RealityGrowth

Growing sales via digital advertising. Helped companies like Airtable, FreeAgent, QT, TUDN, ThirdPartyTrust (Bitsight), ScreenMeet, Kick, SnapDragon and many more.

Fractional Head of Performance Marketing, Demand Generation and Paid Advertising

FreeAgent

I lead paid online advertising campaigns and manage multiple platforms that bring new customers and generate revenue. I use data to unlock user acquisition opportunities that drive FreeAgent's growth.

Performance Marketing Team Lead

Performance Marketing Manager

SolarWinds

I am in charge of managing international, large budget paid programmatic display and search campaigns. Responsible for the strategy, campaign creation, implementation and analysing large data sets to make data driven decisions. 

Depending on the acquisition strategy, I manage DoubleClick products for Display advertising, Adwords, Bing, Yahoo for Search and Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Adroll and Native networks such as; Taboola, Disqus, Outbrain etc. for brand advertising.

Advertised products: Remote Management software, antivirus software and backup products.

Rebranded from GFI MAX to Logicnow then acquired by Solarwinds. 

Target market: IT Service Providers, Managed Service Providers, VARs, IT Support Companies.

Digital Marketing Analyst

EBS Europe

EBS Europe is an IT service provider and a software company. My role here is user research, customer acquisition, paid online advertising, search engine optimization, data analysis and managing the digital marketing customer journey.

Digital Marketing Executive

Do you know why most SaaS companies fail to accelerate growth with online advertising?

They pick the wrong metrics to focus on because their strategies are flawed.

And I am not talking about vanity metrics,

I mean hardcore revenue metrics.

They think in order to grow revenue they need to focus on revenue metrics, like MRR.

But using MRR to optimise your online advertising campaigns is wrong.

Here’s why:

Online Advertising = More Leads = More Customers = ARR/MRR Growth

Really?

Growth is not that simple, is it? Something must be missing!

# HERE’S THE SECRET TO GROWTH

In order to grow to 7 - 8 figures ARR you need more than ‘more customers’,

You need to get them engaged with your product and you need to retain them.

Not just acquire them.

Advertising strategies that don’t take this into account fail. That’s it!

They use the wrong strategy, focus on the wrong metrics, and fall short of their goals.

# HERE’S WHERE I COME IN 🙋

I can deliver a strategy for YOUR SaaS business that grows revenue.

My systems and frameworks are tried and tested and THEY WORK because they follow this simple principle:

Create the right strategy first then connect the dots with the right metrics. 

Not the other way around.

Many SaaS companies make the mistake of creating a strategy around metrics. All they really create is a mismatch.

There is no secret to success, but you do need to know all the steps and the order to take them in. 

It’s like making a cake, knowing all the ingredients isn’t enough. 

You need to know how much and in what order to mix them, otherwise you'll end up with a squidgy lump rather than a tasty cake. 

There are no secrets working with me either. 

Throughout you’ll have a clear understanding of progress, what’s working, what’s not working, and how we’re going to improve.

# THINK CAREFULLY, IS THIS APPROACH RIGHT FOR YOU?

Unfortunately, I don’t work with everyone. All my clients MUST have:

1) an amazing product that customers love using again and again

2) experienced some success organically, without an effective online advertising strategy

3) at least 10K a month ready to invest in online advertising

If you match these criteria then your online advertising should be working and I can help you :)

# YOUR NEXT STEP ⏭️

Sound good? Then we’re done with the sales pitch and I want to explain exactly WHAT your problem is and HOW I plan to fix it.

Book your FREE consultation call with me & let’s get going -> https://realitygrowth.com/contact

Mete Karamanoglu 🏔️

Hey, I’m Simon. A dad, a Geordie, and a designer who helps B2B SaaS companies turn confusing products into experiences people actually enjoy using.

I’ve worked on 30+ products, collaborating closely with founders, product managers, and engineers to fix the UX problems that cost customers and revenue.

I don’t do long research reports or get hung up on processes for the sake of it.

My approach is flexible and pragmatic: we figure out what the problem is, wireframe solutions, iterate to high-fidelity prototypes, and launch fast.Always keeping the user front and centre.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

- 25% uplift in paid conversions + 2X ACV (SendX)- 30% revenue increase (SiteGuru)
- Upsold existing clients + converted new customers (RealTyme)
- Faster launch to win early customers (Ring4)

I love the variety of projects I get to work on: from payroll to email marketing software. And I love seeing founders and teams get excited about their product again.

It’s rewarding to know that the work I do not only improves the product but rejuvenates the entire team.

When I’m not designing, you’ll find me in Newcastle with my family, following football (I’m a recovering Manchester United fan), testing new tech, or spotting great, and sometimes terrible, UX in the wild.

If you want to fix your UX and create a product that actually converts and retains customers, DM for a chat.

Simon McCade

UX design for early-stage vs for growth stage products.
Why the work feels so different:

There are two very different types of UX project. 
Both can be brilliant in their own way.

When I’m brought into an established SaaS product that already has paying customers and clear product market fit, the work feels grounded. 

There’s real data, real feedback and usually a clear sense of where the value is. 

You can add a huge amount here because every improvement ripples out to users who already rely on it. It’s steady and it’s satisfying.

Working on an MVP is a different energy entirely. 

You’re shaping something from thin air and you’re working closely with a founder who has a vision but no market proof yet. 

When they’re properly backed and have the budget to do it well, these projects can be exciting. 

You get to lay the foundations and steer the whole experience from day one.
Seeing a founder light up when their idea finally takes shape is always a lovely moment.

