STARTUPS
You Have a Product.
You Have Early Users. Now You Need Traction.
Senior marketing and growth leadership for post MVP startups ready to find their first real momentum.
THE 0 TO 1 REALITY
The Hardest Stage Isn't Building the Product. It's What Comes Next.
You've shipped. You have early users. You've had some promising conversations and maybe a few paying customers. But growth isn't happening the way it should and you're not sure if that's a marketing problem, a messaging problem, a product problem, or all three.
This is the stage where most startups stall. Not because the product isn't good enough, but because the path from early users to real traction isn't obvious and the tools, frameworks, and instincts that got you to MVP don't automatically get you to growth.
This is the stage where most startups stall. Not because the product isn't good enough, but because the path from early users to real traction isn't obvious and the tools, frameworks, and instincts that got you to MVP don't automatically get you to growth.
What this stage typically looks like
THE PROBLEMS
- Acquisition is inconsistent or entirely dependent on founder hustle
- Messaging isn't landing and people don't immediately get what you do
- You're not sure which channel to double down on
- Early users aren't activating or sticking the way you hoped
- Everyone on the team has a different version of the pitch
- Marketing feels like guesswork without a senior hand on the wheel
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED
- Clarity on your positioning and who you're really for
- A channel strategy built for your stage not borrowed from a larger company
- Someone to own the marketing thinking so you can focus on the product
- A framework for testing and learning without burning budget
- Senior experience applied to early stage constraints
- A plan that scales with you rather than needing replacing at Series A
WHERE ARE YOU IN THE JOURNEY
Post MVP is a Specific Moment and it Needs Specific Thinking
The 0 to 1 journey has distinct phases. The support that's most useful varies significantly depending on exactly where you are.
Pre Product
Testing whether the problem is real and the audience exists. Most useful support here is customer discovery and positioning work.
SWEETSPOT
Post MVP
The product exists and people are using it. The challenge now is turning early signal into repeatable growth through positioning, channel strategy, activation, and the first real marketing engine.
Seed Funded
Budget to deploy, a small team to build, and a Series A timeline to hit. Support here shifts toward execution and team building alongside strategy.
Series A
Congratulations you've found Product market fit. Now it's about building the machine that scales it. This is the 1 to 10 stage.
WHAT TO FOCUS ON
The Marketing Priorities That Actually Matter At 0 To 1
Most marketing advice is written for businesses that already have traction.
At the post MVP stage, the priorities are different and getting them in the right order matters.
At the post MVP stage, the priorities are different and getting them in the right order matters.
Nail The Positioning
Before spending on channels, get clear on who this is for, what problem it solves, and why it's better than the alternative. Keep it simple at this stage clarity beats polish every time. Everything else depends on this being right.
Find One Channel That Fits
Not all channels work at your stage. The goal is to find one or two that generate consistent, qualified users not to be everywhere at once. Depth in one channel beats surface coverage across five.
Fix Activation First
More acquisition doesn't fix a leaky funnel. If early users aren't activating or sticking, address that before scaling any channel spend.
Build The Experiment Muscle
At this stage, every marketing action is a test. Building a structured approach to experimentation early means compounding learning and compounding growth.
Don't Over Invest In Brand Yet
Brand matters but at the 0 to 1 stage, clarity beats polish. A simple, consistent message that resonates will outperform a beautiful brand that doesn't.
Build For Series A From Day One
The marketing strategy you build now should be designed to evolve into the growth engine you'll need at Series A not thrown away and rebuilt when you get there.
HOW I WORK WITH STARTUPS
Senior Marketing Thinking Applied To Early Stage Constraints
Working with post MVP startups is different to working with funded scale-ups.
The budget is tighter, the team is smaller, and the tolerance for getting it wrong is lower. The support is shaped around that reality not around a service model built for larger businesses.
The budget is tighter, the team is smaller, and the tolerance for getting it wrong is lower. The support is shaped around that reality not around a service model built for larger businesses.
MOST COMMON STARTING POINT
Marketing Audit
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For founders who need to understand what's working, what isn't, and where to focus first. A structured review of your current setup, channels, messaging, and data delivered as a clear prioritised action plan. The fastest way to get clarity at this stage.
IF DIRECTION IS A PROBLEM
Brand Marketing Strategy
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Positioning, messaging, ICP definition, and competitive landscape the foundations that everything else is built on. For founders who know their product works but can't yet articulate clearly enough why people should choose it.
IF GROWTH IS A PROBLEM
Growth Sprint
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A focused 60 to 90 day engagement built around a specific growth challenge channel validation, activation improvement, or pre raise momentum. Fast, targeted, and built for early stage constraints.
IF YOU NEED ONGOING LEADERSHIP
Fractional CMO
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For founders who need someone to own marketing end to end strategy, execution oversight, and the senior thinking that frees you to focus on building the product. CMO-level leadership at a fraction of the full-time cost.
IF PRODUCT GROWTH IS A PROBLEM
Product Led Growth
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For founders whose early users aren't activating or sticking. An audit and strategy focused on onboarding, activation, and the early retention loops that determine whether your product grows organically or stays dependent on paid acquisition.
NOT SURE WHERE TO START
Founder Office Hours
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A free 30 minute session to work through a specific marketing or growth challenge. A good starting point if you're not yet sure which engagement makes most sense or if you just need a senior perspective on a problem you're wrestling with.
PROOF
What The Right Marketing Support Unlocks At This Stage
Early stage marketing done well doesn't just drive short term traction it builds the foundation that makes Series A growth possible.
3,167%
Increase in leads year on year after repositioning and channel strategy rebuilt from scratch
85%
Reduction in CPA after fixing a misaligned acquisition strategy at the early growth stage
17.5%
Marketing ROI achieved by aligning messaging and channel strategy to the right audience from the start
"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 For The Stage Ahead
The marketing work you do at 0 to 1 should be designed to evolve not to be thrown away when you raise your Series A. The goal is always to build foundations that scale with the business, so that moving into the 1 to 10 stage feels like acceleration rather than starting over.
WHEN YOU"RE READY
1 To 10 Scale-Ups
Product market fit found, Series A raised, and a growth engine ready to build properly. The next stage of the journey has its own page.
Find Out More
NOT SURE WHICH STAGE
Start With Office Hours
A free 30 minute session is the lowest commitment way to get a senior perspective on where you are and what makes sense next.
Find Out More
FAQS
Common Questions
We don't have much budget. Is this still relevant for us?
Should I hire a marketer or bring in a fractional CMO first?
We haven't found product-market fit yet. Is it too early to think about marketing?
How do I know which engagement is right for where we are?
We're pre-revenue. Does that matter?
GET STARTED
Ready To Turn Early Users Into Real Traction?
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 startup, current stage, and the marketing challenge you're facing. We'll review it and follow up with the right next step for you.
Takes about 10 minutes. We'll be in touch within 24 hours.
BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL
Prefer to talk it through first?
Want to talk through where you are first? Book a free 30 minute call to discuss your stage, your challenge, and which engagement makes most sense.
Free, no obligation. I respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.