Gain invaluable insights from B2B marketing experts who have driven growth in multi-million-dollar companies like Buzzfeed, ClickUp, and HockeyStack . Our expert consultants have proven strategies to help accelerate your journey to $10 million ARR.
We've identified critical challenges that often trap startups in a cycle of failure, leading them towards potential collapse.
By neglecting to research customer needs before starting their engineering efforts, entrepreneurs waste valuable time and capital on MVPs that are likely to miss their mark. These become false starts.
Startups face an uphill climb for Inbound Marketing, trying tobuild a brand with limited resources and no clearly defined strategy, which in the long term could kill the startup, which demands patience and strategic effort in the crowded marketplace.
Even with a market fit, 14% of the startups fail. It’s common, even for products that fit the market, to lack proper marketing.
Companies either sell their products in a way that doesn’t attract an audience, orthey don’t understand what it is that people really want and try to push the wrong features.
14% of startups fail due to not having the right team
Industry-specific hiring is missing. Startups require people that are startup-savvy. Or they may lack some vital qualities to make the project successful. The further the project goes, the more acute it feels.
Venture Capitalists cite the inadequacies of startup founders—in particular, their lack of grit, industry acumen, or leadership ability.
Founders without a deep understanding of marketing dynamics may struggle to develop and implement campaigns that resonate with their target audience.
38% of the startups ran out of cash, a stark reminder of the financial challenges many new businesses face.
With constrained resources, startups often struggle to allocate such significant funds to marketing consultations, which could otherwise be used for essential operations, product development, or scaling their business.
13% of startups failed due to loss of focus.
Founders and leaders can become sidetracked by new projects or personal matters, diminishing GTM focus and disrupting alignment with core goals, slowing progress on key initiatives for business growth.
Discover battle-tested strategies from B2B marketing experts with years of experience at companies like Buzzfeed, ClickUp, and HockeyStack, who have collectively driven startup valuations exceeding $6 billion. Our report details their proven tactics and expertise.
Ex-Vp Creative @Buzzfeed Ex-CCO, Clickup
Strategic Advisor, Sendspark and Short Video Content Creation Expert
Ex-Head of Content @HockeyStack, Content @Clay
VP Marketing at Fairmarkit
B2B Cybersecurity Marketing Expert
GTM Consultant
COO, Xgrid.co
Demand Generation Expert
Founder & Director, Genesys Growth
The marketing playbook is always changing, but we’ve been paying attention to what’s working
and what’s not in GTM for early-stage startups.
“But if you really want to stand out, the missing half is what I call a 'tasteful brand.' This means combining messaging, visual identity, and consistency with a unique, opinionated stance that sets you apart from everyone else. It's achieved through storytelling, a strong visual identity, and a personal touch—like an opinionated founder who has a story to tell, shares their experiences and opinions, and consistently puts their face out there.” - Matteo Tittarelli, Founder & Director, Genesys Growth
In an increasingly competitive market, ClickUp needed a way to break through the noise and connect with their ideal customer profile (ICP)—developers. They turned to a creative and unconventional strategy: leveraging viral meme trends targeting JIRA to build a deeper connection with their target audience.
In this section, we explore advanced tactics, from making your CEO a key industry figure to incorporating influencer marketing and refining your sales-marketing alignment. Each play is designed to push your GTM strategy to new heights, ensuring both brand-building and demand generation.
Why does your CEO need to become an
industry celebrity?
How canfounder-led branding drive
early-stage startup success?
Why is influencer marketing yielding
better ROI than traditional marketing?
What is the “unaware layer,”and why should it be added to your AIDA model? How you’re positioned effects everything from content creation to demand generation?
How does aligning sales and marketing boost GTMsuccess? What is market dilution and how to avoid that in early stage?
“So there's definitely a need to think about brand building outside of just direct ROI. And I think that's very tough for a lot of companies right now that are focused on efficiency. But I believe the ones that will truly win are those that continue to invest in brand building, even when the market cycle changes again” says Melissa Rosenthal, Ex-Vp Creative @Buzzfeed Ex-CCO, Clickup
In this section, we delve into the strategies that prioritize long-term ROI through brand awareness and emotional engagement.
Why is a brand that triggers the right emotions more valuable than quick marketing wins?
How does long-term ROI stem from brand awareness?
How should startups balance their investment between brand awareness and demand generation?
“Hire ABM experts for enterprise, Content Creators for mid-market success - Melissa Rosenthal, Ex-Vp Creative @Buzzfeed Ex-CCO, Clickup”
BuzzFeed’s Fellowship Program revolutionized how they discovered talent, tapping into a new pool of creatives who transformed their content strategy. We’ll take a deep dive into how this approach reshaped their talent acquisition and set them up for success
In this section, we’ll walk through the steps to assemble a GTM team that fits your company’s unique needs, from hiring the right experts to aligning skills with long-term goals.
