Philip Lakin’s Post

Are you an early-stage startup navigating the complex world of marketing or a growing business with in-house expertise? Do you find yourself hesitant to engage with advertising agencies or hire a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)? We understand your dilemma 🙃 At MART we bridge the gap between extensive marketing experience and a deep understanding of startup dynamics. We have combined two types of expertise: profound experience in marketing - over 10 years working in the largest media, performance, and creative agencies with clients from various industries - and understanding startup needs and processes, gained through advising and communicating with tech startups, VCs and accelerators. We've learned from failures and created both ready-made and custom marketing solutions to save costs on CMOs and big agencies, while still approaching all marketing activities conscientiously. 🔍 It's all about finding the right balance between short-term tactics and long-term strategy. The aim is to demonstrate user traction while also testing hypotheses and facilitate scalable growth. Feel free to schedule a quick call with us. We're eager to learn more about your business and explore how we can collaborate! #MarketingSolutions #StartupSupport #MarketingAdvisory #GrowWithUs 🚀

Founders, don’t shortcut a marketer’s processes. Instead, believe in them! If you hire a fractional CMO, GTM Strategist, or Marketing Advisor, you need to understand that they have processes for a reason. Why? Because they have done this over and over again. They understand what it takes to take a startup from concept, to reality, to revenue. It’s something that does not happen overnight, or even a week, or even a month. It will take time. There is no silver bullet tactic that is going to have your startup explode on the scene and produce results instantly. These processes help set you up for long-term, sustainable growth. Short term “wants” are hard to come by. As a founder, you need to know that: ✅ It takes time. ✅ It takes a lot of testing. ✅ We will fail ✅ We will move the needle forward, no matter how slow. Many founders look at marketers who don’t produce leads or revenue right away as failures. But you have to look at the bigger picture of what it takes to get a startup up off the ground. If your marketer is working fractionally, it is going to take longer than if you had a full-time dedicated resource.  When I was the Vice President of Marketing at Biller Genie, we spent the first 9 months getting our foundation prepped just so we could bring on our first big partner. 9 months. Working 50+ hours a week. Myself and my team grinding away. That’s what it takes. TLDR – believe and trust that your marketing advisors have your best interests at heart and give them time to build with you. If they truly care, they will do a great job long term. #marketing #saas #startup

🚀 Assemble Your Marketing Dream Team 🚀 Discover how to build a marketing team for startups. Learn to define roles, prioritize cultural fit, and foster collaboration to boost your brand's success! Key Takeaways: • Define roles • Prioritize cultural fit • Seek versatile hires • Invest in leadership • Structured onboarding • Promote learning • Encourage collaboration Read the article for more for details. #MarketingTeam #StartupGrowth https://lnkd.in/dxQAUect

You're a founder who just secured funding. Your product’s gaining traction. Everything’s exciting... until you look at your marketing needs and that startup budget. 💭”We need unicorn-level marketing leadership... Here's what typically happens: 🎯 The Traditional Route: ➡️ Hire 3 or 5 marketers at £35K each ➡️ Watch them struggle with strategy ➡️ Waste budget on unproven tactics ➡️ Miss crucial growth opportunities ➡️ Realise too late it's not working ✨ The Fractional Solution: ✅ Senior marketer with proven expertise ✅ Tested growth frameworks ✅ Strategy that's worked for leading startups ✅ Marketing that scales with you ✅ Budget spent on what works Real Startup Scenarios: Before: "£5K/month on LinkedIn ads, no clear ROI" "Content strategy? We just post when we can" "Our CAC is... actually, we don't track that" After: "CAC down 40% in 8 weeks" "Clear attribution across channels" "Marketing drives 60% of qualified leads" Think of it like having a CTO. You wouldn't hire a junior developer to architect your tech stack. Why risk your market position with junior marketing? 💫 Why GotoMarketers? Our fractional marketers bring extensive experience leading successful campaigns for both startups and enterprises. They've managed significant budgets, scaled companies internationally, and have a proven track record of driving growth across industries. Let's talk growth: https://lnkd.in/gcjH3ziE #StartupGrowth #FractionalMarketing #ScaleUp #GotoMarketers

I really like to get some truth out of business leaders on Linkedin right now on #fractional hiring What’s your perspective on hiring fractional marketers? How do you see them part of your team and business? Who would you choose and why?

