Kevin Payne

Kevintpayne.com

As a Fractional GTM Engineer, I help Series A and B startups:

AI-Powered Revenue Operations - Custom LLM automations that streamline sales and marketing workflows using Claude, OpenAI, and machine learning segmentation for enhanced customer lifecycle management.

GTM System Architecture - Scalable HubSpot, Salesforce, and N8N automation frameworks that grow with your team, implementing cross-platform data integration and workflow orchestration.

Growth Strategy Validation - Real-world scouting of emerging tactics before full-scale implementation, maintaining a comprehensive growth experiments database in Notion and documenting proven strategies through "Growth Guides" newsletter.

===

1. Built fractional consulting practice specializing in AI-powered revenue operations and GTM system architecture for venture-backed startups, providing strategic guidance on marketing automation and growth optimization.

2. Developed Growth Guides newsletter documenting actionable growth experiments and AI automation frameworks, establishing thought leadership in revenue operations and growth marketing.

3. Created comprehensive growth experiments database in Notion, systematically tracking and analyzing emerging GTM tactics, conversion optimization strategies, and automation workflows for client implementation

Founder

Founder Institute

Founders Institute is a pre-seed accelerator and startup launch program, based in Silicon Valley with chapters across 100+ cities and 60+ countries.

I advise and mentor early-stage startups through 1:1 and small group sessions on go-to-market strategies.

Startup Mentor

FaithTech

FaithTech is a global tech community for Christ. We exist to help people in the tech ecosystem find community and steward their skills to glorify God. Bridging the gap between faith and technology.

Brand Ambassador

Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Faith Driven Entrepreneur is a movement dedicated to gathering one million Christ-following entrepreneurs and equipping them, so they can fulfill their call to create.

Group Facilitator

AirGarage

Value Proposition: Full Service Parking Management
Business Model: Enterprise Software (Web App & Hardware)
Investment Fund: A16z
Investment Round: Series A
Team Size: 50s

- Architected marketing operations infrastructure by integrating NoCode automation tools (Zapier, HubSpot workflows) to streamline data flow between marketing and sales platforms, reducing data silos and improving campaign tracking accuracy by 30%

- Deployed AI-powered lead nurturing sequences using LLM-generated personalization and machine learning segmentation that improved lead engagement rates by 45%, shortening the average sales cycle by 10 days

- Executed omnichannel demand generation campaigns across paid search, social, and display while optimizing $20K monthly ad budget through performance analytics, reducing cost per acquisition (CPA) by 30%

- Built automated lead scoring and nurturing workflows in collaboration with product and sales teams, implementing predictive analytics and behavioral triggers that increased SQL quality by 25%

- Conducted systematic A/B testing and conversion rate optimization across email marketing and social campaigns, leveraging data-driven insights to boost demo requests and accelerate product adoption.

Demand Generation Manager

Branch

Value Proposition: Instant Payments, Empowering Hourly Workers.
Business Model: Enterprise Software (Web Based App & Mobile App)
Investment Fund: Techstars '16
Investment Round: Series A
Team Size: 40s

- Created fully automated demand generation dashboard using Databox and HubSpot integrations, providing real-time campaign performance insights and revenue attribution that influenced strategic GTM decision-making.

- Optimized marketing funnel automation using HubSpot workflows and automated customer lifecycle management, resulting in 50% increase in lead-to-demo conversion rates through improved nurturing sequences.

- Managed $250K annual advertising budget across multi-channel campaigns, implementing A/B test driven bidding strategies and audience optimization that reduced user acquisition costs to $3 per app install while increasing conversion rates by 35%.

- Built and optimized revenue operations infrastructure through HubSpot marketing automation, enhancing lead scoring models and nurturing processes that contributed to 40% increase in qualified sales pipeline.

- Led marketing technology stack optimization by adopting NoCode automation tools (Zapier integrations) to streamline campaign operations, saving 20+ hours per month in manual marketing processes.

Demand Generation Lead

Waggl, Inc

Value Proposition: Crowdsourced Employee Surveys & Feedback Platform
Business Model: Enterprise Software (Web App)
Team Size: 20s
Investment Round: Seed

- Developed scalable content marketing strategy leveraging SEO topic clusters and Ahrefs analytics to drive organic growth, generating 35% increase in organic traffic and 20% increase in inbound lead generation.

- Spearheaded digital marketing initiatives and user acquisition strategies using data-driven customer segmentation and personalization tactics, increasing overall user satisfaction and retention by 20%.

- Built interactive analytics dashboard using Databox and Google Analytics integrations, enabling real-time campaign tracking and marketing attribution that improved decision-making efficiency by 15%.

- Implemented marketing automation workflows for customer lifecycle management and behavioral targeting, enhancing engagement metrics and accelerating the sales funnel conversion process.

