People Management: A Guide for New Managers

Two months into my new management gig, I very nearly made a huge mistake.

There I was, blind to the strengths of my teammate, trying stubbornly to fit the teammate into a role they did not want. I was failing them as a manager, and worse, I was projecting my management failure onto them. I, the mighty manager, must be right; they must be the one failing.

I realized my mistake after a series of hard conversations and a bundle of self-reflection. I realized it just in time. Not only had they yet to write off me or the company, they were still so gracious and warm-hearted as to become a trusted colleague and amazing part of our team, thriving in the role I should have been more aware of all along.

My mistake was one of hubris, definitely, but it was also one of ignorance.

I didn't know how to manage people.

I knew how to manage things: projects, timelines, goals, outcomes.

People are not projects. They are not cogs.

We want to get people into the right seats on the bus, not treat people as the seats themselves.

These lessons in—well, I guess you'd say these lessons in humanity—had a huge impact on me. Prior to these experiences, I saw management as an ordered, predictable role to be conquered. It was science. It was testable and provable. I was relieved to find out the opposite is true: management is messy, not orderly; spaghetti, not lasagna.

Moreso, management is incredibly humane—or at least my greatest successes as a manager have come when I leaned into my humanity and embraced the humanity of my teammates. Imagine my relief when I realized that all the lessons in love and trust and respect and belonging that I had absorbed as a teammate and parent and friend could be and should be applied to management.

For new managers, there is no single right way to manage. I hope I can share some perspectives that you can pick and choose from, to remind you of the personage of those you manage. For veteran managers, you probably know this stuff better than I do; I trust many of these management principles are familiar to you already. I hope you might stumble on a new resource or idea.

The Foundations of Modern Management

The Basics: Your Role as a Manager

“You always need to be able to answer two questions regarding each person on your team: 1) Where are they going? 2) What are you currently doing to get them there?

Michael Lopp, Managing Humans

Your primary role as a manager is to empower and unblock your team members. Period. Everything else – the meetings, the reports, the strategic planning – serves this core purpose.

To that end, your key responsibilities are likely to include:

• Holding consistent 1:1s (weekly for remote teams, every two weeks at a minimum for co-located teams)

• Providing clear direction and context for team goals

• Removing obstacles that prevent your teammates from doing their best work

• Creating psychological safety for open communication (HUGE 💯)

• Advocating for your team members' growth and advancement

Essential Management Rhythms

1. Weekly 1:1s: These are sacred time for your direct reports. Don't skip them, don't cut them short. For remote teams, these become even more crucial for maintaining connection and alignment. Check out this post from Culture Amp for more specific advice about how to have great 1:1s.

2. Team Meetings: Hold regular (weekly or bi-weekly) team meetings to ensure alignment and cross-functional collaboration.

3. Quarterly Planning: Set aside time every quarter to review goals, adjust strategies, and plan for the upcoming period.

4. Monthly Pulse Checks: Use quick surveys or informal check-ins to gauge team morale and engagement. See below for a favorite survey of mine.

5. Bi-annual Deep Dives: Conduct thorough performance discussions and career planning sessions twice a year. I’ll share some tips on these further below.

The Psychology of People Management

In short, the things I believe to be true about managing people.

• People want to do their very best.

• They want to feel like they belong to a team and are working for a purpose.

• They want to be noticed.

• They want to be needed.

People operate rationally. They do the best they can with the information they have. So give them all the information!

Encourage lavishly.

Be a coach, be a mentor, be an advocate. (You do not need to be a friend.)

When in doubt, read First, Break All the Rules.

If still in doubt, read High Output Management.

If strapped for time, read A Manager's FAQ on Medium.

Alfred Adler and the keys to belonging and significance

“Belonging and significance are the primary goals of all people.”

Dr. Jane Nelson, Positive Discipline

"All people" definitely includes the people you manage.

The concept of belonging and significance came from psychologist Alfred Adler, the creator of individual psychology, a branch of psychology that emphasizes positivity and places great importance on your developing years.

The Cliff's Notes version of individual psychology goes like this:

• Individual psychology takes a positive attitude of human nature

• Everyone controls their own destiny. We are not victim to circumstance.

• Early in life, we establish a lifestyle and beliefs that stay with us

• We are motivated by goal-setting and purposeful behavior with the intent to become our best selves

"Become our best selves."

