SCALE-UPS
Series A Is Where Marketing Has to Grow Up
Strategic marketing leadership for startups who've found traction and now need to build the function that scales it.
THE 1 TO 10 REALITY
You've Found Traction.
Now Comes The Hard Part.
Series A is a significant milestone but it creates a new set of problems. You have capital to deploy, a team to build, investors expecting growth, and a marketing function that probably isn't yet equipped to deliver it at the pace and scale that's now expected.
The tactics that generated your early traction were often scrappy, founder led, and hard to repeat. What got you to Series A won't get you to Series B. The 1 to 10 stage is about building a proper marketing engine that scales, compounds, and doesn't depend on any single person to keep running.
The tactics that generated your early traction were often scrappy, founder led, and hard to repeat. What got you to Series A won't get you to Series B. The 1 to 10 stage is about building a proper marketing engine that scales, compounds, and doesn't depend on any single person to keep running.
What this stage typically looks like
THE PROBLEMS
- Growth is inconsistent with good months followed by flat ones
- The marketing team is executing but without a clear strategic framework
- CAC is climbing as early easy wins dry up
- Product, marketing, and sales aren't fully aligned on messaging or priorities
- No senior marketing leader to own the function and hold the team accountable
- Investors and board are asking for a marketing plan that doesn't yet exist
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED
- A clear growth marketing strategy that the whole team is aligned around
- Senior leadership to set direction, manage the team, and own the outcomes
- A channel mix that scales predictably rather than spikes and fades
- A structured experimentation culture that generates compounding insight
- Marketing that connects directly to revenue and can be reported to the board
- A function built to support Series B — not just survive until it
WHERE ARE YOU IN THE JOURNEY
1 To 10 Covers A Lot Of Ground Here's Where This Fits
The challenges at Series A look different to those at Series B. Both are firmly in the 1 to 10 stage but the emphasis of the support shifts depending on where you are.
Post MVP
Finding the first repeatable channels and building the marketing foundations.
SWEETSPOT
Series A
Capital raised, early PMF established, small team in place. Now building the marketing function that can scale the business to Series B and beyond.
Series B
Growth channels established, team growing, new markets or segments opening up. The challenge shifts to scaling efficiently without losing what made the early growth work.
10 to 100
Established business ready to dominate with further funding with an IPO on the horizon. The challenger brands stage
SERIES A FOCUS
Building The Engine From Scratch
- Full marketing strategy and channel plan
- Team structure and first marketing hires
- Brand foundations and positioning refinement
- Growth experimentation framework
- Board-ready marketing metrics and reporting
- Agency selection and management
SERIES B FOCUS
Scaling And Systems
- Channel scaling and CAC efficiency
- New market or segment entry strategy
- Marketing team leadership and upskilling
- PLG and sales motion alignment
- Full funnel attribution and data infrastructure
- Pre Series C narrative and growth story
WHAT TO FOCUS ON
The Marketing Priorities That Matter Most At 1 To 10
The 1 to 10 stage requires a different kind of marketing leadership than the startup stage. The emphasis shifts from finding what works to scaling it and from founder led hustle to a function with real structure, accountability, and compounding momentum.
Put A Senior Leader In Place
A marketing team without senior leadership is executing without direction. The most important thing at this stage is ownership someone who sets strategy, holds the team accountable, and reports to the board with confidence.
Build A Scalable Channel Mix
One channel is a dependency, not a strategy. The 1 to 10 stage is where you build a diversified, scalable channel mix by reducing reliance on any single source and creating compounding organic growth alongside paid.
Connect Marketing To Revenue
Vanity metrics don't survive board scrutiny. At this stage marketing needs to be directly tied to pipeline, revenue, and retention with attribution that can withstand investor questioning.
Align Product, Marketing and Sales
The gap between product, marketing, and sales teams is where growth goes to die at this stage. Getting these functions aligned around shared metrics and messaging is one of the highest leverage interventions available.
Build For The Next Round
Every marketing decision should be made with the Series B or C narrative in mind. Investors at the next round will scrutinise your marketing efficiency, growth trajectory, and retention metrics build the story now.
Don't Scale Broken Things
More budget on a leaky funnel accelerates the problem, it doesn't solve it. Before scaling channel spend, make sure activation, onboarding, and retention are working or the unit economics will get worse, not better.
