Secrets to $100M Desertcart Profitable Growth | Reach 4 Growth Podcast

In this podcast episode we sit down with Rahul, the founder and CEO of Desertcart, one of the few e-commerce companies in Dubai that scaled to $100M+ in annual revenue while staying profitable. Rahul shares the real story behind building a 9-figure business in the Dubai from the early chaos to the leadership transformation, and the untold levers behind profitable e-commerce growth.

🚀 In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ The biggest myth about being a founder of a $100M business✅ How Desertcart scaled profitably in a market where others burn cash✅ What most people get wrong about e-commerce in the Middle East✅ The leadership habits that helped Rahul manage a high-growth team✅ Real advice for anyone who wants to build something meaningful

Whether you're a startup founder, marketer, or future e-commerce mogul, this conversation is full of actionable insights and hard-earned truths. 📍 About the Guest: Rahul is the founder and CEO of Desertcart, a cross-border e-commerce company based in Dubai, generating over $100M in yearly revenue. Known for his product obsession, operational depth, and resilience, Rahul breaks down what it really takes to build a sustainable online business.

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🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

📩 Want more? Follow me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamalgrowth/] for weekly content on performance marketing and e-commerce growth.

🚨 Think Your Marketing Has an AI Agent? Think Again!

Marketers are being promised AI agents that run campaigns while they sleep. Reality check: most of these so-called "agents" are just automated workflows. In Growth Snacks #2, Gamal breaks down:

✅ The difference between AI workflows and true AI agents✅ Why most marketing “AI agents” are just glorified automations✅ How to actually leverage AI for smarter, more efficient workflows

Don’t fall for the hype. If your AI tool can’t act without you, it’s just a workflow—not an agent. 💡 Perfect for: Performance marketers • Digital strategists • Anyone exploring AI in marketing 🎧 Follow for more practical insights on building smarter, data-driven marketing. 📩 Join the Reach 4 Growth community — where modern marketers get real about AI.

Is digital retail just about e-commerce? Is it as simple as a one-time investment? Spoiler: It's not.

In this episode of Reach 4 Growth, I sit down with Jonathan Flender, VP of Digital and Omni at GMG, to debunk the biggest myths retailers have about digital transformation. We dive into why digital goes far beyond just selling online and why thinking of it as a one-time setup can be a costly mistake.

🚀 What we cover:

✅ The most common misconceptions about digital retail ✅ Why digital transformation is more than just e-commerce ✅ How to build sustainable digital strategies without burning out ✅ The cost of leadership: balancing growth, ethics, and personal well-being ✅ Lessons learned from leading digital innovation in fast-paced environments

🎯 Whether you're navigating digital strategy, retail growth, or leadership challenges—this episode breaks down the musts of thriving in digital retail without falling for common traps.

🎧 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamalgrowth/

📩 Join the Reach 4 Growth community –for authentic growth and real success.

Marketers love to debate attribution vs incrementality—but here’s the truth: They’re not in competition. They’re two stages of smarter marketing measurement.

In this episode #1 from Growth Snacks series, Gamal breaks down: ✅ What attribution actually tells you (and why it’s not enough)✅ Why incrementality is the harder—but more valuable—question ✅ How to stack both for clearer ROI, sharper decisions, and real profit

If you're still obsessing over last-click vs data-driven, you’re playing the wrong game. It's time to evolve your measurement stack—one smart step at a time.

💡 Perfect for:

Performance marketers • Growth leads • Brand managers • Anyone tired of fluffy metrics.

🎧 Follow for more bite-sized drops on what actually drives marketing results.📩 Join the Reach 4 Growth community — where modern marketers level up.

Starting a business is exciting. Growing one is where things get real.

In this episode of Reach 4 Growth, I sit down with Miquel Pancorbo, a seasoned COO and business operator who's helped run and scale multiple companies. We get into the real-life mechanics of what it takes—not just to start—but to keep a business running and growing sustainably.

🚀 What we cover:

✅ The unseen operational work behind long-term growth✅ How to scale a business that’s built to reach its full potential✅ Usual challenges businesses face and how to avoid them

🎯 Whether you’re starting from scratch, running your first team, or eyeing your next acquisition—this episode brings you practical insights from someone who's done it all behind the scenes.