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

What a beautiful outcome to achieve! I cannot think of anything more noble or beautiful or impactful for a manager to do than to help—in any small way—a teammate become her or his best self.

So of course, that raises the question: How do you do that, exactly?

I believe it all comes back to this feeling of belonging and significance.

If your teammates feel like they belong on your team, they will flourish.

If your teammates feel like they are significant to your team, they will thrive.

You can think of it in terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Your teammate cannot access the highest levels of respect, recognition, strength, and freedom -- they cannot become their best selves -- until they feel significant to your company and a sense of belong with your team.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

So what does this mean in practice:

• Giving each teammate a clear role to play

• Giving each teammate a clear goal tied to the team's goal

• Building in regular moments of public appreciation and encouragement

• Creating a safe space for diversity and inclusion to thrive

Let's go back to Adler.

The name "individual" psychology comes from his belief that humans operate best as individual whole beings, not compartmentalized versions of ourselves. In order to feel a sense of belonging and significance, you have to feel like you can be yourself. That you can be whole.

The idea of wholeness is beautiful (I'm a huge fan, in case you couldn't tell), and it is a key aspect to the Teal movement of organizational behavior. In the book Reinventing Organizations, Teal businesses are defined as having three primary elements: self-managed, evolutionary purpose, and wholeness. Don't worry, I'll save my thoughts on self-management for another post. What I'd rather focus on is this concept of wholeness:

Extraordinary things begin to happen when we dare to bring all of who we are to work.

Frederic Laloux, Reinventing Organizations

And how do you arrive at wholeness?

Wholeness begins with the foundation that Adler identified: belonging and significance. Focus on those two aspects, and you'll build the foundation for a thriving team.

Building Trust Through Understanding

The most effective managers recognize that their team members are driven by two fundamental needs:

1. Belonging: Feeling connected to the team and company mission

2. Significance: Knowing their work matters and their voice is heard

To support these needs:

• Give each team member a clear role that connects to team goals

• Create regular moments for public appreciation

• Build safe spaces for diverse perspectives

• Enable autonomy while providing support

• Celebrate both small wins and major achievements

The Four Mistaken beliefs and Mistaken Goals of Behavior

The behaviors of our childhood are the behaviors of our work.

There are fundamental elements of human psychology that follow us from childhood all the way through adulthood. The adult humans whom you manage at work vary in substantial ways from toddlers -- but we're all still humans, right? I've tried to approach the parenting/management angle cautiously and skeptically. Not everything works apples to apples. But one of the theories that has proven effective is the idea of mistaken goals and behavior.

Here's how it goes:

When a person's behavior is out of sorts, the behavior can be traced to one of four root causes.

1. Undue Attention

2. Misguided Power

3. Revenge

4. Assumed Inadequacy

We call these root causes the mistaken goals. They're "mistaken" because they're based on what the child/teammate believes is true, not necessarily what actually is true.

Each goal comes with a belief.

1. Attention: "I only belong when I have your attention."

2. Power: "I belong only when I'm the boss or at least when I don't let you boss me."

3. Revenge: "I don't belong, but at least I can hurt back."

4. Inadequacy: "It is impossible to belong. I give up."

Do you recognize any of these among your team?

I've seen them.

A teammate is constantly striving to do, do, do. They measure their worth by volume of praise and recognition. This teammate feels they only belong when they have the attention of their boss.

A teammate is constantly pushing back against your requests, challenging your ideas, and going rogue on projects. They only feel belonging and significance when they are fully autonomous and free from you.

A teammate is lethargic, morose, and unproductive. They seem entirely disengaged from their work and struggle to make progress in their career. This person feels it is impossible to belong.

(The mistaken goal of revenge is a much less common one to see in the workplace. If one of your direct reports is out for revenge, uh-oh!)

Of course, there are healthy signals that lie within each mistaken goal. It's normal and healthy to expect a certain amount of recognition for your work. And challenging other's strategies and ideas is how strategies and ideas improve -- and how you avoid HIPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion).

But should these behaviors reach a critical mass or slide too far toward the unhealthy end of the spectrum, it's time to act.

Here's what to do in order to address each mistaken behavior and belief. The chart is for parenting, so I've translated some ideas below based on how I've used this information for people management.

Attention

What they're saying: "Notice me." "Involve me."

What you can do:

• Redirect by involving the teammate with a task that will earn useful attention from you or the team

• Use 1:1 time to recall specific moments to celebrate the teammate's work. Separate these from the immediacy of the project.

