Prashant Puri co-founded AdLift in 2009 with no external funding, emphasizing the importance of sustainable, profitable business practices over hype. As the marketing landscape evolved, focusing on measurable value rather than unicorn valuations became crucial. AdLift grew steadily by prioritizing margins and delivering excellence, which ultimately made the agency acquisition-worthy when it was acquired in 2025. Lessons learned include profit being greater than hype and bootstrapping allowing for deliberate decision-making, framing operations to create lasting value beyond mere financials.
Profit is greater than hype in a world fascinated by unicorns and valuations. Focusing on building a healthy, profitable business from day one proved essential.
Bootstrapping led to deliberate decision-making during the growth of our agency. It emphasized sustainability over spectacle and resulted in creating lasting value.
Building an agency to last, rather than for an exit, was a key principle. It aligned operations with values, making us acquisition-worthy after many years.
The digital marketing landscape in 2009 was different; SEO was undervalued, content marketing was nascent, and performance-driven marketing was yet to gain traction.
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