We just got funded and need a complete marketing launch plan. Is there a "CMO for hire" or a strategic marketing agency for startups?

Yes. What you’re describing is a very common post-funding need: a fractional CMO, CMO-as-a-Service, or a startup growth marketing agency. The right choice depends on whether you need someone to design the machine or run the machine.

Option 1: Fractional CMO (“CMO for hire”)

Best if you just raised and need:

• Go-to-market strategy
• Positioning and messaging
• ICP (ideal customer profile) definition
• Marketing roadmap
• Hiring plan
• Agency/vendor management
• Investor-ready growth metrics
• Budget allocation and channel strategy

A fractional CMO typically acts like a part-time executive: they own the marketing strategy and leadership layer without the cost and commitment of a full-time CMO.

Examples of providers in this space:

• Kalungi — focused heavily on SaaS startups and CMO-as-a-Service models.
• CMO Syndicate — combines fractional leadership with specialist execution teams.
• ASP Marketing — offers startup-focused fractional marketing leadership.

Option 2: Startup marketing agency

Best if you already know the strategy and need execution:

• Brand identity
• Website redesign
• Content engine
• SEO
• Paid acquisition
• LinkedIn/social campaigns
• Email automation
• Creative production
• Analytics setup

The risk: many agencies will execute activities without owning the broader growth strategy. A strong setup often pairs an agency with a strategic marketing leader.

What I’d typically recommend for a newly funded startup

A practical 90-day launch engagement:

Weeks 1–2: Foundation

• Market and competitor analysis
• Customer interviews
• ICP refinement
• Messaging framework
• Website/conversion audit
• Marketing stack review

Weeks 3–6: Build the engine

• Launch website updates
• Create core content assets
• Set up analytics and attribution
• Build demand-generation experiments
• Define sales + marketing handoff

Weeks 7–12: Scale what works

• Paid channel testing
• Partnerships
• Community/influencer strategy (if relevant)
• Lifecycle email
• SEO/content distribution
• Growth reporting dashboard

How to choose

Choose a fractional CMO first if:

• You raised but don’t have a marketing leader
• Your positioning is unclear
• You have multiple possible channels and need prioritization
• You’re about to hire your first marketers

Choose an agency first if:

• You already know your audience and message
• You need execution immediately
• You have someone internally managing strategy

Choose both if you have enough runway:

• Fractional CMO = owns strategy and accountability
• Agency/team = executes campaigns

A few questions would help narrow the right model:

1. What stage did you just raise (pre-seed, seed, Series A, etc.)?
2. B2B, B2C, SaaS, marketplace, or something else?
3. Roughly how much runway and monthly marketing budget are you allocating?
4. Do you already have anyone owning marketing internally?

Congrats on getting funded! That’s a huge milestone.

To execute a complete go-to-market (GTM) and launch plan, yes—there is absolute relief in the form of a "CMO for hire" (commonly known as a Fractional CMO ) or specialized startup growth agencies.

Deciding between a Fractional CMO or a full-service agency depends on whether you need high-level strategic leadership or hands-on tactical execution.

Option 1: The "CMO for Hire" (Fractional CMO)

A Fractional CMO is a seasoned marketing executive who works with you part-time (e.g., 5–15 hours a week or a few days a month).

• What they do: Build the strategy, define your messaging and positioning, choose your tech stack, hire/manage junior freelancers or agencies, and set the roadmap for your launch.
• Why it fits post-funding startups: You get $300k+ executive talent for a fraction of the cost ($5k–$15k/month) without giving up a massive chunk of equity. They organize the chaos so you don't waste your fresh capital on random tactics.
• Where to find them: Vetted executive networks like CMOX or specialized fractional talent platforms like Connectd.

Option 2: Strategic Startup Marketing Agencies (GTM Agencies)

Instead of an individual leader, you hire an entire boutique agency that specializes specifically in taking early-stage tech, SaaS, or consumer startups to market.

• What they do: Heavy execution mixed with strategy—building your landing pages, setting up performance ads (Meta/Google), handling PR, executing email sequences, and driving initial user acquisition.
• Why it fits post-funding startups: If your internal team is entirely product/engineering focused and has zero bandwidth for marketing, an agency gives you an "instant team" to hit a rapid launch deadline.
• The Catch: They can be more expensive than a fractional CMO, and you need to ensure they understand your specific vertical (B2B SaaS vs. D2C, etc.) rather than just running a generic playbook.

Which route should you take?

