London-based entrepreneur Dmytro Makarov has shared with our media tips on navigating the tricky world of digital marketing. As the founder of a marketing agency with over 100 employees worldwide, he has seen firsthand how small missteps can stall growth.
According to Makarov, beginners often make two critical errors: copying others’ strategies and scaling too quickly without proper testing. “One of the most widespread mistakes, and this applies not only to digital marketing but to business in general, is copying other people’s strategies when entering the market,” he said. In a fast-moving digital landscape, simply following the playbook of another company rarely works. “What worked well even last quarter may already be completely irrelevant today,” he added.
From Kyiv to London: Learning the Hard Way
Born in Kyiv in 2001, Dmytro Makarov started his career unusually early, embracing an unconventional path that prioritised hands-on experience over formal education. By the time he relocated to London, he had already begun shaping his philosophy for success. Central to this is what he calls the GMG principle: Grind, Mastery, Growth.
Between 2015 and 2017, he consulted for local brands, IT startups and esports projects, gaining practical knowledge “by doing” rather than through textbooks. This approach allowed him to understand what works in real-world marketing, as well as the common mistakes that hold back fledgling businesses.
Testing Before Spending: A Vital Lesson
A second major error Dmytro Makarov frequently observes is rushing to invest heavily in campaigns without data. “Beginners often try to immediately ‘pour in budget’ without having data on how users behave at each stage of the funnel, which messages work, or what kind of visual presentation resonates with the target audience,” he explained. Without this insight, scaling becomes costly and inefficient.
For Makarov, the solution is a disciplined, experimental mindset. “My advice is simple: in our field, those who win are the ones who think creatively, systematically, and know how to build cost-effective hypotheses for a large number of A/B tests,” he said. By testing, iterating, and adapting quickly, startups can avoid expensive errors. “It is not the smartest who survive, but those who test faster and respond to changes.”
GMG: The Guiding Principle
The GMG framework continues to influence both his professional and personal life. Grind represents the consistent effort required to succeed; Mastery is learning from mistakes and successes alike; and Growth is the result of applying these lessons effectively. For startups, Dmytro Makarov believes GMG is just as relevant as it was for him in Kyiv.
“The digital world is not an exact science, but an environment of constant adaptation,” he said. By staying curious, testing relentlessly, and building processes that can evolve, businesses can thrive even in a volatile landscape. Dmytro Makarov emphasises that following someone else’s path rarely leads to lasting success.
For startups looking to succeed, the message is clear: think creatively, test thoroughly, and embrace change. By learning from both successes and failures, businesses can grow sustainably, avoiding the traps that have stopped so many others. As Dmytro Makarov puts it, curiosity, persistence, and the willingness to experiment are the true drivers of growth in digital marketing today.