• Engage the teammate in problem-solving and strategic planning.

• Set up nonverbal signals of appreciation. Emoji replies in Slack. Thumbs-up in Zoom meetings.

Power

What they're saying: "Let me help." "Give me choices."

What you can do:

• Enable the teammate to do more by asking for their help. Be okay if they say no.

• Don't ask the teammate insincere questions. If there's not really a choice, don't frame it as one. If you do frame it as a choice, be okay if the answer is no.

• Don't fight and don't give in.

• Allow your team's systems and processes to be "the boss."

Revenge

What they're saying: "I'm hurting." "Validate my feelings."

What you can do:

• Acknowledge hurt feelings. 💯

• Don't take the teammate's behavior personally. Be empathetic to the beliefs behind the behavior.

• Tell the teammate what you need. Ask them what they need.

Inadequacy

What they're saying: "Don't give up on me." "Show me a small step."

What you can do:

• Break a task down to small steps and achievable goals. Be present without micromanaging.

• Notice and celebrate successes, big or small.

• Take time for training. This is especially true for teammates with low TRM.

The concept of mistaken behaviors and beliefs comes from the book Positive Discipline. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book that I've reworded to fit with people management.

Every teammate wants to succeed. Every teammate wants to have good relationships with others. Every teammate wants to have a sense of belonging and significance. When we remember this, we will give teammates the benefit of the doubt. Instead of assuming they aren't up for the task, we will assume they want positive results and are eager to learn how to achieve them.

Ok, I couldn't help myself. One more quote ...

Your teammates are constantly making decisions about themselves and the workplace, and how to find belonging and significance in their workplace. These decisions create a “blueprint” for living. Your actions influence these decisions.

What decisions are your teammates making about themselves and the company?

(Warning, guilt trip incoming!)

And how are you contributing to those decisions?

Common Management Pitfalls

1. The Attention Trap: Mistaking constant availability for good management

   • Solution: Set clear boundaries and expectations for communication

2. The Control Fallacy: Thinking more oversight equals better output

   • Solution: Focus on outcomes rather than processes

3. The Friendship Dilemma: Trying to be everyone's friend

   • Solution: Be friendly and supportive while maintaining professional boundaries

4. The Fixing Reflex: Jumping in to solve problems immediately

   • Solution: Coach team members to find their own solutions

Practical Tools for Success

The Weekly 1:1 Template

• Personal check-in (5 minutes)

• Progress updates (10 minutes)

• Obstacles and support needed (10 minutes)

• Career growth discussion (5 minutes)

• Action items and next steps (5 minutes)

The Q12 Survey

One of my very favorite things to do as a manager is to ask questions. I ask them in 1:1s. I ask them in team surveys. I ask them as often as I can.

Question-asking becomes especially relevant when you do it at scale. Whenever I survey my whole team -- which happens at least quarterly, if not monthly -- I gain so much insight into how they're doing collectively and how I'm faring as their manager.

The survey that has been most effective for me is the Q12 survey from Gallup. The folks at Gallup have spent the past 30 years researching great management, and they have condensed those learnings into a fairly straightforward, 12-question, yes/no survey. I first learned about it in the book First, Break All the Rules.

The Gallup Q12 survey measures the strength of the workplace. In the words of Gallup, it measures

 the core elements needed to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees.

Sounds great, right?

Here are the 12 questions.

The Gallup Q12 Survey

1. Do you know what is expected of you at work?

2. Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?

3. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

4. In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?

5. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

7. At work, do your opinions seem to count?

8. Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?

9. Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?

10. Do you have a best friend at work?

11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?

12. In the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow?

Want to give the survey a try? Here's a free version you can take.

Take the Gallup Q12 Survey.

I ask this Q12 survey two times each year, which allows me to have a benchmark for how the team is faring over time. The goal is to get to 100% Yes answers, though I've found in practice that 90% Yes is a pretty solid benchmark. People interpret the questions and answers differently, and that pesky "best friend" question seems to always render some differing opinions.

(Speaking of that "best friend" question, there is lots of research that, yes, having a best friend at work really does matter. See: Gallup, Lighthouse, CultureAmp, and Inc.)

Performance Reviews That Don't Suck

As you may have noticed in the Gallup poll above, having regular performance conversations with your team is essential to a strong workplace.

But wait, don't people usually abhor performance conversations?

Yes! I do, too.

