EP #529 - Igor Martin & Ramzi Bouzerda: Product-Led or Sales-Led growth? Lessons from Swiss Deeptech Founders

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This episode was produced by⁠ Founders Hive⁠ — a community of founders, experts, and investors driving entrepreneurship in Switzerland. We support early-stage startups in becoming investment-ready and guide them through the fundraising journey.

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As a partner of the Entrepreneurship Training programme, empowered by ⁠Innosuisse ⁠— Switzerland’s innovation agency — we contribute to strengthening startups, SMEs, and research institutions in their innovation and growth.

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Checkout this ⁠link ⁠to learn more about Founders Hive, empowered by Innosuisse.

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Episode Summary:

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⁠Igor Martin⁠ is the CEO of ⁠Hydromea⁠, a Swiss deep-tech company building underwater wireless networks and portable intelligent robots to make data collection below the surface faster, safer, and cleaner. He holds an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Saint Louis University.

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⁠Ramzi Bouzerda⁠ is the Founder and CEO of ⁠Droople⁠, a B2B cleantech startup developing a water intelligence platform that digitizes the “last mile” of water, from faucets to appliances, combining IoT, AI, and SaaS to help buildings save resources and money. He holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from EPFL. 

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In this Opposing Views episode, they debate what really drives startup growth: sales-led or product-led strategies. Drawing from opposite industries - one building beneath the ocean, the other inside buildings. They reveal how timing, product maturity, and customer education shape growth models.

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They discuss why hybrid models often win in industrial tech, how to balance education with revenue, and what metrics truly matter beyond vanity KPIs. The conversation also dives into managing long sales cycles, using customer feedback loops to guide product evolution, and the ultimate truth every founder learns: great sales can’t save a bad product.

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The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smartportrait. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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