This week, we chat to one of our faves: Matilda Lucy, London-based startup strategist.

Who are you & what do you do?

Hey I'm Matilda Lucy and I'm a London-based digital growth and marketing strategist. I work with businesses in the tech and creative industries to define what success looks like to them today and support them in making it happen through growth strategy and consulting. I've spent the last ten years growing brands like Lime, Weleda, MINI plus many startups online. Today my work is increasingly focused on supporting brands to become less reliant on social media channels for growth. In real life you'll find me hanging out at the park with my toddler Stan, dishing out reccs for the best pub roast in South East London and fitting in as many mini trips to European cities as possible. 

Tell us about Broken Growth. Why was it important to you to start something like this?

Having spent so much of my career working with and for VC-backed startups, the idea of growth at all costs was so ingrained in how I operated. More users, more sales, more revenue, repeat. But we're living on a planet of finite resources, and this outdated idea of "successful growth" and using a handful of social media platforms that line the pockets of a few tech bros to create this growth doesn't stand up. People are starting to opt out of Big Social and the brands who lead the way in mirroring this shift will win over the coming years. I created the Substack Broken Growth as a space to explore and reimagine how and why we grow brands online today. I hope that by highlighting alternative business models and growth strategies more people will be inspired to build sustainable, regenerative businesses. 

What are a few brands you think are doing cool things? Why do you love them?

1. BEAME is a new suncare and wellness brand that raised money via a Kickstarter campaign to launch their first product, an SPF face mist called Something You Mist™️, rather than looking for VC / other traditional investment. Founder Eniye Okah has brought her community along for the ride so amazingly well that they invested in the brand before the first product was even made. I think we're going to see a lot more of this as founders can't or don't want to access VC cash in the same way as before. 

2. Playground is a creative studio based in Stockholm. Founder Auste Skrupskyte Cullbrand published a magazine of the same name last year and it's some of the most engaging, fun editorial content I have seen for ages. I love how they have featured the work of so many creatives outside of the usual suspect cities London, Berlin etc. 

What does growth mean to you — both in business and in life?

For me growth is inextricably linked to experimentation and play in both business and life. Trying new things out, sticking with the things that work for now and abandoning the things that no longer serve a purpose as we continue to evolve. 

Follow Matilda's work here, and sign up to her Substack here!