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- Working experience
- [2017 - 9yrs] CPO @ DeliveryHero Greece (efood, foody)
- [2015 Β· 2yrs] Marketing @ efood
- [2015 Β· 6m] Founder @ Syndesis
- [2014 Β· 1yr] Founder @ Chipple
- [2014 Β· 6m] Organizer @ Startupbus (π¬π·)
Working experience
[2017 - 9yrs] CPO @ DeliveryHero Greece (efood, foody)
I establish and scale the Product team at Delivery Hero (GR entity). My journey within the team started as Growth Product Manager and finished as CPO (last 5 years). Our team oversees the platforms of efood (π¬π·) and foody (π¨πΎ).
We began with a team of three individuals, including a Product manager, Product owner, and Product designer. Over the course of three years, we successfully expanded and transformed this small team into a modern, full-stack Product team. Presently, our team comprises:
π¨βπ» Product managers,
π©βπ» Product owners,
π§βπ» Product analysts,
π§βπ» Product designers
π©βπ» BI analysts.
We oversee a comprehensive tech platform that includes various components such as backend systems, 3rd party tools, mobile applications, and web application services. Our ultimate goal is to deliver an amazing online ordering experience. We aim to encourage users to adopt the habit of ordering food, coffee, groceries, and more online by offering a seamless and user-friendly interface. Simultaneously, we strive to empower our partners with advanced technological capabilities, enabling them to provide exceptional services and maximize their value proposition.
In 2020, I was promoted to the role of Chief Product Officer, where my primary responsibilities include:
π Cultivating a culture that emphasizes data-driven decision-making and a strong focus on product development.
β οΈ Defining and shaping the product strategy, as well as establishing an effective prioritization process.
β οΈ Taking the lead in discovering and developing consumer products to meet their needs and preferences.
Switching from a marketing role to product management is an intriguing journey, and I highly recommend it for all ambitious marketers out there. Product management is closely intertwined with business strategy, at least in online delivery industry. To cultivate a strong product sense, it is essential to develop a solid understanding of business principles.
Here is one of the books that has greatly influenced my managerial style. "Principles" introduced me to the concept of meritocracy, which, although is challenging to implement, can serve as a guiding principle for maintaining integrity.
I believe that integrity is one of the most crucial skills for effective management.
Furthermore, the skill of prioritization, which is crucial when it comes to managing technical resources, is a skill that every capable performance marketer should already possess. As a performance marketer, you are accustomed to handling a limited and valuable company resource: the marketing budget. Therefore, applying the same prioritization mindset to technical resources is a natural extension of your existing capabilities.
Shreyas is a renowned Product leader who primarily focuses on organizational Product management. His insights are highly valuable for every Product Manager.
Lenny offers a weekly advice column covering topics such as product management, growth, and navigating workplace challenges. In my opinion, it is one of the best educational resources available for Product Managers.
Brian used to provide in-depth essays on growth and user acquisition, which have been featured in Forbes. His content can help you build a robust growth strategy. Currently, he leads the educational startup called Reforge.
Featured article about conversion rate in DH global blog.
Featured efood case study regarding how we use LottieFiles on our platform.
Featured article on how to build high-performing Product teams.
[2015 Β· 2yrs] Marketing @ efood
In 2015, I relocated to Athens and joined the Marketing department at efood. At that time, efood had a small yet highly skilled team comprising six individuals responsible for both performance and branding teams. My primary area of focus revolved around optimizing the performance of "push" marketing channels, including Facebook ads, programmatic advertising, YouTube ads, and more. Additionally, I played a key role in managing customer relationship management (CRM) activities to enhance customer engagement and retention.
One of my key initiatives involved developing and implementing a comprehensive plan that included a communication systems map for each buyer persona and their respective intentions across all marketing channels. This involved creating a strategic framework to ensure that we serve the right message, to the right user, at the right time. effective messaging and targeting for different customer segments. By mapping out the communication systems, we were able to align our marketing efforts with the specific needs, preferences, and intentions of each buyer persona. This approach allowed us to deliver tailored and impactful messaging across various marketing channels, optimizing our communication strategies for maximum engagement and conversion.
The first Greek case study in Google Think ever.
The case study was about efoodβs YouTube channel and its strategy that included a mix of performance, awareness and user segmentation initiatives.
By using this strategy we managed to develop one of the biggest branded YouTube channels in Greece.
An interview to Startup Pirate with Alex Alexakis regarding Growth & Marketing fundamentals.
- Lessons & Growth hacks,
- Experimentation & Growth,
- Most important skill for growth professional.
