Spargle meets Ewoud Uphof
Fractional Head of Growth &
Founder of Solid Growth
Documentary: Cosmos (Neil de Grass-Tyson)
Book: Principles by Ray Dalio
Podcast: The Game (business podcast) Alex Hormozi
What is your current or most recent position or role?
I would describe my role as Head of Growth. With my own company Solid Growth, I help B2B companies (such as Kees de Boekhouder, Guardey, GoDutch, and Woolsocks) optimize their entire customer journey, from traffic to customer value. I do this in two ways: by building together (I create the assets and train the team) or through my video course, which teaches you step by step how to do it yourself. In addition to Solid Growth, I have been a member of the Advisory Board of the Decathlon e-commerce team since 2018.
“At NU.nl, where I was responsible for A/B testing, I used a KPI driver tree”
You are mostly focused on your own company now. How did Solid Growth come to life?
Solid Growth was born from my own path in growth, a path shaped by a range of different roles. I started in SEO/SEA, but when I hit a ceiling on maximum CPA, I immersed myself in conversion optimization through a seven-month traineeship. I learned a tremendous amount. I unlocked the next level of growth when I took on the growth of an insurance company, where retention and LTV are crucial.
At NU.nl, where I was responsible for A/B testing, I used a KPI driver tree: a model that shows every lever you can pull to influence revenue. That is when everything suddenly clicked. Growth is not a collection of tactics, but one integrated system.
That insight, combined with a fundamental problem I kept seeing everywhere: companies that stay dependent on agencies, forms the foundation of Solid Growth. I help companies optimize their entire customer journey from top to bottom, but always together with them. I build their growth machine, train their team and teach them how to do it themselves through my course. Sharing knowledge instead of creating dependency.
How do you know Spargle? And did you ever work through us?
Nicole once reached out to me on LinkedIn, at a time when I was receiving automated messages from recruiters on a daily basis. Despite my very clear “not interested,” my inbox kept getting spammed. So yes… sometimes I responded rather sharply. Nicole approached it differently; she asked one simple question: “Why are you reacting so strongly?” That led to a real conversation about personal development and my motivations. I had just left HotelGift and was in a phase where I had no idea what my next step should be. Nicole helped me find direction, without pressure, without sales talk. In the end, I never worked through Spargle myself, but my wife Shona did; she worked at PVH. I’ve stayed in touch with Nicole to this day.
“I once signed up for a phone insurance and discovered that €13.50 did not go to the insurer, but to an affiliate website in between.”
And if we go back to the beginning, how did your career start?
I studied Law and Philosophy. Not because of some grand plan. I had been rejected for Medical School, and during a surf trip in Australia my father said, “Just choose something.” Law was practical, philosophy was something I found genuinely interesting, so for me it was a perfect combination. During my studies, I started in sales: cold calling at a lead-generation company. It taught me how to deal with tension and rejection. I often managed to get someone on the phone to put me through, and once even to the CFO of a publicly listed company, who was not exactly thrilled to have me calling him out of the blue. Which showed me you can get very far with courage, but that you also need to understand the impact you’re having on the person on the other end of the line. Timing, context, and respect are all equally important.
So you started in sales, how did your interest in ‘growth marketing’ begin?
I once signed up for a phone insurance and discovered that €13.50 did not go to the insurer, but to an affiliate website in between. I was fascinated (and a bit annoyed). How can a simple piece of internet make money so easily? Less than a week later I spoke with one of the founders of Coveryou Smartphone Insurance, who explained affiliate marketing to me. From that moment I knew, this is something I want to understand. One of my housemates knew how to build websites, so we started experimenting right away. We dove into SEA and SEO, which at that time mostly meant hiding blue text on a blue background, and we ran A/B tests without even realizing that’s what they were called. We often bet on who wrote the best ad copy. That cost me two crates of beer, but I had found my direction. To get better at growth marketing. Preferably the best.
“Entrepreneurship gives me the space to experiment quickly and to build something that keeps growing, even without me having to be on top of it every hour.”
Why does the Head of Growth role suit you so well?
I believe that in any growth role you need to be able to keep a clear overview, because growth is a system. It’s not a single trick or a single channel. It’s the combination of mathematical logic and human psychology: using data to spot patterns, empathy to understand those patterns, and experimentation to discover what truly matters. With my background in Law and Philosophy, I’ve naturally developed that blend of logic and empathy. I get energy from bringing structure to chaos, uncovering opportunities through customer insights, and designing the pieces in a way that makes the whole machine run smoothly, scalable and healthy.
What made you want to start your own business?
I realised by chance that entrepreneurship came quite naturally to me. A friend asked if I could tutor a student, and that one lesson turned into a small tutoring business we called GoalGetters. What started as an hour of helping someone grew into a real business with real customers. It taught me that sometimes you just need to start and learn the game along the way. Trying things and failing doesn’t matter. Entrepreneurship gives me the space to experiment quickly and to build something that keeps growing, even without me having to be on top of it every hour.
“Ironically, perfectionism has been my biggest challenge, even though I firmly believe in the “fail fast” principle”
What challenges did you face, both as a Head of Growth and as an entrepreneur?
In my role as Head of Growth, I always worked in a structured, process-driven way. There were clear frameworks, a steady rhythm, and a team that helped maintain momentum. That makes it easier to stay sharp. As an entrepreneur, it’s completely different, you become your own system. Ironically, perfectionism has been my biggest challenge, even though I firmly believe in the “fail fast” principle. At one point, an almost-finished growth marketing course sat in my Google Drive for six months. I’m great at scaling, but giving that first push to something that’s still rough and unfinished always feels a bit vulnerable.
How did you handle that, and how do you handle it now?
I have mainly learned that perfection is the enemy of getting started. Whenever I feel stuck, I consciously ask for feedback, not for validation but to create movement. That really helps. I also discovered that trying to force progress often backfires. Learning to tolerate discomfort instead of fighting it has probably been my most important lesson. There will always be a phase between idea and execution where things are not fully right yet, and that is okay.
Which qualities from your previous roles do you now use as an entrepreneur?
Curiosity combined with analytical thinking. That’s the core for me. I also genuinely believe in “skin-in-the-game”. You can say anything you want, but the things you actually do and how far you are willing to stick your neck out is what truly matters. And of course, continuous experimentation. That has always been, and still is, the heart of growth.
“I am surprised when I hear marketeers say they want to create UGC with AI…”
What trends do you foresee in 2026?
I see two major shifts, both driven by AI.
First, AI is moving from gadget to foundation: it will be part of almost every (marketing) process in 2026. The input is essential to get good results from using AI. If the AI input is bad, because you don’t understand what you’re doing as a process, you will not get results. Without good input you get ‘garbage in, garbage out’.
Second, AI blurs the line between real and fake. I am surprised when I hear marketeers say they want to create UGC with AI. The reason why UGC works so well, is because it’s genuine. That is why founder-led content is becoming crucial: people trust people, not polished marketing.
For my own GTM strategy, I apply these trends, by documenting how I build funnels in detailed playbooks on my website. This sharpens my thinking. The added benefit of that is that I am creating content while at the same time fueling my personal brand.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Marketing techniques change incredibly fast. I would tell my younger self to invest in meta-skills: learning how to learn, critical thinking and customer empathy. And also this: start with the end in mind. Ask yourself, “What problem can I solve for someone today?” If you add real value, everything else will grow naturally.