• Hire a Fractional CMO if you have a junior generalist, a founder who can write/execute some content, or a dev team ready to code, but no one knows what the actual strategy, positioning, or budget allocation should be.
• Hire an Agency if you have no internal marketing bandwidth at all and need immediate, hands-on campaign execution to drive signups or users on day one.

To help narrow down the best specific recommendations or networks for you, tell me:

• Are you building a B2B SaaS , a Consumer/D2C product, or something else?
• Do you have any internal staff to help execute marketing, or is it starting from absolute zero?

Yes. What you’re describing is a real and increasingly common model: a fractional CMO or a startup-focused strategic marketing agency.

The key distinction is:

• Fractional CMO: senior marketing leader who owns the strategy—positioning, ICP, GTM, channel priorities, budget, metrics, and eventually hiring/managing the marketing team.
• Strategic marketing agency: a team that can both develop the strategy and execute it—brand/messaging, website, content, paid acquisition, PR, lifecycle, creative, analytics, etc.
• Hybrid: often the best fit immediately after funding: a fractional CMO sets the direction and manages specialist execution.

Current startup-focused fractional CMO engagements commonly advertise roughly $5K–$20K/month, depending on scope and seniority.

A few worth looking at

• markcmo.com — specifically works with startups and venture-backed companies; positioning, GTM, demand gen, metrics, and building the marketing function.
• navrenagency.com — combines positioning, GTM/launch strategy, marketing audits, and fractional CMO support.
• gtm8020.com — a network/matching model for fractional CMOs, with a stated focus on seed-to-Series-A startups.
• joinfracxonal.com — marketplace for vetted fractional CMOs, including people focused on GTM, positioning, demand generation, analytics, and team building.
• eightytwentycmo.com — particularly interesting if you're a B2B SaaS company that has just raised; offers a defined 12-week engagement and transition plan.

But I wouldn't hire one blindly

Since you've just raised, I'd make the first engagement extremely outcome-oriented. Instead of "we need marketing," ask for a 90-day GTM/launch build producing:

1. ICP & segmentation — exactly who you're going after first.
2. Positioning & messaging — why you, why now, and against what alternative.
3. Launch strategy — channels, sequencing, budget and targets.
4. Acquisition experiments — identify the 1–3 channels worth scaling rather than spreading money everywhere.
5. Sales/marketing alignment — ICP → messaging → outbound/inbound → qualification → pipeline.
6. Measurement — attribution, CAC, conversion rates, pipeline and revenue metrics.
7. 90-day execution calendar — literally what gets shipped each week.
8. Hiring/agency plan — determine what should eventually become internal versus outsourced.

That's consistent with how several current fractional-CMO providers structure their initial engagements: strategy first, channel prioritization, measurement, experimentation, then building the longer-term marketing function.

My preference for a newly funded startup: don't hire a giant "full-service agency" and hand them the credit card. Get a strong startup CMO/operator to own the strategy, then have them bring in the specialists needed for execution. That prevents the classic problem of spending heavily on ads/content/PR before you've nailed the customer, message, and channel.

If you tell me (1) what you sell, (2) B2B or B2C, (3) funding/round size, (4) current revenue/customers, and (5) your target for the next 12 months, I can identify 5–10 specific agencies/fractional CMOs that fit your stage, compare them on likely cost/scope, and lay out exactly what I'd ask each one to deliver in the first 90 days.

Congratulations on getting funded! That is a massive milestone.

Yes, what you are looking for is called a Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) or an on-demand executive network/agency . For a newly funded startup, hiring a full-time veteran CMO is often too expensive and premature, whereas a traditional agency might just push tactics without owning your core go-to-market (GTM) strategy. A fractional leader gives you executive-level strategy combined with flexible execution.

Top options and networks specialize in matching startups with fractional marketing leadership and growth teams:

• Right Side Up: Highly popular in the startup ecosystem, they embed senior marketing leaders and tactical operators directly into your team for flexible, high-impact growth scaling.
• Bolster: An on-demand executive marketplace specifically designed for startups and growth-stage companies to find vetted fractional, interim, or advisory CMOs.
• Chameleon Collective: Provides high-level fractional and interim leaders who step into the executive layer to handle marketing transformation, branding, and go-to-market setup.
• Growth Division: Specializes specifically in early-stage startups, helping build out the growth engine, run rapid experiments, and match you with fractional specialists.
• The Growth Syndicate: Pairs fractional executive leadership with embedded tactical teams so you get both the strategy and the hands-on execution.

