Kristijan Arapov - Growth Consultant for DTC & Consumer Apps

I help eCommerce and DTC brands unlock profitable growth through performance marketing, positioning, and conversion strategy.

I've managed more than $100M in ad spend across Meta, Google, and TikTok, driving scalable results for YC-backed startups, multi-million-dollar DTC brands, and everything in between.

But it wasn't always like that…

In 2016 I was working three jobs - waiter, family business, winery - with zero free time and living paycheck to paycheck. I had no direction, was failing at university, and felt completely trapped.

Everything changed when I got my first client on Upwork. He hired me for $4/hour to wake him up every morning. Sounds crazy, right? But that simple job introduced me to "The 4-Hour Workweek" and completely shifted my perspective on what was possible.

I started with basic data entry, wrote terrible proposals (literally begging for work), and had no clue what I was doing. But I had something more valuable than experience: the hunger to figure it out.

Here's what happened next:

  • 2016: 51 proposals sent, 0 jobs won
  • 2017: 91 proposals sent, 7 jobs won (including my first $5!)
  • 2018: 214 proposals sent, 13 jobs won - tested and failed 100+ affiliate/dropshipping products, burned over $50k of my personal hard-earned money learning what doesn't work
  • 2019: 101 proposals sent, 4 jobs won - transitioned to agency work
  • 2020: Went full solo

By 2020, I wasn't just landing clients - I was scaling them. The skills I developed through relentless testing became the foundation for helping DTC brands break through their own plateaus.

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Why this matters to you

Agencies run your ads.

I build your entire growth system.

Performance-Driven, Not Vanity-Driven

I focus on the numbers that actually matter: Scale, CAC, and profitability. I'll help you cut through the data noise and build a system that scales.

AI-Enabled for Faster Results

This means you get profitable sooner and stay ahead of the curve.

Systems You Own, Not Black Boxes

I build growth systems you understand and can scale without me. You'll know exactly why something works and how to replicate it.

Break through your growth plateau

The results speak for themselves

"Kris is a total FB expert and a true professional. We worked with Kris for about 3 years and he grew the brand from basically zero to over 7 figures in revenue. I would recommend him to anyone looking for marketing help."

Vince Mundy
Vince Mundy
YC Alum. 2 exits - Boutique Agency that helps VC backed startups grow

"We've been working with Kris for nearly two years, and he's been nothing short of incredible. As our media buying manager, he's helped scale accounts from low five figures into the mid range, always with a collaborative and highly strategic approach. His knowledge of media buying is unmatched, his communication is clear, and he thrives even in challenging scenarios by diving deep into analysis and problem-solving. Honestly, part of me wants to gatekeep him, but he's a fantastic partner, and I'd recommend him 10/10 to anyone serious about growth."

Ali Qureshi
Ali Qureshi
Co-Founder @ Adcrate

"Kris is a gem. He is an outstanding performance marketer, and incredibly professional and pleasant to work with. We're very grateful for his attention to our strategy, account health, and growth efficiency, which has been critical in helping us scale >500% in spend while maintaining ROAS. We fully trust his expertise and are honored to recommend his work to other brands!"

Anjie Liu
Anjie Liu
Co-founder, Kiwi Biosciences (YC S21) | Forbes 30 Under 30
Break through your growth plateau

Experience

Founder
arapovk.com
Sep 2023 - Ongoing
Founder
ZenithZoneMarketing.com
Jan 2024 - Ongoing
Account Performance Manager
adcrate.co
Jul 2023 - Jan 2026
Co-Founder
CuriousMarketers.co
Jan 2025 - April 2025
Head of Marketing
Regimen
Jul 2021 - Apr 2022
Media Buyer
SM Commerce (smcommerce.com)
Apr 2021 - Jul 2021
Media Buyer
Nazim Agabekov (nazimconsulting.com)
Oct 2020 - Apr 2021
Media Buyer
Sugatan.io
May 2020 - Feb 2021
Influencer Marketing Assistant
Hyconic
Jun 2018 - Jan 2019

Other Client's Success Stories

"Kris is a gem. He is an outstanding performance marketer, and incredibly professional and pleasant to work with. We're very grateful for his attention to our strategy, account health, and growth efficiency, which has been critical in helping us scale >500% in spend while maintaining ROAS. We fully trust his expertise and are honored to recommend his work to other brands!"

Anjie Liu
Anjie Liu
Co-founder, Kiwi Biosciences (YC S21) | Forbes 30 Under 30

"Kris is a total FB expert and a true professional. We worked with Kris for about 3 years and he grew the brand from basically zero to over 7 figures in revenue. I would recommend him to anyone looking for marketing help."

Vince Mundy
Vince Mundy
YC Alum. 2 exits - Boutique Agency that helps VC backed startups grow

"We've been working with Kris for nearly two years, and he's been nothing short of incredible. As our media buying manager, he's helped scale accounts from low five figures into the mid range, always with a collaborative and highly strategic approach. His knowledge of media buying is unmatched, his communication is clear, and he thrives even in challenging scenarios by diving deep into analysis and problem-solving. Honestly, part of me wants to gatekeep him, but he's a fantastic partner, and I'd recommend him 10/10 to anyone serious about growth."

Ali Qureshi
Ali Qureshi
Co-Founder @ Adcrate

"Kris completely transformed how our team approaches media buying. Instead of just thinking inside the ad account, we now start by asking what problem we're solving and how to approach it strategically. His trainings across Meta, Google, and creative strategy have been game-changing for our entire team."

Milind Gupta
Milind Gupta
Founder @ Catalys.co

"Kristijan is an absolute legendary mediabuyer. Always has the strongest insights, actions to take, and recommendations based on data + media-buyer gut -- a nuance that's only harder and harder to find these days."

Sterling Montes
Sterling Montes
Co-Founder & CMO @ Flakes
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Got questions?

I'm always curious! Let's talk about how to break through your growth goals