The Real Reason Most Agencies Get Stuck - And How We’re Going to Change That Together
Two years ago, I met an agency founder who looked exhausted.
He was pulling 70+ hour weeks, jumping from sales calls to project fires, answering Slack messages at midnight - and still wondering why revenue was stuck at the same number.
When he took a 2-day break, the whole team slowed down. Clients complained. Projects stalled.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth:
I know exactly what that feels like - because I’ve been there myself in early days.
My Background (Short but Powerful)
My name is Eugene. I’m originally from Ukraine, and for the past decade I’ve been building, scaling, selling, and investing in businesses - with a focus on IT and digital agencies.
I started my first web studio in 2014. From there, I built a marketing agency that delivered websites, apps, and growth campaigns for clients across multiple industries. By 2016–17, I had grown and successfully sold my first companies. At one point, our projects attracted over 3 million monthly visitors - and we were running ad campaigns for clients in both the CIS market and internationally.
But my path wasn’t a straight climb. In 2019, I made a huge bet on e-commerce - and lost 90% of the money I’d earned from my earlier exits. $30,000 gone. Just like that. At the time, that was enough to buy an apartment in Kyiv, or in parts of Europe. Instead, I was left with an expensive lesson about risk, product-market fit, and execution.
Then came the next blow. I partnered with an investor on what seemed like a promising B2B venture - only to lose another $100,000. Two major failures back-to-back. For a moment, I thought I was done.
But sometimes rock bottom becomes the foundation for your comeback. During this low point, I started a podcast and began writing about my experiences. As I shared my story and connected with other entrepreneurs, I realized something powerful was happening - I was building a network, creating genuine relationships, and people were actually listening.
That’s when it clicked: I could turn this around. Not by chasing the next shiny opportunity, but by leveraging what I’d learned and the community I was building.
The Turning Point
That loss pushed me to think differently about business. I started studying value investing, Warren Buffett, and private equity models. I went deep into accounting, corporate finance, and deal structures.
Eventually, I realized something:
I could apply investment principles not just to stocks - but to acquiring and scaling real businesses.
In 2023, I closed my first no-money-down acquisition of a web studio doing $50K/year in revenue. Within 12 months, we grew it 4X. In 2024, I took equity in another agency. Today, I’m a co-owner and strategic partner in two agencies with six-figure annual revenues - and I’m still in the trenches every day, applying the systems I’ll be sharing here.
I’m also on my way of building a holding company structure, investing in new businesses, and forming strategic partnerships with like-minded entrepreneurs - all while laying the groundwork for my own investment fund.
This newsletter is for one reason:
To help agency owners escape the chaos, scale smarter, boost profit, and build a high-value business worth selling - without burning out.
Who This Newsletter Is For
Before we dive into the strategies, let’s get one thing clear - this isn’t for “everyone.”
It’s for a very specific type of agency owner, and if you see yourself in one of these descriptions, you’re in the right place.
1. Founder-Operators Doing $50K–$150K/year
You’re wearing every hat - sales, project management, delivery, client support.
Most of your growth has come from referrals or personal hustle. You’ve probably moved from freelancing into building an agency… but you’re still the one keeping everything together.
Your challenges right now:
You can’t step away without revenue stopping.
You’re working 70–100 hours a week and still feel like you’re falling behind.
You’re not sure how to hire without losing money.
Every project feels like starting from scratch.
What you need most:
A way to move from “operator” to “owner” by building your first set of systems, hiring effectively, and creating a repeatable way to bring in clients - without you doing it all.
2. Small Teams Doing $150K–$500K/year
You’ve built a small team - maybe a PM, a couple of developers, a designer.
There’s some structure in place, but sales are inconsistent and the business still depends heavily on you to bring in clients and make key decisions.
Your challenges right now:
Sales spikes and droughts make planning difficult.
You’re stuck in the “decision bottleneck” - everything needs your approval.
You want to hire senior people but are afraid of the payroll risk.
You know you need processes, but building them feels overwhelming.
What you need most:
Clear sales systems, delegation frameworks, and an operations playbook that allows you to focus on growth - not firefighting.
3. Established Agencies Doing $500K+
You’ve been around the block. You have steady clients, some solid reputation, and a team that knows their work (kind of). But growth has plateaued, and your biggest enemy now is complacency.
Your challenges right now:
Reliance on a few large clients - a risky concentration problem.
Margins aren’t as strong as they should be.
Scaling feels like it will break your current structure.
You’re not sure how to increase valuation for a potential exit.
What you need most:
Advanced growth levers, financial optimization, and a clear path to boost enterprise value - whether you want to sell or simply build a more profitable, self-sustaining agency.
Why I’m Writing This Newsletter
I’m not here to drop generic “Top 10 Tips to Grow Your Agency” lists.
I’m here because I’ve been where you are - and I’ve built my way out.
I know what it’s like to:
Work 70+ hours a week and still feel like revenue is stuck.
Lose sleep because you’re the bottleneck in every client project.
See profit margins shrink even when sales are growing.
Worry that your business depends entirely on you.
Over the past decade, I’ve:
Built and sold multiple companies, including web studios and startups.
Lost - and rebuilt - more money than I thought possible, learning expensive lessons so you don’t have to.
Become an investor and equity partner in multiple 6-figure agencies, scaling them without founder-dependence.
Everything I share here comes directly from the trenches of running and scaling real businesses - not from theory.
What You’ll Get Each Week in the Free Plan
Growth blueprints for scaling without adding more hours.
Real case studies from agencies I own or advise - what’s working, what’s failing, and why.
Actionable frameworks for sales, delivery, hiring, and leadership.
Profit optimization tactics to increase margins at any stage.
Market trend updates so you can adapt before competitors do.
Useful documents & templates I use in my own agencies - ready for you to apply.
Why Upgrade to PRO
If you’re an agency owner making $50K - $1M a year, you probably know this pain:
You can’t step away for more than a few days without chaos hitting.
Sales depend almost entirely on you - and that’s exhausting.
Profit margins aren’t what they should be, even with steady revenue.
You’ve tried “consultants” and “courses” before - and got little ROI.
Here’s how the PRO plan solves this:
Scale without founder-dependence - build systems so your agency runs (and grows) without you in every meeting.
Boost profit margins - identify leaks and optimize pricing without overworking your team.
Grow predictably - sales systems that work without you doing all the selling.
Prepare for a high-value exit - learn how to increase your agency’s valuation by 30%+ before selling.
When you join PRO, you get
Behind-the-scenes playbooks from the agencies I own or invest in - exactly what we’re doing to grow.
Exclusive deal breakdowns - what I’m buying, how I negotiate, and how I scale after acquisition.
Market updates & insider docs - frameworks, templates, and reports you won’t find anywhere else.
Private founder community - network with like-minded agency owners, share proven tactics, and grow faster together.
💡 You’re not buying “more information.”
You’re getting a shortcut to removing bottlenecks, making your agency less dependent on you, and growing profitably.
If you want to start with the free plan, hit “Subscribe” below - and when you’re ready to scale faster with insider strategies, upgrade to PRO.