Fortunately, I've found that these conversations can look a number of different ways, many of which are not as scary as they normally sound. Here're a few ideas that I've loved incorporating.

First off, I tend to approach performance reviews with the mindset that reviews are, historically, no fun for the person being reviewed. Though the manager's intention may be "Let's devote this time to talk about YOU and your career," the teammate often hears "Let's spend time talking about me and my WEAKNESSES."

There is an underlying implication of wrongness to a review.

There is a very clear power dynamic in a review.

We, the manager, have the power. They, our teammates, don't.

One way to combat this is to reframe "reviews" in one of two ways:

1. Don't call them reviews. Call them growth conversations or career convos or goal check-ins. Reviews are for movies and food. Conversations are for people.

2. Give the power back to the teammate. If you must call them reviews, call them "self reviews" or do 360-degree reviews (where a teammate chooses who reviews them and gets input from a number of different, equal perspectives)

Beyond the naming, there is the problem of what questions to ask or how to conduct the conversation itself. I've learned a lot from the book Reinventing Organizations, which features stories from a variety of companies who do things a little different. Here are a few of my favorite examples:

Four simple statements

Bob Koski, the founder of Sun Hydraulics, uses these four simple statements for his yearly check-ins with teammates:

• State an admirable feature about the employee.

• Ask what contributions they have made to Sun.

• Ask what contributions they would like to make at Sun.

• Ask how Sun can help them.

Lauds and learnings

A useful "self-review" format. The teammate answers these questions and leads the conversation by sharing their answers. I also reflect on the questions beforehand and add anything that the teammate might not mention.

• What has gone really well this year that we might celebrate?

  • What did you learn in the process?

  • What didn't go as well or might have been done differently?

    • How do we "take stock" of where things are now compared to where we thought they might be?

    • What are you most excited about in this next year? What concerns you most?

    • What changes, if any, would you suggest in your role?

    • When you think about the year ahead, what specific goals will guide you?

How to have a hard conversation

And if the "review" needs to be more of a serious feedback session, here is how I like to think about approaching it. I may not ask these questions specifically, but I do like to prepare with this in mind and steer the conversation so that we address each part.

Step 1: Here is how I feel.

Step 2: Here is what I need.

Step 3: What do you need?

Modern Management in Practice

Today's marketing teams face unique challenges: remote work, rapid technological change, and increasing pressure for results. Your management style needs to adapt accordingly:

Embrace Asynchronous Communication

• Document decisions and discussions

• Use tools like Loom for detailed explanations

• Create clear written processes

Focus on Outcomes Over Hours

• Set clear OKRs or goals

• Trust your team to manage their time

• Judge success by results, not activity

Enable Deep Work

• Block focus time for your team

• Reduce meeting load

• Protect your team from unnecessary interruptions

Foster Psychological Safety

• Acknowledge your own mistakes

• Celebrate learning from failure

• Create space for experimentation

Conclusion

Management is an ongoing journey of learning and growth. The most successful managers I've known share one common trait: they never stop learning about their team members' needs, motivations, and aspirations.

Remember: your role isn't to be perfect – it's to be present, supportive, and human. Trust your team, respect their capabilities, and encourage them regularly. Then get out of their way and watch them shine.

Want to dive deeper into management resources? Check out these books:

• First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham

• High Output Management by Andy Grove

• Radical Candor by Kim Scott

• The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo

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Best Books and Articles for Startup Marketing Leaders

Over the years, I’ve read dozens of marketing books and hundreds (maybe thousands?) of marketing articles—some brilliant, some forgettable, and a few that completely changed how I approach marketing strategy, messaging, and growth. These are the ones I keep coming back to, the ones I recommend to new marketers and marketing leaders alike.

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your positioning, level up your copywriting, or just find fresh inspiration, these resources are worth a spot on your shelf and in your bookmarks.

Let’s dive in!

The Best Marketing Books

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

A fascinating exploration of the irrational side of human behavior, Alchemy dives into why logic alone isn’t enough to create brilliant marketing and business strategies. Sutherland, a VP at the famous Ogilvy agency and a master of behavioral economics, reveals how unconventional thinking can lead to breakthrough ideas that defy traditional business wisdom.

The advertising agency J. Walter Thompson used to set a test for aspiring copywriters. One of the questions was simple: 

‘Here are two identical 25-cent coins. Sell me the one on the right.’ 