To help narrow down which path or platform fits best, tell me:

• What is your industry / business model (e.g., B2B SaaS, consumer e-commerce, fintech)?
• Are you looking strictly for high-level strategy or a hybrid team that can execute the launch day-to-day?

Congrats on the funding! Hitting that milestone means it's time to move fast without blowing your runway on a full-time, six-figure executive salary.

Yes, what you are looking for is called a Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) or an embedded growth agency . This model gives you executive-level strategy and roadmap creation on a flexible, part-time retainer, saving you from a permanent executive hire before you're ready.

The best routes to take depend on how hands-on you want your partner to be:

• Pure Fractional CMO Networks & Providers: Companies like CMOX or Growth Expertz place seasoned marketing executives who integrate into your leadership team, audit your funnel, finalize your messaging, and set the high-level go-to-market strategy.
• Hybrid Leadership + Execution Agencies: Firms like The Growth Syndicate or boutique startup growth shops don't just give advice—they pair a fractional leader with an embedded tactical team to execute the actual campaigns, paid ads, and content loops.
• Startup-Focused Creative & Demand Agencies: Agencies like Kexino focus explicitly on building outsourced, full-stack marketing engines tailored to early-stage and funded startup budgets.

To help narrow down the ideal partner or map out a launch framework, tell me:

• What is your vertical/industry (B2B SaaS, D2C/e-commerce, Fintech, etc.)?
• Do you need someone strictly for strategy and leadership , or an agency that also executes daily campaigns?
• What is your timeline for the launch?

Yes. What you’re looking for is usually called a fractional CMO, startup marketing advisor, or startup-focused growth agency. For a newly funded company, this can be a better fit than immediately hiring a full-time CMO because you get senior GTM strategy, positioning, launch planning, and hiring/vendor guidance without taking on a large executive cost too early.

A good partner should help you build a 90–180 day marketing launch plan, not just run ads or make content. I’d look for someone who can own:

What your first marketing leader/agency should deliver

1. Go-to-market foundation

• Ideal customer profile (ICP)
• Market segmentation
• Competitive positioning
• Messaging and narrative
• Pricing/packaging feedback

2. Launch strategy

• Launch calendar
• Website and conversion strategy
• PR/community strategy
• Founder-led thought leadership
• Product launch campaigns

3. Demand generation

• Paid acquisition experiments
• SEO/content strategy
• Partnerships
• Outbound systems
• Lifecycle/email automation

4. Marketing infrastructure

• CRM setup
• Attribution
• Funnel metrics
• Dashboards investors can understand

5. Team building

• What to hire internally
• What to outsource
• Agency/vendor management

Fractional CMOs commonly position themselves as owning these kinds of responsibilities: strategy, GTM, team/vendor leadership, pipeline metrics, and executive reporting.

Options to consider

• Fractional CMO (best if you just raised and have no marketing leader yet)

• Typical engagement: part-time executive leadership

• Good for: Seed through Series A companies building their first marketing engine

• Look for someone who has taken startups from zero → repeatable acquisition channels.

• Fractional CMO + specialist team

• One senior operator plus contractors for design, paid media, SEO, content, RevOps, etc.

• Often the sweet spot after funding because you avoid building a bloated team.

• Startup marketing agency

• Better if you already have strategy and need execution capacity.

• Be cautious of agencies that only sell deliverables (blogs, ads, social posts) without owning business outcomes.

Examples of providers in this space include:

• ScaleBooster — focuses on VC-funded technology startups and combines fractional leadership with execution support.
• mvpGrow — positions its offering around GTM strategy, funnel ownership, RevOps alignment, and execution.

Questions I’d ask before hiring anyone

• “Show me 3 companies you helped after they raised funding.”
• “What would your first 30/60/90 days look like?”
• “Which channels would you not invest in yet?”
• “What metrics would you report to our board?”
• “Who actually does the work—you, or junior team members?”
• “What would make you tell us we’re not ready for paid growth?”

If you share:

1. your industry (SaaS, AI, fintech, consumer, healthcare, etc.),
2. funding stage/amount (seed, Series A, etc.),
3. B2B vs B2C, and
4. your target customer,

I can suggest what type of CMO-for-hire setup fits and what your first 90-day launch plan should look like.

Yes. What you’re describing is a fractional CMO or a startup-focused strategic marketing agency—and right after funding can be an excellent time to bring one in.

The important distinction is that you probably don’t want a conventional “marketing agency” yet if you still need to figure out positioning, ICP, launch strategy, channel priorities, budget, and the marketing org. You want someone who can own the strategy first and then orchestrate execution.

