TK Kader’s Post

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 & wins” are hard to come by. For example, I am lucky to work with two amazing co-founders of Bisa Therapeutics (Jacqueline Bow Rousselow & Toni Marie Sands). Since Day 1, they have been a pleasure to work with. They understand that it takes time for a startup marketing machine to not only get running but also produce results. They believe in the process. And because of this, we are slowly growing the company, becoming a “real company.” 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 ------------ I’m Scott Burgess. I talk about how to market early-stage SaaS startups. ➡️ Get GTM strategies & tips bi-weekly with my SaaS GTM Newsletter. Link in my profile.

The #1 reason most startups fail at marketing: It isn't lack of budget. It isn't tough competition. It's premature scaling. I've seen this happen too many times: 1. Founder has a great idea 2. They rush to build a product 3. They launch a website 4. They start running ads But they've skipped the most crucial steps: • Defining their brand strategy • Understanding their target market • Creating a compelling value proposition • Developing a go-to-market plan The result? Wasted money. Frustrated founders. Start-ups that fail before they even get started. Slow down. Sit with your brand. Start with strategy BEFORE taking action.

Founders are failing, and no one is talking about it. After just a few years, many startups are shutting down, leaving behind a trail of broken dreams and wasted potential. I've seen it happen time and time again. Founders pour their heart and soul into their business, only to watch it crumble beneath them. It's a painful and lonely experience, and one that's all too common. Take the case of Groupon. Once a darling of the startup world, it failed to innovate and adapt, leading to a sharp decline in its fortunes. Today, it's a shadow of its former self, a cautionary tale of what happens when complacency sets in. So, what can founders do to build a lasting brand? Here are some tips: - First, find a problem then build a product that solves that problem, not the other way round. - Keep up with the ever evolving market. - Stay focused on your core mission and values - Continuously innovate and improve your offerings - Build a strong team and empower them to lead - Prioritize customer satisfaction and feedback And that's exactly why I've decided to help founders from ideation to product launch and beyond! I'll be sharing my expertise and resources to ensure your product/brand thrives in today's competitive market. If you want a more personalized experience, here’s how we can work together. - A one-on-one marketing strategy session tailored to your unique brand. - In-house team workshops to equip your team with cutting edge marketing strategies. - Partnering with my agency Starrlites Creative Agency to handle your marketing services while you focus on the core of your business. If you're a founder or brand owner looking to stand out from the crowd, connect with your ideal customers, drive revenue and growth for your company, let's connect and build a lasting brand together! Send me a message or comment below to get started! #startups #founders #brandbuilding #marketingstrategist

This post from Andreessen Horowitz's Andrew Chen is about more than just #hiring - it's really a look into the "distinct stages of a product’s lifecycle that require different goals and skillsets" and the reconciliation of #strategy and tactics that fall to the executives - from #startup to scale-up to operating at #scale - necessary to drive #growth.

🚀 Unpacking Startup Success: The Role of Co-Founder Dynamics🤝 In the startup world, we often celebrate innovation and technology. However, the dynamics between co-founders are a critical, often overlooked factor in success. 🌱Basics Co-founder dynamics refer to the relationship between the individuals who start a company together. This relationship influences decision-making, company culture, and resilience. 🧩Key Elements 1️⃣Complementary Skills: Successful co-founders bring different but complementary skills. For instance, one might excel in product development while the other is a marketing guru. 2️⃣Shared Vision: Co-founders must have a unified vision. Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google shared the goal of organizing the world’s information. 3️⃣Effective Communication: Open and honest communication is key. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple maintained a communication channel that allowed them to build a tech giant. 4️⃣Trust and Respect: Mutual trust and respect are essential. Co-founders must trust each other’s decisions and respect each other’s expertise. 📚Lessons from Successful Co-Founders -Bhavish Aggarwal & Ankit Bhati (Ola): Their partnership blended business insight with technical skills, transforming the Indian transportation sector. -Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal (Flipkart): Their complementary skills in technology and business created one of India’s largest e-commerce platforms. -Deepinder Goyal & Pankaj Chaddah (Zomato): Utilized complementary skills in tech and management to build Zomato. -Vijay Shekhar Sharma & Bhavesh Gupta (Paytm): Vision and business acumen combined with operational expertise turned Paytm into a leading digital payments platform. -Ashish Hemrajani, Parikshit Dar & Rajesh Balpande (BookMyShow): Diverse skills in tech, operations, and business created India’s largest online ticketing platform. -Harsh Jain & Bhavit Sheth (Dream11): Strategic foresight and operational efficiency helped Dream11 become a leader in fantasy sports. -Girish Mathrubootham & Shan Krishnasamy (Freshworks): Product vision and technical prowess were crucial in building Freshworks into a global SaaS company. 🔍Navigating Co-Founder Relationships 1️⃣Finding the Right Match: Platforms like Y Combinator help find like-minded individuals with complementary skills. 2️⃣Defining Roles Clearly: Clearly defined roles and responsibilities ensure smooth operations. 3️⃣Regular Check-ins: Regular discussions strengthen the co-founder relationship. 4️⃣Legal Framework: Legal agreements can handle equity splits, roles, and exit strategies, preventing future disputes. 🌟Key Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 1️⃣Complementary Skills Matter 2️⃣Align Visions 3️⃣Communicate Openly 4️⃣Build Trust and Respect 5️⃣Utilize Co-Founder Matching Platforms 💬Join the Conversation What is your co-founder experience? How did you navigate challenges? Share your stories and insights below! #Entrepreneurship #Startups #CoFounders