💼 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamalgrowth/

📩 Join the Reach 4 Growth community – Authentic growth, real success.

👉 Don’t forget to Like, Subscribe, and hit the 🔔 Bell to stay updated

Brand Marketing: The ROI No One Talks About | Podcast Reach 4 Growth Ep. 25 Brand marketing often gets labeled as “fluffy”—but it’s actually one of the most misunderstood (and under-leveraged) growth levers in business today.

So... how do you actually measure the ROI of brand work? How do you know if your efforts are landing—or just adding noise?

In this episode of Reach 4 Growth, I sit down with Cemre Akkaya, VP of Marketing at desertcart. With 12+ years leading brand strategy across markets, she shares a sharp, no-fluff perspective on what brand marketing really is—and how to do it right.

🚀 What we cover:

✅ Common brand marketing mistakes that waste time and budget ✅ Why the ROI of brand marketing is real—but often invisible on dashboards ✅ How emotional connection builds trust when logic alone won’t

🎯 Whether you’re running paid media, leading a growth team, or trying to scale sustainably—this episode breaks down how brand marketing can support long-term performance, not just vanity.

🎧 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamalgrowth/

📩 Join the Reach 4 Growth community – Authentic growth, real success.

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في هذة الحلقة ، أجلس مع خالد ثابت – مدير هندسة البيانات في Property Finder – في حوارعفوي، يشارك فيه خالد محطات من رحلته المهنية والشخصية على مدار أكثر من 20 عامًا في عالم الشركات والتقنية.

فيها نتحدث عن :

✅ كيف تبدأ مسيرتك المهنية بثقة حتى لو كنت طالب أو خريج جديد ✅ نصائح عملية للنجاح في بيئات العمل التنافسية ✅ دروس و خبرات للنجاح في الحياة المهنية

🎯 هذه الحلقة موجهة لكل طالب، أو خريج جديد، أو موظف لا يعلم من أين يبدأ أو كيف يواصل مسيرته — وستجد فيها رسائل واقعية، بسيطة، وملهمة. 🎧 تابع محمد جمال على لينكدإن : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamalgrowth/

📩 انضم إلى مجتمع Reach 4 Growth – للنمو والنجاح الحقيقي

👉 لا تنسَ الإعجاب، والاشتراك، وتفعيل زر الجرس 🔔 لتصلك جميع الحلقات الجديدة.

Data Lakes for Dummies & How To understand Data?| Podcast Reach 4 Growth

What the heck is a Data Lake? Should you be using AWS or Google Cloud? And how do you actually get usable insights from all the raw data sitting in your tools?

Marketers love data but let’s face it, data infrastructure can feel like a black box. What’s a data lake really? How is it different from a database or a CDP? And which one do you actually need? In this episode of Reach 4 Growth, I sit down with Khaled Thabit, Director of Data Engineering at Property Finder, with over 20 years of experience designing and scaling data systems across industries.

Together, we break it down in simple language for marketers, founders, and non-technical leaders—so you can make the right decisions and build a true growth engine. 🚀 What we cover:

✅ Database vs Data Lake – What are the differences, and when to use each ✅ Data Lake vs CDP (Customer Data Platform) – Which one fits your needs better ✅ AWS vs Google Cloud – Choosing the right platform for your marketing stack ✅ How to go from Raw Data to Actionable Insights – Without getting lost in dashboards ✅ What makes (or breaks) a data-driven culture – Especially in marketing teams

💡 You’ll learn: - How to assess your current data setup (even if you're not technical) - What to prioritize in your data pipeline for clean reporting & attribution - How to avoid common data infrastructure mistakes that cost performance - When to invest in a CDP vs when a data lake is enough 🎯 Whether you’re scaling e-commerce, building a B2C startup, or leading marketing in a non-technical team—this episode will help you bridge the gap between data complexity and practical business results. 🎧 Connect with me on LinkedIn: Mohamed Gamal

📩 Join the Reach 4 Growth community – Authentic growth, real success.

👉 Don’t forget to Like, Subscribe, and hit the 🔔 Bell to stay updated.