The three models I'd consider

• Fractional CMO: A senior marketing executive embedded with you part-time. They own positioning, GTM, budget, metrics, hiring, agencies, and the overall marketing roadmap. Current startup-focused offerings commonly run roughly $5K–$25K/month, depending on scope and seniority.
• Fractional CMO + execution team: Probably the strongest model if you just raised. You get one senior person accountable for the strategy plus specialists for creative, content, paid acquisition, PR, lifecycle, etc.
• Strategic marketing agency: Better if you already know your strategy and primarily need a team to execute campaigns. One useful rule of thumb is: fractional CMO when you need senior judgment; agency when you know what needs to be executed.

Some firms worth putting on your shortlist

markcmo.com — Specifically targets venture-backed startups and offers positioning, GTM, demand generation, marketing infrastructure and investor-facing metrics. Their published startup pricing is roughly $8K–$20K/month, though actual scope varies.

asp-marketing.com — Fractional CMO model aimed particularly at B2B SaaS, with senior leadership plus execution. They state their service starts around $4K/month.

storymode.co — More of an embedded-operator model: the fractional CMO works inside the company, directs your team/vendors and runs the growth roadmap rather than simply handing you a strategy deck.

gtm8020.com — A marketplace/matching model for vetted fractional CMOs, particularly geared toward seed through Series A.

kgraymarketing.com — Positions itself between consultant and agency, with emphasis on positioning, GTM strategy and growth for early/growth-stage companies.

What I'd have them build for you

Don't hire somebody just to "do marketing." Give them a very specific 90-day mandate:

Weeks 1–2 — Diagnose

• ICP and segmentation
• Customer/problem research
• Competitive landscape
• Existing funnel and analytics
• Current positioning/messaging
• Existing traction and acquisition channels
• Fundraising narrative → customer-facing narrative

Weeks 3–4 — Build the strategy

• Positioning
• Messaging architecture
• GTM strategy
• Launch narrative
• Channel prioritization
• Marketing budget
• Growth model and KPIs
• 12-month marketing roadmap

Month 2 — Launch

• Website/landing-page improvements
• Content and thought leadership
• Sales collateral
• Email/lifecycle
• PR/earned media if appropriate
• Paid experiments
• Partnerships/community
• Launch campaign

Month 3 — Optimize

• Double down on the channels showing evidence
• Kill weak experiments
• Establish attribution
• Build the marketing operating cadence
• Hire internal people where necessary
• Create the next 6–9 month roadmap

The key is that the CMO should decide what not to do. After a funding round, startups are particularly vulnerable to spending money simultaneously on SEO, paid ads, PR, LinkedIn, events, influencers, content, partnerships, etc. A good fractional CMO should force prioritization.

There's also a good reason not to rush into building a giant marketing department: current CMO thinking increasingly emphasizes small, senior teams and AI-enabled execution rather than headcount for its own sake.

One thing I'd do before hiring anyone

I'd interview 3 fractional CMOs/agencies using the exact same brief and ask each to give you their proposed first 90 days, team structure, expected budget, KPIs, and what they'd not spend money on.

If you tell me what you've built, your industry, who the customer is, how much you raised, current revenue/users, and whether you're B2B or B2C, I can narrow this down to the 5–7 types of firms/individuals I'd actually interview and the exact scope I'd put in the RFP.

Yes, absolutely! The exact role you are looking for is called a Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). [1][2][3][4]

Instead of hiring a full-time executive at a massive salary and equity stake right after a seed or Series A round, a Fractional CMO gives you high-level executive strategy, go-to-market (GTM) planning, and leadership on a part-time or contract basis (e.g., 5 to 15 hours a week). They build the engine, hire the right freelancers or agencies, and set the metrics before handing things off or staying on to oversee execution. [1][2][3][4][5]

Here is a breakdown of your options for startup marketing leadership, categorized by how they operate:

• Fractional CMO Networks & Agencies (Best for strategic leadership + execution): Firms like Growth Expertz or Fractional CMO Partners embed experienced marketing executives directly into your team to build the launch framework, audit your channels, and lead execution. [1][2]
• Boutique Growth & GTM Agencies (Best for strategy + immediate multi-channel tactical rollout): Agencies like New North or Growth Division act as a hybrid—providing the strategic head of marketing while also deploying the copywriters, SEO specialists, and paid-ads managers to get the launch off the ground. [1][2][3]
• Independent Fractional CMOs (Best for high-touch, senior mentorship): Platforms like MarketerHire, Business Talent Group, or curated founder networks let you hire a vetted veteran CMO who has scaled companies specifically in your niche (e.g., B2B SaaS, FinTech, D2C).[1][2][3][4][5]

To help point you toward the right specific firm or fractional leader , tell me a bit more:

• What is your industry / vertical (e.g., B2B SaaS, D2C e-commerce, Marketplace)?
• What is your funding stage (Seed, Series A) and rough launch timeline?
• Do you need just the strategy , or an agency that handles full execution (ads, content, PR)?

