That only holds true assuming a 2-body (earth and rocket) system - add in forces from the sun or from the moon and you can actually achieve orbit with only a single surface level impulse, although it does require some pretty precise aim.
Another out-there idea would be to shoot things at a space station that had a giant catcher's mitt or something. Would it be possible to design a decelerator that would work? And to hit it precisely with a dumb projectile from the ground?
A third possibility would be to recover and reuse the rocket engines en masse. Not sure how it could be done in a way that was cost effective though.