Six ways a Big Company Marketer can benefit your start-up

With COVID it’s easy to assume that everyone battened down the hatches or got furloughed. Finding new ways to work in their lounge or on their kitchen table with the cat/dog or kids for company. It is the reality for many, but networking with as many b2b marketers as I do - I spotted something. A few experienced marketers are on the move, and it piqued my interest.

What did they know? Why move at peak pandemic? Steering the current boat through choppy waters is work enough? Luckily I spotted someone I trust to tell us the truth. I couldn’t resist asking the question (or many questions at the time) as the move looked like it could be a “Genius” one. Coming from one of the largest tech businesses operating in the middle of the cloud space. The company has a cult-like culture, with a team of sixty marketers. Where there’s an actual Slide in the office. Guessed who it is yet?

Enter Mark Green, who I had a catch up with over Zoom to spill the beans on where he moved to and how. But more importantly why. I first met Mark while he was at Rackspace. He was generous with his time then and transparent when sharing career advice. I wanted to understand what approach he took in such challenging times. Now living his new reality Mark offers more evidence of why the move is a win-win for both sides.

There can be challenges when presenting startups with Big Company CMO's. The objection often being: We don’t have a big enough team/budget/tech stack/package for this person. It is a fair point, but it also depends on what the vision for the Company is. But this is jumping the gun; the first question should be: Why could this move work?

Here’s where Mark comes in.

So my journey at Rackspace had come to an end, it was fantastic, and I relished the experience. I got to work with remarkable marketers and got to create this engine and see the team and company grow. But, after 7 years, it felt like the right time to consider a change. It took some soul searching and several whiteboard sessions to get to the root of what sort of change I wanted. I missed being in the weeds, doing actual marketing! It hadn’t happened overnight; it had crept up over time. But when I took time to address what I really wanted, it was like finding a clearing in the woods. 

Once I’d figured that out, I thought about where I saw myself within the Industry. Rackspace had given me a great perspective and gave me a vast range of experience. But looking at the industry with fresh eyes, I realised my true north lay in Data. Why data? Because it’s leading all decision making. It’s in front of the plan for tech spend. It’s a life-changing direction for businesses. It’s giving authority to decision-makers. Hell, it's democratising data – putting it the hands of everyone in a company – that’s the future! 

So I reached out to a few companies in that space and ended up in a few interesting processes. Each interview process confirming data was the right move for me. My focus moved to the roles, responsibilities and company culture/vision.

But the MD at Domo piqued my interest. He had a different approach to the objection question we are looking at. His view was “look, we need what you’ve got in your head! We’ve got a marketing machine here that’s very small, more in a development phase looking to reach its full potential. We need someone who can grow it, hands-on. There was a moment when I did reflect and ask myself. “Are you going to be alright with this”, but in the journey of the interview process, I knew this was what I wanted. And the more I looked at the org charts of the much larger Companies I was exploring, the more convinced I became.

So I closed down my last Zoom meeting at Rackspace on Friday, and opened Zoom for my first meeting at Domo on Monday! Domo is a data intelligence business, based out of US - Saltlake. We have grown during the pandemic, able to help customers has given us a real sense of purpose. It's inspiring to think a lot of the state’s response to COVID was supported by a Covid response dashboard on Domo. We’re working with big EMEA organisations, to help them survive. Finding answers to tough questions. Like, how do I protect my business and staff? How do I plan for an unforeseen future? Data is at the heart of these answers.

Building marketing in the right way from the start

Taking all I know now, allows you to use what you know and apply it to a blank canvas. When at Rackspace I got presented with lots of routes to engage in. Someone would come to me, here’s a plan, this is what’s working, and this isn't. So the challenge would be the what, not the how. But it’s more about what’s the best use of my time now; there are 30 things to do this month. Where should the priorities be? How do you squeeze them into four people and when to utilise your network or agency support. Whereas at Rackspace we had an agency for everything. Here there is a laser focus on using much less agency but getting more value. It’s about getting the right order and process in place from the start. Learning the business, customers and challenges your organisation exists to solve. Setting the demand gen engine up for success from the start. 

Freedom to fail and lack of fear to test something new.

It’s ok to fail – fail fast, re correct and move on. Within larger companies, you don’t have the freedom to get as creative or to try something new. Events have always been a pillar in any demand gen engine, but with COVID that changed. The whole events industry had to reimagine itself. It’s challenging to get the same value out of virtual, compared to live events. But you can test things until you find something that works. 

 All start-ups are not created equal

Culture fit is essential, I got a real sense of the leadership team here and that they understood what I was about. But with past experience, I also know how important it is in a big business let alone a smaller one. Businesses need to market their way out of whatever we’re in right now, and that takes trust, gut and teamwork. With a small team, you get to know each other better than you might within an enterprise-size business. Culture is critical for you in a start-up as there’s fewer people and less meeting rooms to hide in! I’m passionate about trust and supporting the team. They’ve repaid that with great work and being more productive and efficient than ever before.

Genuine interest and passion for the work

I knew data was going to be where I could do my best work. With a genuine passion and conviction in what was right for me in this move, it makes a difference. It’s almost more about trust – you see. If you find someone who wants to solve your customers' problems they will find a way. They'll tinker, upgrade, and ask "what could we do better". They are also going to have less of a problem, switching on the laptop/zoom on a cold rainy day.

Ability to get results with limited resources

What’s good, what’s bad, and how many problems can you solve. With years of experience should come the ability to diagnose areas of weakness. Then it’s a case of taking action or getting creative with how you solve the problem. With Domo, there was a lot of data. A marketers dream but a tsunami of information that wasn’t needed. So taking a simplified approach. Spending time with the right stakeholders. Figuring out a few quick wins, you can get things moving in the right direction. You also know how to streamline things. How and when to cut agency support and focus on output that matters for example.

Network and connections!

Another reason why enterprise marketers add value and make an impact is our network. If you market to enterprise customers, they can help you. Understand your customers better, thanks to insight from working in one. But there's more, value comes from the network they’ve nurtured over the years through agencies, partnerships etc. When I tried to locate Domo’s analyst contacts for example. It became clear it was an area that needed attention. I was able to find a solution, opening up a before closed channel, with Gartner.

I’d say Mark has made a strong case for why your start-up could win by hiring a Big Company Marketer. This might not be right for “your first marketer” in a business. But if you’ve got product/market fit and are looking to scale, this could be a savvy move. It’s a critical strategic hire, but hire the right person and your business will rocket!