One successful candidate understood the idea of alchemy. ‘I’ll take the right-hand coin and dip it in Marilyn Monroe’s bag. Then I’ll sell you a genuine 25-cent coin as owned by Marilyn Monroe.’  

Obsessed by Emily Heyward

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

This book unpacks how the world’s best brands create deep emotional connections with their customers. Drawing from her experience co-founding Red Antler (the agency behind Warby Parker and other really popular B2C brands), Heyward provides insight into why obsession-worthy brands win and how to craft a brand that people can’t get enough of.

A fair definition of how to think about “brand” is “why should people care?”

Anything You Want by Derek Sivers

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

Part memoir, part manifesto, this book distills 10 years of entrepreneurship into 40 lessons on building a business with heart. Sivers emphasizes that success isn’t about chasing scale or profit but about creating something meaningful that aligns with your values.

Business is not about money. It’s about making dreams come true for others and for yourself.

The Pmarca Blog Archives by Marc Andreessen

(free download)

A collection of essays from the venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, this book covers everything from startups and product-market fit to career advice and the future of technology. Packed with wisdom, it’s a must-read for anyone navigating the tech and business world. And it’s free!

Don’t worry about being a small fish in a big pond — you want to always be in the best pond possible, because that’s how you will get exposed to the best people and the best opportunities in your field.

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

A classic marketing book that explains how new technologies and innovations move from early adopters to the mainstream market. Moore presents a strategic roadmap for startups to overcome the critical "chasm" between niche appeal and mass adoption. Especially useful for tech startups!

A tool to help you refine your positioning. Fill out this template:

For ____Who are dissatisfied with ____Our product is a ____That provides ____Unlike ____We can provide ____

We Are All Weird by Seth Godin

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

Of all the dozen or so Seth Godin books, this one is my favorite. Godin argues that mass marketing is dead, and businesses must embrace the power of niches. This book is a call to celebrate individuality, cater to passionate micro-communities, and rethink how we connect with customers in a fragmented world. In other words, it’s a call to be yourself!

We don’t like the advertising that’s not for us, not about us, not interesting to us. But talk to me, directly to me, about something relevant and personal, and I love you for it.

Growing Up Fast by Jascha Kaykas-Wolff and Kevin Fann

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

This book explores how businesses can scale quickly while fostering a culture of innovation. The authors break down real-world challenges and best practices for balancing growth with adaptability in a fast-changing market.

In proper combination, innovation creates marketing opportunities, which create innovation, which creates marketing opportunities, which create innovation, which creates marketing, and on and on.

Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

A tactical guide for startups looking to grow, Traction introduces the Bullseye Framework to help businesses systematically find and scale their best customer acquisition channels. With real-world examples, it’s an essential playbook for gaining momentum. I used this book in my very first head of marketing job to help identify the channels to begin with. I would have been lost otherwise.

The bullseye framework for finding the best traction channels: Get it here.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

(buy the book on Amazon or on Bookshop)

This book introduces the Lean Startup methodology, emphasizing rapid experimentation and learning from customer feedback to develop sustainable businesses. It’s a lot about product management, but I learned a TON about how to manage a marketing team, how to think about testing and iteration, and how to move quickly and confidently with campaigns.

Other popular marketing books that people love

• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries & Jack Trout

• The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout

• Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

---

The best marketing articles, websites, newsletters, and resources

Blogs & websites

Marketing Examples by Harry Dry

Backlinko by Brian Dean (SEO)

HubSpot

Buffer

Reforge

• "The Growth Model: How to Develop a Deep Understanding of Your Growth" by Brian Balfour Provides a framework for understanding and optimizing a company's growth mechanics.

• "The Product-Led Growth Playbook" by various authors Offers insights into leveraging product features to drive user acquisition, retention, and expansion.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Future

• "Go-to-Market Fit: SaaS’s Missing Middle" by David George and Pete Levine Discusses the importance of achieving go-to-market fit for SaaS companies and strategies to attain it.

• "The New Business of AI (and How It’s Different From Traditional Software)" by Martin Casado and Matt Bornstein Explores the unique challenges and opportunities in building AI-driven businesses.

Newsletters

Emily Kramer: MKT1

• "Marketing Isn't Hard, It Is Misunderstood" Emily Kramer offers her expertise on optimizing your marketing funnel and her top tips for a high-level approach to marketing in 2024.

