Freelance Performance Marketing // Paid Acquisition & Growth
Paid acquisition.
Built to scale.
First marketing hire at DeepL. Ex-Performance Lead. I help tech companies and scale-ups build the paid acquisition, tracking, and growth infrastructure needed to scale profitably — with full visibility into what's working.
Previously built and scaled growth at
Experience across global platforms, ad tech, and high-growth scale-ups
About // Niels Schnadt
Performance Marketing
& Growth Operator.
I'm a freelance performance marketing and growth operator specialising in paid acquisition, measurement, attribution, and growth infrastructure for tech companies and scale-ups.
I joined DeepL as their first marketing hire and built the performance marketing function from scratch — developing the acquisition systems, tracking foundations, and paid growth engine that scaled across 30+ markets during their hypergrowth period. Today I bring that same level of rigour and execution to high-growth SaaS and tech businesses.
I also build my own products — including Castlytics, an attribution platform for performance marketers, and Tymedrop, an iOS productivity app. Both are a direct reflection of how I think: analytically, technically, and with a bias toward execution.
Off the clock
Father of two, dog owner, and a former high-performance canoe athlete — I competed at World and European Championships. The discipline, structure, and relentless iteration that competitive sport demands is something I carry directly into how I work.
Case Study // DeepL
Paid Growth // 0 to Global Scale
From Zero to
Global Scale.
Joined DeepL as the first marketing hire, brought in specifically to build the performance marketing function from the ground up. Scaled paid acquisition across 30+ markets — building the acquisition systems, attribution foundations, tracking infrastructure, and measurement stack that powered DeepL's paid growth engine during their hypergrowth to unicorn status.
Scope included: multi-channel paid acquisition strategy, cross-market campaign architecture, attribution and tracking setup, performance reporting infrastructure, and team and function build-out from zero.
Markets Launched
Function Built from Scratch
Growth Stage Reached
My Products // Built from Scratch
Founder
I don't just run
growth. I build.
Alongside client work, I build my own products. These aren't side projects — they reflect how I actually think about acquisition, attribution, and product growth. Both are live and built entirely by me.
Services // What I Do
The Work.
Senior-level execution, not strategy decks. I work directly with founders, CMOs, and growth leads at tech companies and SaaS scale-ups.
Paid Acquisition
I run and scale paid media across Google, Meta, and programmatic channels. From campaign architecture and bidding strategy to creative testing and spend efficiency — built to perform at volume and remain profitable as you scale.
Attribution & Measurement
I build the measurement layer that shows what's actually driving growth. Multi-touch attribution, media mix modelling, incrementality testing, and tracking infrastructure that makes your reporting trustworthy and your decisions defensible.
Growth Infrastructure
I set up the technical foundations that make scaling predictable. Tracking stacks, data pipelines, analytics dashboards, and automation that give you reliable signals — so you can grow without flying blind.
Contact // Hire Me
Let's Work Together
Tell me about
your growth challenge.
I work with a small number of clients at a time — so I can give each one proper senior-level attention. If you're a tech company or scale-up looking to build or improve your paid acquisition, attribution, or growth infrastructure, get in touch.
I'll respond within one business day.