24 Marketing: Too often a startup’s afterthought

 

This chapter covers

  • What are the functions of marketing? Are you underestimating this secret startup weapon?
  • What is the optimal timing to bring in a chief marketing officer?
  • Why is there friction between the CMO and other C-suiters and what can be done about it?

This anecdote focuses on who the chief marketing officer (CMO) is and what they do. I begin by diving into the role of marketing in any company, even an early-stage startup. Then we will walk through the evolution of the marketing function as the company evolves, perhaps growing into needing a CMO. The CMO, or VP of marketing, sits at the hub of many critical functions within the company, which makes them instrumental in defining minimum viable product (MVP), proving product-market fit (PMF), and driving the go-to-market (GTM) strategy—all activities essential to the startup’s success. And yet many tech startups forget or marginalize marketing for far too long in the startup’s evolution.

24.1 The role of marketing

24.1.1 Outbound marketing

24.1.2 Inbound marketing

24.2 Progression of marketing titles

24.2.1 Director of marketing

24.2.2 VP of marketing

24.2.3 CMO

24.3 Friction between CMO and other senior execs

24.4 Why do CEOs sometimes undervalue their CMOs?

24.5 The moral of this anecdote