Digital Marketing Manager

Theralogix - Nutritional Science

Value Proposition: Scientifically Formulated Nutritional Supplements
Business Model: eCommerce (Shopify & Amazon FBA)
Team Size: 40s
Investment Round: Privately Owned

- Implemented comprehensive SEO and content strategy that improved domain authority by 15% and increased overall web visibility, driving 20% increase in new customer acquisition and lead generation.

Executed inbound marketing transformation by transitioning from outbound to content-driven demand generation, resulting in 25% increase in organic traffic through strategic content marketing and influencer partnerships.

- Created topic cluster content strategy using pillar pages and supporting content architecture, boosting website engagement metrics and driving 30% growth in qualified lead generation.

- Deployed marketing automation and lifecycle campaigns for customer retention and nurturing, improving conversion rates and establishing scalable growth processes for multi-channel acquisition.

PropertyRoom.com

Value Proposition: Online Police Auctions
Business Model: eCommerce (Auction Marketplace)
Team Size: 40s
Investment Round: Unknown Venture Round (Built in DotCom Era)

- Scaled website traffic by 66% (from 350K to 580K monthly visitors) through systematic A/B testing and strategic management of $80K Google AdWords & Bing PPC budget, optimizing bidding strategies and audience targeting.

- Drove comprehensive SEO optimization through keyword research and on-page optimization strategies, resulting in Domain Authority increase from 56 to 62 and improved organic search visibility.

- Developed performance analytics infrastructure using Databox and Google Analytics, enabling real-time campaign tracking and marketing attribution that improved ROI optimization and decision-making efficiency by 15%.

- Implemented conversion rate optimization strategies through systematic testing and audience segmentation, maximizing advertising spend efficiency and improving customer acquisition metrics.

Digital Marketing Coordinator

Stealth Startup

- Created targeted prospect segmentation and successfully penetrated key enterprise accounts using strategic sales development tactics and CRM-driven lead management processes.

- Built automated outbound sequences using HubSpot and Expandi for email, calls, and social outreach, maintaining comprehensive prospect data in Salesforce CRM while qualifying leads using BANT methodology.

- Established scalable sales development processes including appointment setting workflows and discovery call frameworks, contributing to early-stage revenue operations foundation and pipeline development.

Business Development Representative

- Set new appointments using email, calls, and social sequences via HubSpot and Expandi.

- Qualified sales opportunities using the BANT methodology, effectively handling discovery calls.

Business Development Intern

Helping founders leverage operating systems so they can build a micro startup portfolio

I'm Kevin Payne, a RevOps leader who helps B2B software companies scale through AI-powered GTM systems and proven automation frameworks.

After a decade of building revenue operations for startups from stealth to Series A, driving 66% traffic growth, managing $250K+ ad budgets, and creating automated systems that improved conversion rates by 50%.

I now serve as a Fractional GTM Engineer while developing next-generation growth strategies.

My approach combines enterprise-scale RevOps leadership with hands-on innovation labs where I build and test AI automations using Claude, OpenAI, N8N and Zapier. This unique methodology allows me to identify emerging GTM trends, validate new growth tactics, and bring proven innovations to growing software companies.

As a Fractional GTM Engineer, I help Series A and B startups:

1. AI-Powered Revenue Operations - Custom LLM automations that streamline sales and marketing workflows

2. GTM System Architecture - Scalable HubSpot, Salesforce, and automation frameworks that grow with your team

3. Growth Strategy Validation - Real-world testing of emerging tactics before full-scale implementation

Through my newsletter "Growth Guides", I reverse-engineer successful GTM strategies and document actionable AI automation frameworks that other professionals can implement immediately. As a Startup Mentor at Founder Institute, I bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation and practical business application.

Currently seeking full-time remote opportunities where I can apply these battle-tested innovations to drive scalable growth for established B2B software companies.

Follow my journey as I document the future of AI-powered revenue operations and turn experimental growth tactics into repeatable systems.

Building a portfolio of digital real estate. Everyone’s familiar with real estate investments. It’s as simple as buying a house or land to rent or sell for profit. 

Digital real estate works the same way. Every domain name, every website and every blog you see online is internet property. They represent digital real estate you can buy and sell just like houses, apartments and lots.

I specialize in writing and speaking about solopreneurship, artificial intelligence, and minimalism. My mission is to document my journey and impart wisdom pertaining to wealth and health.

Most agencies want to impress you with dashboards, vanity metrics, and vague reports.

I don’t.

Because real search marketing partners don’t sell smoke, they show you the numbers that matter and own the outcome.

I'm Michael, founder of ROAR, a search marketing agency built for ambitious 7–8 figure B2B brands who’ve outgrown fluffy tactics and need real, measurable ROI from SEO, PPC and Content.

