Most agencies start with a pitch deck.
Ricardo Driza started with a spreadsheet.
He’s the founder of Driza, a marketing consultancy that flips the traditional model on its head, leading with financial modeling before creative strategy.
Instead of asking, “What campaign should we run?”, Ricardo asks, “Can your balance sheet survive it?”
From Illustrator to Founder
Ricardo’s path wasn’t a straight line.
He began as an illustrator, moved into painting, and eventually found himself running digital projects.
Then, in March 2020, at the worst possible time, he quit his job without a plan.
Within a month, freelancing snowballed into a full-time business. Driza was born.
“It wasn’t planned. I had too many clients, so I created a company.”
What started as an ad agency evolved into something far deeper.
Clients began trusting him not just with their campaigns, but with their spending decisions, and that changed everything.
The Finance-First Approach
Driza doesn’t begin with creative briefs.
It begins with budget realism.
“We run the numbers with you before you spend a cent.
If your lifetime value doesn’t cover your cash flow, we tell you not to do it.”
That means telling founders what most agencies won’t: when the math doesn’t work.
They benchmark across more than 200 projects and verticals, helping startups understand if their marketing plans are financially survivable.
Lessons from a Co-Founder Split
Ricardo built Driza with his best friend from university until they split in 2024.
The experience reshaped how he thinks about partnerships.
“You don’t need a co-founder you can hire.
If it’s not intrinsic to your business, pay for the hours. It’s cheaper than the fallout.”
Today, he runs multiple ventures, including Driza and a pie shop in Madrid, yes, really.
From Data to Dough
While Driza helps startups spend smarter, his second business sells American pies.
His partner missed American pie in Spain, so they opened the first shop in Madrid.
“It takes three days to make one pie.
It’s beautiful… and a logistical nightmare.”
Every Thanksgiving, expats line up for pumpkin and pecan pies, and even dogs get their own “puppy pies.”
On AI, Marketing, and What’s Next
Driza experiments with AI for research and projections but avoids hype.
“AI saves time, but most companies aren’t ready.
Their data lives in silos. Without structure, AI can’t fix it.”
He believes many industries still underestimate how digital younger buyers already are and how quickly their expectations will reshape every business.
“In ten years, your customers will all be digital natives.
If you’re not ready for that, you’re already behind.”
What He’d Tell His 22-Year-Old Self
“Go bigger.
Set impossible goals.
You’ll find a way anyway.”
Ambition, he says, compounds like interest. Every risk teaches something, as long as you learn fast.
Message to Founders
“Most startups underestimate the cost of growth.
They have great products but no idea how much it’ll cost to scale.
Ask before you spend, even if it’s just for advice.”
That clarity, Ricardo believes, can save a startup before the first euro leaves the bank.
His Superpower
“I’m incredibly productive.
I delegate fast, automate everything, and stay ahead of my own team.
It drives them crazy, but it creates speed.”
🎧 Watch the full episode → YouTube: Ricardo Driza on Building Driza & Why Finance Comes Before Marketing