In this seventh episode of Building in Public, David Ellis shares his real-time experience of scaling a B2B business while openly discussing challenges, successes, and lessons learned.

Stacey Cruickshanks, Head of Content at beetu.be, joins the conversation, pushing David to dive deeper into sales metrics, marketing spend, and the impact of demand generation.

They revisit the ambitious Q1 goal of signing 30 new high-ticket clients and assess progress so far. David explains how their marketing system is performing, what metrics they track, and why he's still personally handling sales calls as the CEO.

He also discusses their data-driven approach to increasing ad spend, the challenges of predicting revenue growth, and why their creative strategy avoids direct sales pitches.

As part of their commitment to transparency, they announce an upcoming Live Building in Public episode, where listeners can join, ask questions, and engage directly.

David Ellis – Founder and CEO, building a B2B business in public. Sharing transparent insights on marketing, sales, and scaling strategies.

At the start of the year, David and his team set a goal to sign 30 new high-ticket clients in Q1, essentially doubling their usual 15 per quarter. They committed to sharing this process publicly, tracking progress, and discussing real results.

So far, their marketing system is performing well. They set a target to spend £10,000 per month on marketing but are ramping up gradually. In January, they planned to spend £7,000, generate 26 demo calls, and keep the cost per demo at around £275. By the time of recording, they had 25 demo calls booked and a cost per demo of £277—right on track.

The only lagging metric is new sales, though David explains this is expected due to the delay between marketing spend and closed deals. They have already signed five new sales this month, totaling £62,000 in deal value. He remains optimistic that the groundwork laid in January will pay off in the coming months.

One unexpected factor has been repeat customers. Several clients returned to purchase additional services, prompting a discussion about whether the goal should be "30 new clients" or "30 new sales." While new customers were the original focus, revenue growth remains the ultimate measure of success.

David admits he doesn’t have an exact number for his average sales cycle length but knows it varies widely. Some prospects sign up immediately after a demo call, while others take months to return. The benefit of a demand generation approach is that many buyers complete their decision-making process before ever reaching out.

In terms of quality, their sales calls have been highly targeted, with a strong show-up rate of over 90%. Unlike traditional lead generation funnels, where up to 30% of booked calls don’t happen, their approach ensures they speak with engaged and qualified prospects.

Despite being the CEO, David still handles all sales calls himself, dedicating about 7 hours per week—nearly 25% of his time—to these conversations. He sees this as an essential part of staying close to customers, understanding their needs, and refining their approach. Eventually, he will transition sales calls to a team member, but for now, it remains a priority.

To scale effectively, they follow a structured decision-making framework for marketing spend. If cost per demo is below target, they increase the budget significantly. If it's on target, they make smaller adjustments. If it rises above target, they assess creative performance and conversion rates before making...

In this episode of Building in Public with David Ellis (Founder of beetu.be), we break down their ambitious goal of signing 30+ high-ticket clients in Q1 2025.

They share the strategy behind their plan, including increasing ad spend, leveraging LinkedIn as their primary marketing channel, and using a demand generation approach over traditional lead generation.

We also discuss how beetu.be has evolved as a business, the importance of finding product-market fit, and the role of Unique Useful Insights (UUI) in cold advertising. Plus, they dive into tracking ad performance, preventing ad fatigue, and keeping themselves accountable by sharing progress updates along the way.

David is a B2B growth strategist and the driving force behind beetu.be, a consultancy that helps businesses scale using demand generation and high-ticket client acquisition strategies.

Stacey oversees creative strategy at beetu.be, helping businesses craft impactful marketing content that educates and engages their audience.

David and Stacey outline their strategy, including doubling their ad spend, refining their messaging, and optimising LinkedIn campaigns.

Starting as an SEO agency, beetu.be transitioned into a B2B growth consultancy, refining its services and systems before scaling.

Within the first two weeks of January, ad performance exceeded expectations, with a lower cost per demo than initially projected.

Market resonance is about aligning messaging with the right audience, while product-market fit ensures the business can deliver results consistently at scale.

With 80% of leads coming from LinkedIn, beetu.be has found it to be the most effective platform for high-ticket B2B client acquisition.

Instead of direct selling, beetu.be’s cold ads focus on educational content that builds trust, positioning them as thought leaders in the space.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cost per demo and close rates are monitored to ensure marketing spend remains efficient and scalable.

Lead generation targets in-market buyers now, while demand generation nurtures relationships by educating potential clients for long-term conversion.

Rather than hard-selling, beetu.be focuses on delivering insights that build trust, making potential clients more likely to convert when they’re ready.

By sharing regular updates internally and publicly, David and Stacey ensure transparency and continuous learning throughout the process.

Subscribers get exclusive behind-the-scenes updates on campaign performance, growth strategies, and learnings before they’re posted publicly.

In this episode of the Build in Public Podcast, I sit down with Graham Davies, founder and CEO of Addition Finance. From dreaming of a career in professional rugby to reshaping the landscape of finance for startups and SMEs. The discussion covers lessons learned from both sports and business, the challenges of scaling a company, and the importance of technology in modern accounting.

Graham’s candid reflections provide invaluable insights for entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of leadership, growth, and innovation in today’s B2B market.

If you’re looking for actionable advice and real-world examples of business resilience, this episode is a must-listen.

Name: Graham Davies

Title: Founder & CEO of Addition Finance

Background: Graham’s professional journey began with a pivot from his dream of professional rugby to the world of finance. His passion for automation and innovation shaped his career as he transitioned from traditional accounting roles to becoming a portfolio CFO.

Now, as the CEO of Addition Finance, Graham leverages his experience to deliver tech-enabled financial solutions that empower startups and SMEs.

Graham’s experiences on the rugby field and later in rowing taught him invaluable lessons about perseverance, teamwork, and discipline.

• Resilience: Whether facing setbacks in sports or challenges in business, Graham emphasised the importance of “just showing up.” He likens tough weeks in business to rigorous rowing training, saying, “Just do the training,” even when motivation wanes.
• Teamwork: Rugby and rowing instilled a deep appreciation for collective effort. In both sports, success relies on every individual executing their role perfectly—a principle that translates seamlessly to building and leading business teams.
• Adaptability: These lessons not only prepared Graham for a successful finance career but also for the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship. His ability to pivot and overcome obstacles reflects the mindset he cultivated through years of competitive sports.

Drawing from his years as a CFO and portfolio CFO for startups, Graham identified recurring issues that can derail early-stage businesses:

1. Lack of Financial Reporting: Startups often overlook the importance of accurate and timely data, making it difficult to gauge performance or make informed decisions.
2. Growth at All Costs: Venture-backed startups sometimes prioritise rapid expansion without considering whether their spending is generating meaningful returns. Graham cautioned against the "spend it because we’ve raised it" mentality, sharing examples of businesses that deployed capital inefficiently and struggled to raise subsequent funding.
3. Neglecting Efficiency: Graham champions the importance of tracking the ROI of every expense. He urges startups to experiment with small budgets and validate their models before scaling up.

The shift from managing finances to managing people brought new challenges and opportunities:

• Building a Team: As a CFO, Graham focused on numbers and processes. As a CEO, his priority became hiring the right people, aligning them with the company vision, and empowering them to succeed.
• Over-communication: Early in his CEO journey, Graham assumed that once something was communicated, it would naturally stick. He learned that leaders must reinforce key messages repeatedly to...