Lilit Davtyan: Leading Innovations: Insights on Business, Leadership, and Digital Marketing with Phonexa’s CEO, Lilit Davtyan

From Tax Strategist to Tech CEO — Lilit Davtyan’s career is a standout example of what happens when sharp financial acumen meets operational excellence and bold decision-making.

In this episode of the Growth Ventures Podcast, Hamlet Azarian speaks with Lilit Davtyan, CEO of Phonexa, to unpack her journey from working at PwC in business taxation to leading one of Glendale’s fastest-growing technology companies. With deep insights into scaling, systems, culture, and strategy, Lilit’s story delivers valuable takeaways for founders, operators, and growth leaders at every stage.

What We Covered with Lilit

Early Career: From PwC to Startup Risk

Lilit began her career at PwC in research and development tax credits, working closely with Fortune 500 clients. But a pivotal decision to leave the Big Four for a pre-revenue startup—Zero Parallel—set her on a new path. She joined as employee #6, trading structure for autonomy, and helped scale the company from $0 to tens of millions in revenue without raising venture capital.

Bootstrapping at Scale: Building Without VC

Zero Parallel’s growth came from a combination of proprietary technology, market relationships, and early discipline in finance and compliance. Lilit’s financial leadership ensured the company stayed lean, agile, and audit-ready from day one—positioning the business for long-term success.

The Birth of Phonexa: Scaling Through Internal Innovation

As the team realized that its internal marketing and lead optimization tools were outperforming anything on the market, Phonexa was spun off as its own platform. Phonexa now serves high-volume direct-to-consumer businesses by providing real-time lead tracking, attribution, call analytics, and conversion intelligence across multiple channels.

Performance-Driven Culture and Internal Promotion

Phonexa’s culture is built on accountability, communication, and psychological safety. Most of its executive team was promoted from within, including its new Chief Experience Officer—who joined the company as a receptionist seven years ago. The team operates with a strong bias toward results, empathy, and continuous development.

Tracking What Matters: Real-Time Attribution

Phonexa’s platform enables marketers to identify what traffic sources, channels, or campaigns are converting—in real time. The system allows full-funnel attribution across PPC, SEO, calls, emails, and lead forms, offering a clear picture of campaign performance and ROAS without reliance on cookies or third-party tools.

Strategic Lessons: When Bets Fail

Lilit shared how not every product bet has worked—and that some features built over months were retired quickly. The key, she says, is moving fast, keeping morale high, and ensuring every failure becomes a learning opportunity.

Emotional Intelligence as a Leadership Advantage

One of Lilit’s strongest beliefs is that emotional intelligence and self-awareness are critical leadership skills. Her ability to read people, tailor communication, and create an open feedback culture has helped shape a team that moves fast while staying aligned.

Key Takeaways

• 01:30 – Why she left PwC for a pre-revenue startup
• 06:45 – Automating her own finance role to step into strategy
• 11:20 – How Phonexa emerged from internal tech
• 14:30 – Real-time attribution and customer journey visibility
• 20:00 – Building a performance-first, trust-based culture
• 26:15 – Product bets that failed and how they handled them
• 34:00 – The importance of internal promotion and long-term team development
• 39:00 – Transitioning into the CEO role and earning trust
• 45:00 – Her #1 leadership principle: lead with EQ
• 51:00 – Perspective on AI, cookie deprecation, and what’s next
• 52:30 – The bet she’s making for the future: digital transformation across legacy industries

Final Thoughts

Lilit Davtyan’s story is proof that successful leadership isn’t about chasing titles—it’s about building systems, empowering people, and staying relentlessly curious. From automating her own finance role to helping launch and scale multiple companies under Phonexa Holdings, she’s shown how operational excellence and emotional intelligence can co-exist—and drive exponential growth.

Her approach to team-building, culture, and clarity in communication offers a playbook for any founder looking to scale without losing their values. In an era driven by hype, Lilit’s disciplined, high-integrity leadership model is a refreshing reminder that sustainable success is built from the inside out.

Connect with Lilit Davtyan

LinkedIn: Lilit Davtyan