The $5B Architecture Blueprint

Engineering Growth at Scale

By Eric Berkman

The "Widget Factory" Problem

When I arrived at Virginia Credit Union, the digital business was running at about a $100 million annual clip. On paper, it looked fine. But underneath the hood, the organization was stuck in a "rinse and repeat" cycle, with little growth, and not enough rigor to be considered a high performing marketing organization. We weren’t using data to make decisions, our technical foundation was disconnected, and the strategic thinking hadn’t evolved.

The organization was focused on moving widgets; getting projects done rather than growing the business. We had no idea what the actual ROI was on marketing spend because the plumbing simply wasn't connected or didn’t even exist in some areas. Marketing was viewed as "Arts and Crafts” instead of a profit center required of a high-growth business. The CEO was clear that growth was a priority.

I decided to lead where I can to fill the void.

Phase 1: The Product Valuation Project (The Finance Partnership)

I knew I couldn't build a real GTM strategy until we understood the math of the business. I led a cross-functional partnership with Finance to define the value of a product. We stripped everything down to the studs: margins, risk, and cost of funds.

Once we agreed on the actual profitability of a loan or a deposit product, we could finally build a model to go to market aggressively. This move shifted Marketing from a "cost center" to a "profit center." It allowed us to justify a 10x budget increase because we were no longer asking for "spend,” but instead we were asking for "investment." The conversation eventually shifted from "what are we spending?" to "how much can we grow?” Things started taking off.

Phase 2: Strategic Alignment: The Customer-Centric GTM

It’s all about the customer, but to serve them, you have to know exactly who they are, and we didn’t have a good enough grasp. So, we conducted a deep dive into our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) for each product line. We didn't just look at demographics; we looked at life stages and pain points. We then aligned our entire GTM approach to those ICPs:

The Positioning: Overhauling messaging to speak to the customer’s "pains."

The Creative: Auditing every image and headline to ensure resonance with the audience.

The Channels: Selecting channels based on where our ICPs actually live and engage.

Phase 3: Building the "Custom Intelligence" Engine

Off-the-shelf CRM tools weren't enough and we didn’t have a data lake. So, rather than take 6-12 months to go through vendor selection and onboarding, I directed the construction of a proprietary SQL Server database that served as our central brain. We fused:

Raw Web Logs & GA4 Data: To see behavior before and after the click.

Internal Sales & Transactional Data: To track the reality of the loan origination from collateral engaged with to disbursal.

Call Center & Branch Data: To capture the offline "last mile."

Third-Party External Data: To enrich targeting with life-stage and intent signals.

By bridging the gap between online and offline, we achieved a connected view. We could finally see how a brand campaign influenced a conversation in a branch. This allowed us to in-source our intelligence, reducing reliance on "black box" agencies and keeping our IP and profits inside the building.

Phase 4: The Creative Science & Practical AI Evolution

To kill the "rinse and repeat" habit, I installed a rigorous A/B Testing Framework.

The Discipline: Every campaign required a testing, measurement, and analysis plan before launch.

The Baseline: Once we identified a "Champion," it became our baseline for "Challengers."

The AI Bridge: While we aren't running an autonomous AI model today, we are aggressively using AI as a Force Multiplier.

We use it to develop better approaches to strategy, targeting, refine our creative hooks, and accelerate our analytics. Because we have the SQL foundation in place, we are perfectly positioned to move toward a more integrated AI orchestration as the technology matures.

The Result: A $500M Run Rate and $5B in Career Impact

By shifting from a "project-focused" shop to a "growth-disciplined" organization, we hit a $500 million annual run rate by the end of Year 3. Over the course of my career, learning and growing, I have evolved this blueprint to drive over $5 Billion in total attributable sales.

The Reality of the "80%"

I want to be clear: No system is ever perfect.

Leading a legacy institution means fighting through technical debt and soloed data. Getting to an "80% solution" is often more effective than waiting for a 100% solution that never arrives. The win at VACU wasn't a flawless machine; it was a resilient and actionable one.

And similarly, I believe in getting to 80% and launching into the marketplace as quickly as possible, getting actual data, then adjusting. The time between 80% to 90% isn’t worth it. The market will let you know, so develop “good enough” and launch quickly.

My "First 90 Days" Approach: Speed to Value

I don't believe in six-month "discovery" phases. My approach is a Parallel Path:

Immediate Optimization: Identify low-hanging fruit in the current ICP/ Creative / Channels / Data / and create some alignment to drive quick wins.

Infrastructure Build: Simultaneously begin the data infrastructure to build the long-term engine.

The real work of an executive is setting the vision, developing the plans, and then putting the right people in the right places to build. It’s about having the discipline to follow the data and to keep the organization focused on the outcomes.

I think that is how you turn $100M into $500M. Reach out to discuss.