Building truly effective marketing teams is something I’m deeply passionate about, so having the opportunity to share my thoughts on Growth Talks was a fantastic experience. Sitting down with my friend and colleague Krystina Rubino, we discussed what it takes to adapt marketing leadership across different stages of a company’s growth—from scrappy startups to more established enterprises. One key takeaway? The evolution of your marketing hires as you scale. In the early days, you're not looking for specialists—you need someone hungry, versatile, and willing to wear multiple hats (and wear them well). As the company matures, the focus shifts to finding specialists—people who dive deep into a specific channel or audience and spend most of their time optimizing within that space. Of course, hiring isn’t just about checking off skills and experience. It’s the intangibles— curiosity, tenacity, etc. — that often separate good talent from great. So whether you're building your marketing team from the ground up or refining the team within a larger organization, there are insights here for every stage. Check out my full Growth Talks interview from Right Side Up on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

The old way of growing a SaaS company is dying: • Raise loads of capital and dilute ownership • Quickly burn that cash to build a team and find product-market fit • Sacrifice CLTV on unprofitable channels because marketing hasn’t been figured out Then either hit a 100x exit or make everyone redundant because it doesn’t go well. I'm not against VC by the way, but how did the narrative change and profitability become a dirty word? A new wave of SaaS companies are being created. I speak with them all of the time, I even work with some: • They’re low-funded or bootstrapped • They focus on building something people want (crazy!) • They've mastered the game of attention • They prioritise efficiency which creates a healthy business • They're built on solid foundations, therefore more prepared for scale And they’re on the edge, easily 12-18 months head of mass market adoption of new GTM tactics that appear. By the time these tactics are shared on social media, these companies already have sophisticated programs. Moving fast, staying lean, being profitable, stealing marketshare from slow-moving incumbents. Exciting times 💪 #saas #b2bmarketing #paidsocial #demandgeneration #gtm #advertising #startup

Building the Foundations for Platform Monetization (Key takeaways from my journey) My formative years were spent growing within legacy brands, which operated like well-oiled machines. However, in the second half of my career, I found my true calling: transforming early-stage start-ups from chaotic beginnings into structured, revenue-generating powerhouses. Early-stage start-ups are tumultuous environments where the founding team is finding its footing, the company vision is fluid, and every department feels like it’s perpetually ‘not there’ yet. For many, this can be overwhelming. For me, this is where I thrived. For anyone driving growth and revenue in a start-up, you will make mistakes until you figure things out. However, here are four critical steps that can help bring some much needed method to the madness: Understand the Business In the initial phase, gain a deep understanding of the business. This insight helps you identify the unique value your company offers. As a new company, it’s easier to pivot quickly based on new insights. The fluidity at this stage presents opportunities to shape the business strategy from the ground up. Building the GTM Strategy Once you understand the business, craft a go-to-market (GTM) strategy. This is critical because it defines how you introduce your product to the market, telling the story and tailoring it to meet market demands. Operational Autonomy Founders often struggle to let go but they must learn to give you autonomy and trust you to make the right decisions. You need the liberty to hire, set processes, work with cross-functional departments and build the company story. Without this, you cannot operate at full capacity The Hiring Challenge As you begin pitching, it is now time to start growing your team. This can also be the most frustrating phase. Identifying the right team fit is paramount. Plan for this well and assume it will take at least 60 days before positions are filled. The journey is challenging, but with the right approach, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the company evolve and thrive. With operational autonomy and a strong team, you can navigate the chaos and build a successful sales foundation in any early-stage start-up.

I've posted 1,197 days in a row on Linkedin about sales leadership at pre-IPO tech companies & here's 2 things I've learned: ✅ If you want to get attention on this platform, you need to be a great copywriter and marketer 💩 It doesn't really matter if you have experience doing the thing you're writing about. This should be a great platform where people can share their experiences and others can learn from those experiences... But I recommend you check the source of the content you're reading before you accept it at face value. If you're picking up what I'm putting down - here's something else that can help you. Check out my book which is a collection of real stories about my real mistakes and real learnings from 28 years of building sales teams at tech startups. There's even a free sample to download. https://lnkd.in/gXftNAaw

"The marketing function should not be my problem" - A common statement by many CEOs/Founders in tech startups and scale ups First up, thats the wrong attitude 🚫 . Marketing, should and will always be a area you have to pay focus on, fractional CMO or otherwise. But the ✅ Effort, ✅ Contribution ✅ Attention you have to put in can be managed and streamlined through a a fractional CMO or Marketing as a Service . Check the next post for details on #marketingasaservice #marketingstrategy