• "Finding Go-to-Market and Business Model Fit, Setting the Right Marketing Goals, and More with Emily Kramer" An interview where Emily discusses various topics, including the challenges of hiring marketers for startups and the importance of setting impactful marketing goals.

Kyle Poyar: Growth Unhinged

Ari Murray: Go To Millions

There are lots of other great ones out there, too. Recommendation: Sign up for Substack and browse their list of top business and marketing newsletter. I’m sure you’ll find something you like!

(Oh, and I have a newsletter, too.)

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What Does a VP Marketing Do? Here’s a Job Description

• Managers are paid to drive results with some support. They have experience in the function, can take responsibility, but are still learning the job and will have questions and need support. They can execute the tactical plan for a project, but typically can’t make it.

• Directors are paid to drive results with little or no supervision (“set and forget”). Directors know how to do the job. They can make a project’s tactical plan in their sleep. They can work across the organization to get it done. I love strong directors. They get shit done.

• VPs are paid to make the plan. Say you run marketing. Your job is to understand the company’s business situation, make a plan to address it, build consensus and get approval of that plan, then go execute it.

(source)

The above list was one I saw early on in my marketing management career, when I was at the “manager” level. Dave Kellogg's breakdown of roles is one I've ascribed to ever since.

When I was ready to take the step from Director to VP, I found myself recalling Dave's advice on what makes a VP a VP. Beyond that, I had little idea where to turn for an actual job description of what I should be doing at the VP level.

So I made my own!

Here is a VP of Marketing job description that I created for myself as something to aspire to and work toward. I shared it with my boss (the CEO). I got him to agree that this was the right path. Then once I felt I had checked all the boxes, we had a conversation, and I became a VP!

It’s not always that easy or straightforward, but at least having a roadmap of how to get to the VP level was helpful. Here is my VP Marketing job description in case you want to put this to work for you and your job, too.

VP of Marketing job description

About this role

The VP of Marketing is responsible for setting the company’s go-to-market strategy, delivering results of that strategy, developing a world-class marketing team, and informing the future direction of the product and its position in the market.

This involves setting strategies in many areas, from branding to advertising. The VP of Marketing is expected to lead marketing strategy across the top of the funnel, specifically with brand awareness and customer acquisition, with the long-term goal of developing and executing programs that acquire and retain customers for life. They are responsible for seeing this top-of-funnel growth through the middle and bottom stages of the funnel, leading to sustainable revenue outcomes for the comany.

In the role of VP, you’ll manage the full omnichannel strategy for the company, including brand and demand gen channels and be responsible for new user acquisition, as well as revenue attributed directly to marketing efforts (workshops, conferences, etc.).

In short:

• Set go-to-market strategy

• Deliver the results of that strategy: Brand awareness and user acquisition

• Hiring and developing a world-class team

• Informing the future direction of the product and positioning

Experience and scope

The VP of Marketing should have extensive practical experience at all levels of marketing and branding, spiking highest in one or two core competencies and able to manage and lead all other areas.

This position is also accountable for the development of the marketing team as it relates to staffing, training, coaching, mentoring, and support in order to ensure that team-wide goals are achieved together and teammates are able to flourish individually, according to their unique aspirations.

The VP of Marketing may directly supervise managers and directors who oversee teams involved in branding, advertising/media, and research, and is expected to meet with these managers to receive reports and help direct the company's marketing vision. The VP also helps these managers to set departmental and team budgets, as well as pull data related to expenses and marketing effectiveness and present it in detailed reports to other chief decision makers.

You should also play a significant role shaping the company’s strategic planning. By carefully using market research tools, the VP of Marketing can help determine the shifting needs and wants of the company's current consumer base and determine how to best meet that demand.

Responsibilities

Strategize / Deliver / Develop / Inform

Strategize

• Conceptualize, create, and implement a growth strategy for the company

• Define the short- and long-term objectives and goals for the marketing team

• Integrate strategies across the full funnel, considering all paid, owned and earned channels

• Use revenue forecasting and funnel modeling to predict the performance and outcome of marketing strategy and projects

• Participate in quarterly and annual planning of the company’s overall objectives

• Prioritize each marketing project and allocate resources accordingly

• Complete a quarterly analysis of all marketing efforts

• Create and maintain the annual marketing budget

Deliver

• Monitor all marketing campaigns and improve them as necessary

• Generate a monthly summary report and comprehensive quarterly & annual marketing reports

• Create and develop new business opportunities through category expansion, partnerships, and promotions. Implement customer acquisition campaigns across all channels.

