In the age of LinkedIn flexing, where a domain purchase and a landing page often get paraded as the birth of a new venture, the true essence of entrepreneurship seems to be fading. As someone who has built a 360-degree marketing agency—Devout Growth—from the ground up, I’ve seen this play out firsthand.
A real founder isn’t someone who just proclaims a title; they are individuals with an unbreakable commitment, a vision that goes beyond aesthetics, and the resilience to sacrifice personal comfort for long-term growth.
In my journey, I’ve seen many employees, often working as a point of contact (POC) for clients, resign, set up a landing page, and suddenly declare themselves as founders and co-founders. They lure clients by offering services at half the price without understanding the fundamentals of the business.
However, what differentiates a true founder is not just a title on paper but an ability to drive real impact—turning sacrifices and hardships into measurable business growth, reflected in metrics like revenue, EBITDA, and P&L statements.
Work culture is evolving, and with it, so are the notions of productivity. If an employee is delivering results, does it matter whether they’re working from an office in Toronto or a beach in Mexico? As long as deadlines are met and quality remains intact, location should be the least of an employer’s concerns.
Exposure to diverse environments fosters creativity and efficiency. At Devout Growth, we believe that experiences—through books, travel, and interactions—fuel innovation. Let your employees thrive where they are most productive; their output will speak for itself.
Work ethic varies from person to person. I often hear concerns about overworked employees who refuse to switch off, even on holidays like Mahashivratri. The truth is, this isn’t something to ‘deal with’ but rather something to learn from.
The traditional 9-5 work structure was designed to limit self-awareness and keep employees within a system that benefits organizations more than individuals. Instead of trying to pull someone back from their hustle, take a lesson from their dedication while ensuring you invest in yourself too. True success isn’t about working endlessly for a company; it’s about leveraging your experience for greater opportunities in life.
One of the most common mistakes new agency owners make is targeting a specific sector, like dermatologists, rather than focusing on a niche service. In my experience, brands place greater trust in agencies that specialize in a service rather than those that attempt to master every industry.
Think of it like academia—if you’re a mathematics student, you might excel in algebra or calculus, but being great at just one area alone isn’t enough.
Similarly, in digital marketing, agencies should build expertise in specialized services such as influencer marketing, meme marketing, CGI ads, programmatic advertising, or Snapchat marketing rather than stretching themselves too thin across industries.
Every agency has its strengths and weaknesses. At Devout Growth, we pride ourselves on our creative and critical thinking abilities. While we provide a full spectrum of marketing services, our clients continuously turn to us for crisis management and out-of-the-box ideas. In a world where most agencies struggle to stand out, creativity and the ability to navigate brand crises set us apart.
A true founder isn’t just someone who registers a business or claims a title—it’s someone who builds, struggles, innovates, and stays committed when things get tough. In the modern world, success isn’t about where you work from but how effectively you work. And when it comes to specialization, focus on mastering a service rather than an industry.
These are the core principles that have shaped my journey at Devout Growth, and they continue to define what it truly means to build a lasting business.