How Much Does a Fractional CMO Cost? A Founder’s Pricing Guide
Fractional CMO cost depends on scope, hours, and how much execution is bundled in — not a single number. Here's how the pricing models actually work, with realistic…
Field Notes
Thinking Built to Survive the Room.
Clear notes on founder-led growth, marketing diligence, positioning, and the systems that make revenue easier to underwrite.
Latest
Essays and operating notes for founders preparing the business for what comes next.
How to Structure a Trial Engagement With a Fractional CMO
A practical guide to structuring a fractional CMO trial engagement — scope, duration, deliverables, and the success criteria that turn a paid pilot into a real evaluation instead…
The “Strategy and Run” Problem: Why Some Fractional CMO Engagements Fail
Most failed fractional CMO engagements don't fail on strategy — they fail because nobody stayed accountable for running it. Here's how to spot the "Strategy and Run" pattern…
Industry Experience vs. Cross-Industry Pattern Recognition: Which Matters More?
Founders over-index on "has this CMO worked in my exact industry." Here's the contrarian, balanced case for why cross-industry pattern recognition often matters more — and the specific…
15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Fractional CMO
The questions to ask a fractional CMO before you sign anything — what each one is really testing for, and what a strong answer sounds like versus a…
How to Vet a Fractional CMO’s Track Record (Without Getting Snowed)
A confident case study and a real track record are not the same thing. Here's how to ask questions past clients can't answer with a shrug, and how…
7 Red Flags That a “Fractional CMO” Is Really Just a Consultant in Disguise
The title "fractional CMO" gets used loosely — plenty of people wearing it are really strategy-only consultants who hand you a deck and disappear. Here are seven concrete…
Why “Strategy First” Is Not Optional
Every stage of the Ronin Method depends on the one before it, which is why strategy has to come first. Here's what actually breaks downstream when a business…
Stage 4 — Multiply: The Marketing Work That Compounds Into Enterprise Value
Multiply is the final stage of the Ronin Method: taking a working demand engine and shaping it into something that raises what your business is actually worth. Here's…
Stage 3 — Grow: Turning Strategy Into Pipeline Without Burning Cash
Grow is where the systems built in Stage 2 get pointed at generating real pipeline. Here's how to do that without falling into the tactics-without-strategy trap that burns…