Yes, absolutely. What you are looking for is called a Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)—an executive-level marketing leader who works with your company part-time or on a contract basis.

For newly funded startups, this model is a massive cost-saver. Instead of a full-time executive salary that can easily clear$2 5 0,0 0 0+ plus equity and benefits, you get elite, senior-level strategy for a fraction of the cost, leaving more capital for actual campaign execution.

The main ways to approach this include:

• Solo Fractional CMOs: Independent veterans who come in 5 to 20 hours a week to build your go-to-market (GTM) strategy, position your product, and audit or hire junior talent/agencies. Great if you already have junior execution staff or freelancers in place.
• Fractional CMO Agencies: Hybrid firms that provide a strategic fractional CMO plus an in-house tactical team (copywriters, media buyers, SEO specialists) to actually execute the launch plan.
• Vetted Matchmaking Networks: Platforms that specialize in rapidly pairing venture-backed startups with pre-vetted marketing executives (such as GTM 80/20 or CMOX).

To help point you toward the right style of leader or agency, tell me:

• What is your industry / business model (e.g., B2B SaaS, B2C e-commerce, fintech)?
• What is your funding stage (Seed, Series A) and rough timeline for the launch?
• Do you have any existing marketing staff , or are you starting from scratch?

Yes. What you’re describing is a fractional CMO or a startup-focused strategic marketing agency—and for a newly funded company, I’d seriously consider this before hiring a full-time CMO.

The key distinction is:

• Fractional CMO: Senior marketing executive embedded with the founders/team. Owns positioning, GTM, channel strategy, budget, metrics, hiring, and agency/vendor management.
• Strategic agency: Gives you a team to actually execute—brand, website, content, paid acquisition, PR, demand gen, creative, etc.
• Best of both: Fractional CMO sets the strategy and manages a small execution team/agency. This is often the strongest setup immediately after funding.

Current startup-focused fractional CMO engagements commonly run roughly $5K–$20K/month, depending on seniority and scope.

A few worth looking at

• gtm8020.com — Specifically matches startups with vetted fractional CMOs; says typical engagements are $6K–$20K/month.
• storymode.co — More of an embedded CMO model, with the CMO directing strategy and execution. Particularly interesting if you want one senior person accountable for the whole marketing function.
• markcmo.com — Focuses specifically on venture-backed startups, positioning, GTM, demand generation and marketing infrastructure.
• asp-marketing.com — Fractional CMO plus execution, with a stated starting price of $4K/month.
• kgraymarketing.com — Positions itself between a consultant and an agency, with emphasis on positioning, GTM and growth for early-stage companies.

What I'd do if you just raised

Don't start by asking, "Who can run our marketing?"

Ask, "Who can turn this funding into a repeatable customer-acquisition engine?"

I'd want the first 90 days to produce:

1. ICP + segmentation — exactly who you're targeting first.
2. Positioning & messaging — why you, why now, and why you're different.
3. GTM strategy — which market, offer, sales motion and channels come first.
4. 90-day launch roadmap — specific campaigns, owners, budget and dates.
5. Demand-generation experiments — probably 2–3 serious bets rather than 10 channels.
6. Website/conversion strategy — messaging and funnel before spending heavily on traffic.
7. Analytics/KPIs — CAC, pipeline, conversion rates, attribution and payback.
8. Content/PR/social strategy — only where it supports the GTM motion.
9. Marketing hiring plan — what you should eventually bring in-house versus outsource.
10. Investor/board-ready reporting — tying marketing activity to revenue rather than vanity metrics.

A particularly good fractional CMO should be able to build that system and then recruit/manage the people who execute it, rather than simply handing you a strategy deck. That's an important distinction between the better operators and conventional agencies.

If you tell me what you sell, B2B vs. B2C, your funding/stage, target customer, and roughly how much of the new funding you're willing to allocate to marketing, I can narrow this down to 5–10 agencies/fractional CMOs that fit your startup, including approximate cost, strengths, and which I'd interview first.