After a year at efood, I received a promotion to the position of Head of Performance Marketing. This role encompassed the overall responsibility for managing the entire suite of advertising performance, which involved handling a substantial budget of millions of euros. In addition to overseeing the financial aspects, my new role also involved managerial duties, as I was entrusted with leading a team of experienced professionals.
As the Head of Performance Marketing, my primary objective was to optimize the advertising campaigns to achieve maximum results within the allocated budget. This required strategic planning, data analysis, and continuous optimization to drive efficient and effective performance across various marketing channels.
Furthermore, with the managerial responsibilities that emerged, I had the privilege of leading a team of skilled professionals. This involved guiding and mentoring team members, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the alignment of their efforts with the overall marketing objectives. By leveraging their expertise and facilitating their growth, we were able to drive the success of the performance marketing initiatives while nurturing a strong and cohesive team dynamic.
One of my most significant managerial accomplishments was spearheading the development of an Agile framework for the entire Marketing department. Initially, we adopted Scrum in 2015, but as our team expanded, we recognized the need to adapt our approach or revert to traditional waterfall methods.
To address this challenge, we created a new framework called Nero, derived from the Greek word "Ξ½Ξ΅ΟΟ" (meaning "water"), symbolizing its fluidity and practicality. Nero combines principles and tools from Scrum, Kanban, Scrum Nexus, and even Waterfall methods. This hybrid framework enabled us to effectively manage our growing team while maintaining agility and adaptability.
With comprehensive documentation in place, and after witnessing positive results, we realized the value of sharing our process with the wider marketing community. Consequently, we decided to publish a book, available on Amazon, detailing our Nero framework. This resource is especially beneficial for marketers in large organizations undergoing transformation or marketers in startups seeking to enhance productivity and scale their teams.
Whether you are a marketer in need of transformation in a big organization or a marketer in a startup looking to boost productivity and manage team growth, this book offers practical insights and strategies to support your journey.
[2015 Β· 6m] Founder @ Syndesis
During my time in Larissa, my friend Konstantinos Malaviezos and I founded Syndesis to address the challenge of career uncertainty among young individuals. Our aim was to create a service that utilized a job orientation test to help students identify their ideal profession.
The concept behind Syndesis was simple: to develop a service that allowed students to take a job orientation test in order to identify their most suitable profession. Once the ideal job was determined, our approach involved arranging two interviews with practicing professionals in that field. If a student expressed interest in becoming a lawyer, for example, we would connect them with professional lawyers.
These interviews provided valuable opportunities for students to ask questions, gain insights into the legal profession, and understand the typical schedules and demands of lawyers. Our goal was to facilitate meaningful conversations that would equip students with firsthand information to make informed decisions about their career paths.
Although we secured initial funding and gained some traction, we struggled to find the right product-market fit. Despite our efforts, we were unable to fully align our offering with the needs of our target audience. After six months, we made the tough decision to discontinue the business.
Syndesis continued for a year or more but ultimately closed due to the lack of a strong product-market fit.
While the closure was disappointing, we acknowledge that it's common for startups to face challenges in finding the right fit in a competitive market. We consider the experience gained from Syndesis as valuable lessons for future endeavors. We believe that these lessons can contribute to the development of innovative solutions that effectively address market needs.
[2014 Β· 1yr] Founder @ Chipple
In 2014, three of my friends and I embarked on an entrepreneurial venture and founded our own food startup called Chipple. Our business concept had two main components. Firstly, we aimed to introduce sweet fried apple chips as a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips in the snack industry. Secondly, we wanted to provide vacuum-sealed fresh fruits, primarily targeting kiosks and school/hospital canteens, to offer a healthy choice for consumers.
To turn our business idea into reality, we developed a comprehensive and realistic business plan. We decided to participate in a national competition called Re-inspire Greece, with the hope of securing the necessary funding to launch our business.
To our delight, we finished in third place, securing a 50K funding round. At that time, I believed this would be the biggest and perhaps the only chance for our success.On the surface, everything seemed to be in place for our startup.
Specifically:
β We were a young and talented team with great potential.
β We had secured the necessary funding to kickstart our business.
β We had established sales channels, thanks to a collaboration with a large Greek company, who was ready to purchase our products.
However, only six months later, we made the difficult decision to quit without even launching our business. As a team, we came to the realization that bringing our products to market was more challenging than anticipated. The hurdles and obstacles we faced seemed insurmountable, and collectively, we made the choice to return to our 9-to-5 jobs. Though our entrepreneurial journey was relatively short-lived, it provided me with a valuable lesson that starting a business may appear promising on paper, but the reality can be vastly different.