HOW I WORK WITH STARTUPS
Senior Growth Leadership Built Around Your Stage And Team
At this stage the team exists but the senior leadership layer is typically missing either because you haven't hired a CMO yet, or because the person in that role isn't operating at the level the business now needs. The support fills that gap directly.
MOST IMPACTFUL STARTING POINT
Fractional CMO
Learn More →
The most common engagement at this stage embedded senior marketing leadership that owns the function, leads the team, and drives the growth strategy. CMO level thinking and accountability without the full-time overhead of a £200k+ hire.
IF STRATEGY IS THE GAP
Growth Marketing Strategy
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A full written marketing strategy covering positioning, channel mix, budget allocation, and a 90 day execution roadmap. For scale-ups with a capable team that needs a clear strategic framework to execute against.
IF GROWTH HAS STALLED
Growth Retainer
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Ongoing senior growth marketing leadership channel strategy, experimentation, performance oversight, and monthly reporting. For scale-ups that need consistent growth expertise without adding headcount.
IF YOU'RE LAUNCHING NEW PRODUCTS
GTM Strategy
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A complete GTM strategy, playbook, and alignment workshop for new product launches or market entries. For scale-ups expanding their product line or entering new geographies.
IF PRODUCT ISN'T GROWING ITSELF
Product Led Growth
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Audit, strategy, and execution for scale-ups whose self-serve motion isn't converting or whose PLG and sales functions aren't aligned. Particularly valuable at Series A when the product experience needs to match the growth ambition.
IF THE FUNCTION NEEDS DIAGNOSIS
Marketing Audit
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A structured review of your entire marketing function channels, messaging, data, team, and competitive position. For scale-ups that need to understand what's holding back growth before committing to a direction.
PROOF
What The Right Growth Leadership Unlocks At This Stage
The 1 to 10 stage is where the biggest value is created and where the right marketing leadership compounds most powerfully over time.
357%
Revenue pipeline growth at a Series A B2B SaaS business through repositioned strategy and channel overhaul
£150M
ARR reached following full funnel growth strategy and marketing function build at the scale-up stage
17.5%
Marketing ROI delivered through a structured growth strategy and experimentation programme
"Tait would run circles around marketing teams I’ve seen in major global startups.
He knows exactly what he’s doing when it comes to brand, marketing, product and growth. If you want results, you listen to him."
Founder & CEO
InsurTech
ABOUT
15+ Years Building Growth Engines.
Now I Bring That To You.
I'm Tait Lawson a fractional CMO and growth strategist with over 15 years building marketing and growth functions for startups and challenger brands across the UK, US, EU and Australia.
I've taken a company through IPO, supported four acquisitions, and helped businesses at every stage from seed to Series C build the marketing and growth engine that got them there. I work with an exclusive small number of clients at any one time to ensure I'm genuinely embedded.
I've taken a company through IPO, supported four acquisitions, and helped businesses at every stage from seed to Series C build the marketing and growth engine that got them there. I work with an exclusive small number of clients at any one time to ensure I'm genuinely embedded.
WHAT COMES NEXT
Building Towards Market Leadership
The marketing and growth engine you build at 1 to 10 should be designed to carry you into the next stage where the challenge shifts from building the function to dominating the market. The 10 to 100 stage has its own distinct set of priorities, and the best time to start thinking about them is before you get there.
WHEN YOU"RE READY
1 To 10 Challenger Brands
Established business with real scale ready to capture market share and build category leadership. The next stage of the journey.
Find Out More
EARLIER IN THE JOURNEY
0 To 1 Startups
Still building early traction and finding your first repeatable growth channels? The startups page covers the stage before this one.
Find Out More
FAQS
Common Questions
We have a marketing team already. Do we still need a fractional CMO?
When should we hire a full time CMO instead?
Our growth has stalled post Series A. Where do we start?
How do you work alongside an existing marketing leader?
We're approaching our Series B. How far in advance should we start?
GET STARTED
Ready To Build The Growth Engine Your Scale-up Needs?
Two ways to get started pick whichever feels right for where you are.
GET STARTED NOW
Complete a short questionnaire
Complete a short questionnaire about your business, current stage, team setup, and the marketing challenge you're facing. We'll review it and follow up with the right next step.
Takes about 10 minutes. We'll be in touch within 24 hours.
BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL
Want to talk through the situation first?
Book a free 30 minute call to discuss your stage, your team, and which engagement makes most sense.
Free, no obligation. I respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.