• Fully own all elements of awareness and acquisition

• Be a thought leader in demand generation at scale

• Develop advanced lifecycle marketing programs to drive LTV

• Take responsibility for all key performance metrics including CAC, LTV, revenue and ROI across all channels, NPS. Maintain a healthy LTV/CAC ratio.

• Drive profitable growth from all areas of marketing

• Help manage third-party relationships

• Collaborate with external agencies

Develop

• Nurture a world-class team

• Identify opportunities to coach, mentor, and support

• Participate in goal-setting and provide clarity on what is expected of each teammate

• Take responsibility for the promotion, evaluation, training, motivation, coaching, and areas to improve for all members of the marketing team

• Forecast hiring needs for the marketing team

• Hire well

Inform

• Work with the CEO/CPO to develop and implement pricing strategies

• Conduct market research and monitor market trends in order to remain competitive

• Work collaboratively on product pricing, name, positioning, messaging, and definition.

• Understand SaaS analytics and metrics in order to support the creation of product features that drive growth and get customers to engage with and convert to customers

Requirements

• Strong leadership skills

• Highly resourceful and creative

• Analytically driven and results focused

• Outstanding written/verbal communication skills

• Ability to be both a visionary leader and a deep analytic thinker, with a preference for rolling up your sleeves. You’re comfortable doing the work no one else wants to do (or is able to do)

• Strong track record leveraging data-driven insights with extensive test and learn orientation

• You have experience and/or desire for leading and growing a high performance team, and you love to be a great manager

• Demonstrated use of analytics to double down on successful efforts and groups

• 3-5 years of experience in a marketing/demand gen

Goals

• Paying customers

• Direct revenue from marketing

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The Guide for Running a Startup Marketing Team

There are a few things that make startup marketing different from the rest:

• Constant urgency to move fast because you must show growth a.s.a.p. (The typical growth trajectory for a startup is that you must triple your revenue in Year One, then triple again in Year Two, then double in Year Three, then double in Year Four.)

• Operating with low information because you’re moving so fast

• Operating with a boom-or-bust budget, which booms as soon as you raise a new round of capital and is otherwise a shoestring budget because you haven’t raised new capital yet

• Dealing with pressure from the CEO and pressure from a sales team (if you’re a B2B product) and pressure from a board

Throw all that into the typical pressure cooker of leading a marketing team, add a dash of imposter syndrome, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a pretty tough gig!

I’ve run my fair share of marketing teams in the past, and I knew absolutely nothing about what I was supposed to do.

It’s okay if you’re in the same boat.

But if you do want some extra info and context of what it’s like and how others (me) have done it, then here is an overview of how i think about running a startup marketing team with useful tips whether it’s your first time as a head of marketing or your fifth!

Here’s a list of all that we’ll cover:

First off, what is the role of a Head of Marketing?

A Head of Marketing (sometimes called a VP of Marketing, depending on the size and stage of your company) plays a crucial role in shaping a startup’s growth and brand presence. This leadership position requires a blend of strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and hands-on execution.

Here’s a full job description for a VP of Marketing if you want a blueprint to work from. In general, as the VP of Marketing, your key responsibilities include:

• Developing and executing marketing strategies: Aligning marketing initiatives with business goals, conducting market research, and differentiating your brand.

• Building and managing a high-performing marketing team: Hiring, mentoring, and fostering a collaborative and creative culture.

• Overseeing multi-channel marketing campaigns: Ensuring consistency in messaging and brand identity across digital, content, social media, and offline marketing.

• Managing budgets and measuring ROI: Allocating resources effectively and using data-driven insights to optimize spend.

• Collaborating with key departments: Aligning marketing efforts with sales, product, finance and customer experience to drive overall company growth.

Success in this role requires strong leadership, analytical skills, and deep industry knowledge to navigate the fast-paced tech landscape effectively.

Building Your Marketing Team

Hiring the right marketing team at the right time can significantly impact your startup’s trajectory. Here’s how to approach it strategically:

When to Hire

Bringing on new team members too soon can stretch resources, while waiting too long can hinder momentum. Key indicators that it’s time to expand your team include:

• A well-defined marketing strategy that requires additional execution power.

• An overextended team struggling to meet demands.

• Plans to expand into new channels requiring specialized expertise.

