the starting point is Review the total addressable market, the segments. ideal customer profile and we tend to get it from a diligent D D. And then I look at how all that output is mapped into functional plans and how are those functional plans connected? And how is that connected integrated with the business purpose?
Right. And and would you see that coming through right then through to How they talk about it, yeah, how they meet, how how often they they sort of compare and and contrast plans. Give us some sort of real tangible examples of kind of how you think that appears.
Well, the the couple of examples depending on the size of the organization. Right. I I'm quite passionate about zero touch self service. Okay. That has to be developed in collaboration with product. marketing,
right,
pricing and sales.
Yeah.
So I would like to see the evidence of that zero touch sales service in individual functional plants and how they are connected, resourced and what are the timelines.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is Hg’s Growth Framework and why was it created?
0:00–2:20
2
How does the framework define the end‑to‑end growth engine?
2:20–4:42
3
What are the tell‑tale signs of a broken growth engine?
4:42–7:12
4
How should lead‑to‑revenue reporting be structured across functions?
7:12–9:34
5
Why is a zero‑touch, self‑service model critical for scaling SaaS?
9:34–12:33
6
What role does a Chief Growth Officer play in unifying marketing, sales, and success?
12:33–15:13
7
How can companies measure the three F’s – efficacy, efficiency, and effectiveness?
15:13–18:14
8
What practical steps should senior leaders take to build a holistic growth strategy?
18:14–21:24
Speakers
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