Before ROAR, I spent years training marketers at all levels across the UK and Europe as one of Google’s lead digital skills coach, and lectured in strategy at Newcastle University.

Today, my agency’s helped generate:

£10M+ additional revenue in 12 months for a DTC brand

£4.1M additional revenue from SEO/PPC for a pension consultancy

What makes it work?

➡️ The ROAR Method - a simple but powerful system that aligns strategy, intent, spend and data so no budget gets wasted.

➡️ Full delivery and ownership - no jargon, no hand-holding, just performance.

➡️ Reporting dashboards you’ll actually understand - and be able use to make better commercial decisions.

If your current agency can’t show you where growth is coming from, it’s time to talk.

📩 Message me to see how we scale B2B revenue through data-informed performance marketing.

Michael Knowles

I'm looking forward to joining a panel of industry specialists at The State of Martech this coming January 2026.

I have been on many panels over the years and I never take it for granted when people value your perspective and want you in the room.

A big thank you to Caroline H. for inviting me and recognising the thinking and experience I bring to these conversations.

The panel for 'The State of Martech in the North East' is a strong one:
Michele Gettins, Nicola Halse, Samuel Marriott-Dowding, Ian Ferguson

A great mix of voices and marketing brains who really understand where their channel of marketing is and where this technology is heading.

This one will be fun. Because Martech is exploding with opportunity. AI is evolving faster than anyone expected.

And the digital and marketing landscape is transforming again more than ever how businesses in the North East and around the world grow and compete for visibility, attention, and sales.

Along with the thoughts of my fellow panellists - I will be sharing what I see coming next, what we are testing at ROAR Digital Marketing, how AI is reshaping strategy, and my thoughts on where Martech is heading in 2026.

Most importantly, I will be highlighting what smart business and marketing leaders should (in my opinion) be paying attention to in the year ahead to drive impact and ROI.

Tickets are available. Link is in the comments.

See you there.

We Scale 7–8 Figure B2B Brands Into Market Leaders Using Data-Driven SEO, PPC, And Content That Achieves Measurable ROI | Ex-Google | Founder @ ROAR |

𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 because they weren’t right for us (yet).

But not because they lacked intelligence, passion, or ambition.

They just weren’t ready for the type of growth they thought they wanted.

And very few agencies are willing to say that out loud.

Most would take the money, nod politely, run with the brief, and hope for the best.

Then shift the blame when the results don’t show.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.”

Rubbish.

When you ask the right questions, and actually care about the outcome, you quickly see the truth.

You can help.

 Just not always in the way that gets you paid today.

As my favourite guy to listen to on audio books - Tony Robbins puts it, “𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴.”

That’s why integrity matters.

This prospect had a lot going for them:

➝ Strong sector expertise
 ➝ Solid mechanics in the background
 ➝ Serious drive
 ➝ A capable team
 ➝ A clear willingness to invest

But they were missing the essentials that make search marketing actually work:

❌ No clearly defined Ideal customers - I mean truly defined!
❌ No real go-to-market strategy.
❌ A website that was in such a place it would never convert users.
❌ A budget that would feel like a leap of faith, not a calculated decision.

Saying “yes” would’ve been easy.

But it wouldn’t have been right.

𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲, because they're an professional adult with business challenges, not a child that needed a pep talk..

✅ Gave them 3 clear steps to fix the fundamentals of basic online presence.

✅ Pointed them to 2 specialists better suited to their current stage, a web dev, and a freelance designer.

✅ Offered future support once the foundation is strong enough to scale and drive real impact and revenue for them not just me.

That is what real partnership looks like.

Because the truth is simple.

Growth without clarity is just gambling.

And gambling is exactly how so many B2B companies get burned.

The house always wins.

If you’re an established B2B business looking to scale, remember this:

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Never because “others are doing xyz and spending” or because it doing something is better than nothing.

Say “no” for now, so you can say “hell yes” later with real certainty.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

what an honour, I mean we're not in shiremoor, but hey a win is a win!!! 🤣🤣🤣

kind of like being told... I've been voted best looking man, with no hair, called Michael wearing a red hoodie in the room! 🏆

🤔 Professional service websites are bleeding opportunity and no one is noticing.

We’ve just audited over 30 websites across professional service sectors and the same costly SEO, PPC, and content marketing mistakes kept showing up again and again.

These are not small issues.

They are the exact problems draining online visibility, key rankings, credibility, and inbound leads without anyone noticing.

If you want to see what is quietly holding firms like yours back online, and the practical steps to get ahead of your competitors, watch 👇

taplio

The Battle

Kevin Payne

Michael Knowles

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMichael Knowles's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Kevin Payne

Michael Knowles

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);}Michael Knowles's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMichael Knowles's LinkedIn Performance