Prioritizing Roles

For early-stage startups, hiring generalists who can wear multiple hats is often more valuable than bringing on highly specialized roles. Key early hires might include:

• Growth Marketing Manager: Focused on user acquisition and activation.

• Content Marketing Manager: Responsible for brand storytelling and inbound lead generation.

• Marketing Operations Specialist: Ensures efficient use of data, tools, and automation.

As your team scales, you can bring in specialists in demand generation, product marketing, and customer marketing to refine your approach.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

To build a strong team, leverage your network, attend industry events, and use recruiters when necessary. Prioritize candidates who:

• Have a proven track record in startups or similar roles.

• Possess a data-driven mindset and a strategic approach to marketing.

• Align with your company culture and core values.

Building a great marketing team takes time, but the investment pays off in sustainable growth and a strong market presence.

Setting Marketing Goals and KPIs

Defining clear and measurable marketing goals ensures alignment with broader business objectives. Your goals should be:

• Specific and measurable (e.g., increase website traffic by 50%).

• Aligned with business objectives (e.g., drive revenue growth by acquiring 50 new enterprise customers).

• Tracked through key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

  • Website traffic and engagement

  • Lead generation and conversion rates

  • Customer acquisition cost (CAC)

  • Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs)

  • Return on marketing investment (ROMI)

Leveraging tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, and Salesforce will help track progress and optimize campaigns.

Budgeting and Resource Allocation

Effectively managing marketing budgets is critical to maximizing ROI. Consider:

• Allocating 20-30% of revenue to marketing in early-stage startups, adjusting as the company matures.

• Investing in essential marketing tools such as CRM platforms, automation software, and analytics solutions.

• Deciding on in-house vs. outsourced resources—many startups keep core functions in-house while outsourcing specialized projects to agencies or freelancers.

Balancing short-term lead generation with long-term brand-building efforts is key to sustainable success.

Brand Positioning and Messaging

A strong brand foundation drives every marketing initiative. To define your brand effectively:

1. Establish Your Brand Identity: Clarify your mission, vision, and core values.

2. Develop a Unique Value Proposition: Differentiate your offering from competitors.

3. Create a Messaging Framework: Ensure consistency across all touchpoints by defining:

   • Brand positioning statement

   • Messaging pillars

   • Tone and voice guidelines

Consistency in branding fosters trust and strengthens customer connections.

Marketing Strategy Development

A well-structured marketing strategy includes:

• Go-to-market planning: Identifying target audiences, refining positioning, and choosing optimal distribution channels.

• Channel mix optimization: Evaluating content marketing, paid ads, social media, and events to create a balanced approach.

• Campaign execution and optimization: Setting clear objectives, measuring success, and iterating based on data insights.

Content Marketing and SEO

Content marketing establishes credibility and drives organic growth. A successful strategy includes:

• Producing high-value content tailored to your audience’s needs.

• Optimizing for SEO (e.g., keyword integration, link-building, mobile-friendly experiences).

• Repurposing content across different formats (blogs, infographics, videos, etc.).

Consistency in publishing schedules and SEO best practices can significantly improve reach and engagement.

Performance Marketing and Growth Hacking

To accelerate customer acquisition and revenue, leverage:

• Paid acquisition channels like Google Ads and social media ads.

• Growth hacking techniques such as referral programs, influencer partnerships, and viral marketing strategies.

• A/B testing and optimization for landing pages, email campaigns, and product experiences.

• Marketing automation to personalize messaging and improve efficiency.

Marketing Analytics and Reporting

Robust analytics drive smarter marketing decisions. Priorities include:

• Setting up tracking systems with Google Analytics, CRM integrations, and marketing automation platforms.

• Connecting marketing efforts to revenue through pipeline analysis and attribution modeling.

• Building dashboards and reports to visualize performance and inform strategy.

• Embracing continuous testing to refine messaging, creative, and targeting for maximum impact.

Leading and Managing the Marketing Team

An effective marketing leader fosters a culture of innovation, accountability, and collaboration. Key leadership principles include:

• Effective communication: Establish clear goals, hold regular check-ins, and encourage open feedback.

• Motivation and recognition: Celebrate wins and create opportunities for professional growth.

• Building a strong team culture: Promote inclusivity, creativity, and a shared vision for success.

Conclusion

Running a successful startup marketing team requires strategic planning, adaptability, and strong leadership. By building a high-performing team, setting clear goals, and continuously optimizing marketing efforts, you can drive sustained growth and create a powerful brand presence in the market.

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