But I’ll be honest, MVPs can be hard work. 
Lots of unknowns. 
Scope that changes weekly. 

And without solid funding, the budget can become a bit of a battle. 

Starting from ground zero does mean fewer constraints between design and dev though, which can be a real breath of fresh air.

Both types of project stretch different muscles. Both can be rewarding. The important thing is knowing which one you’re walking into and making sure the setup is right from the start.

__

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
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I help B2B SaaS companies convert & retain more customers through better product design.

Canva’s done an incredible job democratising design, but this dashboard is crying out for a spring clean. Cut the clutter, bring back the personality, and give users more control.

It’s busy, repetitive, and oddly impersonal for a brand that prides itself on creativity and clarity. 

Here’s where it could do with a serious tidy-up. 👇 

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱.
If Canva wants teams to collaborate, why hide the button in grey? Make it loud and proud.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸.
For a tool that’s all about speed and flow, one button for everything is a pain. Split it out so users can jump straight into the right type of design.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰.
What will you design today? is fine, but where’s the warmth? A simple greeting with a name would make it feel like Canva actually knows who I am.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀.
Doc? Sheet? What do they actually do? A few hover tooltips would fix that in minutes.

𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁.
Why can’t I reorder the top design types? It’s 2025 people work differently, let them customise it.

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝘀. 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀.
I shouldn’t have to squint to work out what’s mine and what’s shared. It’s confusing and slows people down.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀.
A static question mark buried in the corner isn’t helping anyone. Make it contextual, make it useful, or remove it entirely.

Canva’s a great product, no question. It’s slick, it’s powerful, and it’s made design accessible to millions. 
But let’s be honest: the dashboard feels like it’s been designed by committee.

It’s not about changing what Canva is, it’s about helping it live up to its own promise of being beautifully simple.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments: 👇 
__

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
📌 Repost if you found this useful
📌 DM me for a chat

Everyone thinks good design comes AFTER growth. But, in my experience, good design CREATES growth. This client is the perfect example of that:

A few years back, RealTyme got in touch. 

They’d built a secure communication platform used by some of the most security-conscious organisations in the world. Governments, global enterprises, defence teams. 

But as the platform grew, so did the challenge of keeping everything clear, consistent, and easy to use. 

It’s something I see quite often, a great product that’s evolved quickly, and now needs to bring the design up to the same level as the tech.

So we took it one step at a time. Over three and a half years, I worked closely with their team to:

🔸Redesign the product experience end-to-end
🔸Establish a new visual language so everything felt consistent
🔸Build a design system to help their engineers move faster and more confidently
🔸Gradually shift the product from being sales-led to product-led

None of it happened overnight. But bit by bit, the experience started to feel purposeful, cleaner, and more connected.

The result was a product that not only looked better, but worked better. 

Users could get started faster, support requests dropped, and RealTyme saw a real commercial impact. Happier customers, stronger retention, and more conversions.

As their CEO, Onur, said afterwards:
'We not only gained competitive advantage but also increased customer satisfaction which started to pay off commercially by upselling through existing clients and converting new ones.'
__

Hey, I'm Simon!

I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
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I’ve never seen a discount fix a value problem in SaaS. 
Yet every November we give it another go... 🙄 

Every year around this time I see the same thing happen across SaaS. 

Big Black Friday discounts like this one from Adobe start flying about and for a moment it all feels a bit frantic. 

I get why teams do it. It brings people in the door quickly and it gives the numbers a short term lift. The trouble is what happens next.

When someone signs up because of a heavy discount, their expectations rarely match what the product is actually worth. Retention becomes harder. The relationship starts off on the wrong foot. 

One SaaS company that seems to understand this better than most is Notion. 

They never run Black Friday sales. They hold the line on their pricing because they know the value they deliver and they stick to it. 

For SaaS founders this is worth thinking about. When you start cutting money off the price, even with the best intentions, you might be training customers to wait for the next offer rather than building a stable long term relationship. 

Holding your ground on price can feel uncomfortable in the moment but it often pays off in the quality of the users you attract and keep.

__

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
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Founders often come to me feeling stuck. They’ve reached the  ‘Something feels off but we can’t put our finger on it’ stage. Design has become a bottleneck. Here’s why:

The front-end engineers are doing their best to make it look good and make it work, but design isn’t really in their wheelhouse. 

Things slow down. Progress stalls.

If you’re running a SaaS, but growth is slowing, design isn’t just about polish. It’s a growth lever.

And by the time I get involved, it’s usually reached the ‘stuck’ stage.

Here’s what I’ve learned after 12 years of helping teams through this:

📌 Early design decisions compound. 
What starts as a quick fix can turn into design debt that’s hard to unravel later.

📌 Founders put off design for too long. 
It feels non-essential at first, but once you’ve got users, design is growth. 

It’s what reduces friction, shortens time-to-value and helps turn trial users into paying customers.

📌 Calm comes from clarity. 

Once we map out the product experience, founders go from feeling “stuck” to feeling in control again.

Make your product easier to use, quicker to learn, and it’ll start doing more of the heavy lifting for you.
__

Curious if you’ve felt that same “bottleneck” moment?
What helped you move past it?

Hey, I'm Simon!
I'll help you fix your UX, so trial users convert and customers stick.
Follow me, Simon McCade, for regular design tips
📌 Repost if you found this useful
📌 DM me for a chat

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Mete Karamanoglu 🏔️

Simon McCade

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taplio

The Battle

Mete Karamanoglu 🏔️

Simon McCade

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Simon McCade's LinkedIn Performance

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