Wondering if a CGO is a better choice for startups than a CMO? Here's why it might make sense: Startups typically operate with lean teams, and having too many top executives can be a burden rather than a benefit. Hiring a CMO often means you also need other high-priced executives to cover all marketing bases. A CGO, on the other hand, is like a Swiss Army knife, capable of handling multiple roles at once. They bring more value for your money. Why hire someone for just one role when you can have someone who can manage multiple aspects of growth? CGOs are crucial in maximizing limited resources. They are adept at devising growth strategies and staying ahead of future trends. Given the vast growth potential of startups, a CGO's versatile leadership is invaluable in seizing every opportunity for expansion. The CGO isn't just a replacement for the CMO; they're a more dynamic option, perfectly suited for the fast-paced startup environment. Learn more about how a CGO could be a game-changer for your startup: https://lnkd.in/dpiFD2jz

If you have PMF, you need a weekly GTM cadence Startups that reach PMF are necessarily chaotic. You’re growing, but it’s hard to find the right Marketing channels or Sales process to grow further and faster. Most startups with PMF still fail (per Jason Calacanis) because “repeatable, scalable, and profitable growth” is extremely hard (per David Skok). More than the key hire or new tool, getting to this sort of “GTM Fit” requires a weekly GTM cadence. David O. Sacks wrote that a Cadence is critical for rapidly growing startups and I couldn’t agree more. In the past year, we've honed a right-sized approach to help Series A, B, and bootstrapped startups gain visibility into how they’re growing and systematically address problems along the way. Why As you grow, your clock speed will slow. Your OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) takes longer with more people, process, and tech in the mix. Dedicated time and space to review GTM performance, identify issues or opportunities, and take action on them will help you maintain a fast rhythm, even as you’re doing more and your team grows. What Doing this well is a matter of daily habit and weekly ritual. It starts with daily updates (Equals makes it easy, via Slack), so everyone knows your key metrics. It’s sustained by weekly GTM reviews on Monday, where your team identifies important issues, acts on them, and follows up on the prior week’s actions. Good looks like what Bobby Pinero and team did in Intercom’s early days. How Crawl 🐛, walk 🚶, run 🏃 is the key to being successful with this and how we work with early stage startups: 1️⃣First, we build the Core Startup Reporting to be reviewed daily and acted on weekly. 2️⃣Next, we conduct analysis, develop insights, prepare slides, and run your first Weekly GTM meeting to set the standard and onboard your exec team to this process. 3️⃣Finally, we help your execs run the meeting, from day-before preparation to focusing on recommendations and decisions, rather than mere recap. When You’re ready for this as soon as you’ve got PMF, need it as soon as your team looks at KPIs in more than one system, and will absolutely want it if each team (Finance, Sales, Marketing, etc.) has their own goals and/or reporting. Who A founder or Head of Revenue/Finance/GTM should own this with analyst support, since it’s critical to your growth. If you lack bandwidth in-house, talk to us. We’ve helped multiple SaaS, E-commerce and healthcare startups stand up and run their weekly GTM cadence.   Where Build reporting in one place and with one data source. Use Equals to get spreadsheet, BI, and AI capabilities on top of your database, CRM, payments, or other system of record. If you have multiple data sources or systems, use Mozart Data to centralize the data and set the foundation of your data stack. If this resonates, lets talk! Our new Core Startup Reporting package helps you establish your own cadence! #saas #ecommerce #healthtech #analytics #bi

Wondering why a Chief Growth Officer (CGO) might be a better fit for startups than a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)? Here's the deal: Startups usually run lean. Having too many top execs can be more of a burden than a help. When you bring on a CMO, you often need to hire other high-priced talent to cover all bases. But a CGO? They're like a multi-tool, handling various roles in one go. It's about getting the most bang for your buck. Why hire someone for just one job when you can get someone who can juggle four? A CGO is all about making the most of what you have, especially when resources are tight. They're key in mapping out growth strategies and keeping an eye on future trends. Since startups are generally smaller, the growth potential is huge, and that's where a CGO really shines. In a lean operation, you need that kind of versatile leadership to grab every growth opportunity. It's not about dissing the CMO role. Think of the CGO as the evolved version of a CMO, tailored for the dynamic startup environment. Dive deeper into why a CGO could be a game-changer for your startup: https://lnkd.in/dpiFD2jz

Think your product will sell itself? The reality is, even the most innovative startups need a strong marketing team to grow and stand out in a crowded market. Your success depends on building a team that boosts visibility and drives growth. In this article, we share practical steps to help you build a marketing team that aligns with your vision and powers your startup’s growth. • Define the key positions that will drive your success. • Bring in people who share your mission and values. • Foster a culture of teamwork and creativity. Looking to build a marketing team that supports your growth? 👉 Link in the comments to learn more! #MarketingTeam #StartupGrowth #BusinessSuccess #GoToMarket

Many founders are being misled despite their hard work. They're often encouraged to emulate the category leaders in their space, like Slack or Outreach. I understand the inclination—learning from the best seems logical. However, these companies are well-established with significant marketing budgets, a luxury most startups don't have. For early-stage startups, one fundamental truth stands out: Customers above all else. → Find your audience and communicate clearly. → Deeply understand their problems. → Build credibility instead of relying on buzzwords. Focus on selling what your product can realistically achieve now, rather than bold visions that might seem too good to be true. Here’s the 5 things founders should prioritize in the first 30 days of their start-up: 1. Updating their LinkedIn job status 2. Creating a company website and logo 3. Incorporating an entity 4. Messaging VCs 5. None of the above; instead, talk to customers Focus on your customers, not on what the category leaders are doing.