Learn how to identify high-potential team members who may not fit the traditional mold.
Discover how BuzzFeed utilized its diverse team to consistently create viral content.
Key considerations for customizing your GTM team to fit industry-specific needs.
What would be the impact of AI on team building?
“Instead of delivering dry data, you want to build a narrative—one that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. This arc, known as the hero’s journey condensed by William Greenblatt, CEO & Co-founder, OutLoud Speakers School, consists of three parts: problem, solution, and prize”
Buzzfeed used content templating and rigorous testingto forge stronger connections with their audience. We explore how they implemented a repeatable strategy to create viral content and how you can apply it to your campaigns.
This section uncovers the steps to creating a creative strategy that surprises and captivates by collaborating with influencers and using storytelling fundamentals.
Collaborate with filmmakers, TikTokers, YouTube influencers, and Instagrammers to develop innovative, surprising content that stands out.
Learn how to turn the "surprise element" into a well-structured narrative that leads to engagement and results.
Discover the power of the Hero’s Journey framework: Problem, Solution, Prize—your blueprint for a successful pitch.
Use humor as a tool for top-of-funnel awareness, capturing attention before transitioning to serious, educational content.
“Many startups rush to market with content, websites, ads, and campaigns that suffer from unclear, diluted messaging. This confusion directly impacts growth metrics, as prospects struggle to understand what the product does, how it stands out from competitors, and why it's worth trying” - Matteo Tittarelli, Founder & Director, Genesys Growth
“To build a strong GTM strategy, create pillar content that establishes your authority while hosting industry conversations with top voices and potential customers. This approach not only showcases your expertise but also adds value to the community, positioning you as an opinion leader. Then, distribute this content widely to amplify your impact.” says Saad Arshed, COO, Xgrid
This section provides actionable strategies for startups to develop a robust content plan, from leveraging pillar content to mastering video formats and integrating webinars.
Why should startups become media-first companies?
Why pillar content strategy is important and how would it make your brand an authority?
How should startups approach building case studies? Importance of Pro’s & Con’s!
Your ICPs are looking for the Whitepapers, how should you structure to stand out in the crowded market?
Are Webinars still a relevant content format?
“Like a good B2B marketer, I ended up surveying my network. Overwhelmingly, I discovered that it did not matter the level of seniority of the person. When I asked them what they found valuable about the content, they all said they loved the comedy.” Chris Bogue, Strategic Advisor - Sendspark
Dooley, a leading product in the sales enablement space, faced a challenge familiar to many product-led growth (PLG) companies: thousands of signups were failing to activate. Discover how they achieved an astounding 431% increase in their qualified pipeline through innovative strategies in buyer activation and awareness.
In the B2B space, standing out can be challenging. Integrating entertainment and comedy into your content strategy can differentiate your brand, engage your audience, and drive results. This section explores how to balance entertaining and informative content to effectively market your product.
How can you balance entertainment with informative content?
Why does comedy resonate in B2B marketing?
How comedy at the top of the funnel play a crucial role in creating product awareness?
“LinkedIn is one platform that allows to target ICPs precisely” - Julia Witshire, B2B Cybersecurity Marketing Expert
Explore how the Fire Lemon Framework uses data sources to identify accounts showing interest in your category. By leveraging these insights, businesses can execute highly targeted, effective content distribution campaigns.
In this section, we guide you through the most effective distribution channels, the strategies to prioritize, and how to integrate all to create a seamless, impactful content strategy.
Email Marketing is getting saturated, Paid Media is expensive, so which channels are worth investing in for maximum impact?
Which channel still a powerful platform for targeting ICPs? We know!
With AI coming, is SEO really dead? How do you capitalize and differentiate yourself?
When should you invest in field events to execute ABM strategies?
“You can use funny content at tofu; multi-touch campaigns at mofu if ICPs are lukewarm; and use relevant content at bofu to engage leads who have booked a demo until it’s given” - Obaid Durrani, Ex-Head of Content @HockeyStack, Content @Clay
Discover how companies have successfully achieved their ARR goals by using KPI frameworks that ensured consistent performance monitoring and optimization at every funnel stage.
In this section, we break down the strategies for setting KPIs that align with revenue goals, ensure proper tracking, and measure performance at every stage of your marketing funnel.
How can a 5:1 pipeline-to-ARR ratio set you up for success?
Why & how should you use a bottom-up approach to calculate pipeline targets?
Are you tracking leading or lagging indicators?What’s the impact of this tracking?
What KPIs should you set for each stage of the funnel?
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