The problem
The structure of founding teams in technology startups often follows familiar patterns. Founder #1 is typically the visionary: someone with a technical background who is also a persuasive communicator and natural salesperson, capable of convincing both investors and early clients that the company will change the world. Founder #2 is usually the technical architect: the individual whose expertise and “secret sauce” underpin the product itself. And Founder #3, if present, often serves as the organizer: responsible for finance, legal matters, and operational management. And sometimes these attributes can come in the form of a single founder.
This model, or variations upon of it, has been repeated many times, and it is frequently successful. Many such companies raise significant funding, build strong products, and achieve promising early revenues. Yet, too often, their focus on product, technology, and direct sales has led them to ignore other aspects of the business – marketing, in particular.
A junior marketing hire or a collection of specialized agencies may be brought in, but rarely is there a coherent marketing strategy. As the company scales, this absence of direction often results in stagnation.
This was precisely the situation faced by a Spanish technology startup a few years ago. The company had secured substantial funding, built a viable product, and generated revenue from early clients. However:
- The founding team, while accomplished in their respective domains, considered marketing a ‘“dark art’” and lacked experience in the area.
- Compared to competitors, brand awareness was low. Early sales conversations often began with the question, “Who are you?”
- Inexperienced marketing staff had been hired without clarity on required roles or responsibilities. Communication between the marketing function and the wider organization was minimal, leading to widespread misunderstanding of its purpose.
- Reasonable sums had been spent on agencies and initiatives, yet there was little knowledge of whether this investment was effective.
Hiring a full-time, experienced Chief Marketing Officer was not financially viable. Nor was outsourcing the entire function to a large consultancyagency. What was needed was senior expertise to design and oversee a clear strategy without the cost of a permanent executive.
Enter the Virtual CXO
A Virtual CMO (vCMO) is well-suited to this scenario. Working part-time, the cost remains manageable. Operating remotely, the talent pool is global. Most importantly, they bring senior experience that the startup team lacks.
In this case, an experienced vCMO based on the US West Coast joined the company for one day a weekon a baseline of 20% commitment, flexing as needed where work demanded. , working directly with the marketing and communications team. The mandate was clear: consolidate scattered efforts into a coherent strategy and ensure effective implementation.
Key initial strategies
Following interviews and workshops with stakeholders, the vCMO set out clear objectives and processes for achieving them:
- Marketing Strategy and Plan. Although our the initial disparate marketing efforts had some value, the lack of overall strategy and aligned execution reduced impact and return on investment. Our The vCMO ensured an overarching strategic direction and aligned our delivery practices to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
- Insights-driven Search Engagement. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts had delivered results mainly in product-centric content, but engagement and brand awareness grew significantly with content focused on thought leadership and innovation outcomes.
- Brand consistency. While the basics of visual design were strong, messaging lacked cohesion. The vCMO defined a unified brand language to be applied across all communications and guided updates to the website and product messaging.
- CEO personal brand: The CEO was a strong communicator, both in person and on-stage, but struggled to translate that presence into digital channels. The vCMO tasked the team with building the CEO’s online brand, supporting article writing and social media engagement.
- Social media and influencer strategy. The vCMO introduced a structured release of targeted multimedia content and initiated collaboration with paid influencers to expand reach.
- Targeted advertising: As the company had no prior experience of paid search, the vCMO established a tightly managed advertising pilot with strict budget controls and performance targets.
- Regular company updates. To align marketing with the wider organization, the vCMO introduced bi-weekly “Go-to-Market Demos,” where marketing and sales teams presented their work to colleagues, increasing visibility and collaboration.
- Marketing funnel tracking: Systematic tracking was introduced across the entire marketing pipeline, enabling the company to measure impact and identify which tactics were delivering results.
Results
The impact of these measures was immediate. Brand consistency gave sales teams a stronger platform for outreach. The CEO’s LinkedIn articles and increased engagement nearly doubled his follower base. Influencer activity, SEO and targeted advertising boosted website traffic by more than 150 percent. The new tracking system provided visibility into lead origins and campaign effectiveness, allowing resources to be allocated more intelligently.
The Go-to-Market Demos improved internal collaboration, creating greater appreciation for the role of marketing. Just as importantly, the marketing team itself gained confidence. With clear goals, alignment, and proof of impact, morale increased significantly.
Summary
For consumer-facing businesses, marketing is often the top priority and a seasoned CMO is a core member of the founding team. In B2B technology companies, however, marketing frequently takes a back seat to product development and direct sales. While this may suffice in the early stages, growth typically stalls without a clear marketing strategy and experienced execution.
A Virtual CMO provides an effective solution. By bringing senior expertise on a flexible basis, a vCMO can design and implement a strategy that unifies efforts and sets measurable goals, without the cost of a full-time hire. It can be the catalyst to ignite growth.
In this case, the vCMO worked with the company for 12 months, establishing a foundation that enabled the internal team to grow into their roles and place marketing on a sustainable, long-term trajectory.
