Most startups hire their first marketer too late (after product launch) or hire the wrong role (often a brand marketer when they need demand generation). The wrong hire wastes 3-6 months and $50K-100K in salary.
The right first hire accelerates growth by 2-3x and builds a foundation for scaling the function.
When to Hire Your First Marketer
Ideal Timing: PMF + Early Revenue
- Product-market fit validated (repeatability, customer satisfaction)
- First 10-20 paying customers acquired (proving viability)
- Clear ICP and customer acquisition channels understood
- Founders ready to step back from day-to-day sales/marketing
Common Hiring Mistakes
- Hiring too early (before PMF = wasted marketing spend on product nobody wants)
- Hiring too late (3+ years in = hard to establish processes the team then has to follow)
- Hiring for "brand building" when you need "demand generation"
- Hiring for "CMO" level when you need "IC marketer"
Roles by Growth Stage
Stage 1: First Marketing Hire (Years 1-2, $0-2M ARR)
Role: Demand Generation Marketer
Primary responsibility: Drive customers through content, ads, partnerships, community.
Must-have skills:
- Content creation (blog, email, landing pages)
- SEO understanding
- Paid ads (Google Ads, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- Analytics and conversion tracking
- Grit and adaptability (wear many hats)
Hiring profile:
- 3-5 years of startup/B2B SaaS marketing experience
- Has directly contributed to revenue (not brand/brand marketing)
- Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration
- Full-stack marketer (not specialist in one area)
Typical budget:
- Salary: $70-100K (or $80-120K + equity in major markets)
- Marketing budget: 5-10% of revenue or $50-200K annually
Stage 2: Second Marketing Hire (2-3 Years, $2-10M ARR)
Role: Content/SEO Specialist or Paid Ads Manager
Lets first hire scale and move to strategy.
Hiring decision:
- If content/organic is driving 60% of traffic: Hire content expert
- If paid ads are driving 60% of conversions: Hire paid specialist
- If even split: Hire either (preference to content long-term)
Budget:
- Salary: $60-90K (IC-level)
- Often freelance/contractor first to validate need
Stage 3: Third+ Marketing Hires (3+ Years, $10M+ ARR)
Roles: Marketing operations, marketing manager, vertical specialist
Build the foundation for a mature marketing organization.
Essential Marketing Functions
Demand Generation
Responsibility: Drive qualified leads and customers. Metrics: leads, customers, CAC.
- Content creation and SEO
- Paid advertising (Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)
- Email marketing and nurture
- Landing pages and conversion optimization
- Channel analysis and optimization
Marketing Operations
Responsibility: Enable sales and marketing teams, data, tools, processes.
- CRM and marketing automation setup
- Lead scoring and qualification
- Analytics dashboards and reporting
- Process documentation and scaling
- Tool stack management
Content and SEO
Responsibility: Create and amplify content for organic growth.
- Blog strategy and production
- Keyword research and SEO optimization
- Content distribution and amplification
- Thought leadership and positioning
Paid Advertising
Responsibility: Run efficient paid channels to drive growth.
- Channel setup and optimization
- Creative testing and performance
- Budget allocation and ROI tracking
- Audience targeting and segmentation
First Marketer Job Description Template
Title: Demand Generation Marketer
Reporting to: CEO or Founder
Main Responsibilities
- Own growth strategy for leads, trials, and customers
- Create and optimize content (blog, email, landing pages)
- Manage paid advertising channels (Google, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- Track metrics, analyze performance, optimize continuously
- Partner with sales on messaging, positioning, and strategy
- Manage marketing tech stack (CRM, email, analytics, ads)
Required Experience
- 3+ years of B2B/SaaS marketing experience
- Proven track record of driving customer acquisition
- Hands-on experience with content, SEO, paid ads, and email
- Comfortable with analytics and data-driven optimization
- Resourceful, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity
Structuring the Marketing Team as You Grow
Year 1: One Full-Stack Marketer
Owner of all marketing. Heavy on content and organic. Small paid budget.
Year 2-3: Add Specialist (Content or Paid)
First marketer moves to strategy. Specialist owns execution in their area.
Year 3-4: Add Operations and Manager
- Operations marketer: CRM, data, reporting, tool stack
- Marketing manager: Team planning, execution, hiring
Year 4+: Build Function Teams
- Demand generation team
- Content and SEO team
- Product marketing team
- Marketing operations team
Evaluation Criteria: Is Your First Marketer Working?
First 3 Months
- Understands your product, ICP, and existing customers
- Has a hypothesis for fastest growth channel
- Set up proper tracking and analytics
- Started executing on content or paid ads
Months 3-6
- Leading generation of leads at scale
- Cost per acquisition trending down
- Contributing directly to sales pipeline
- Developing content that ranks and converts
Months 6-12
- 20%+ month-over-month lead growth
- CAC below LTV / 3 benchmark
- Strong sales partnership and feedback loop
- Clear strategic priorities for year two
Red Flags: When to Reconsider
- No clear metrics or accountability for results
- Not partnering with sales on strategy
- Spending budget without testing or optimization
- Unable or unwilling to do hands-on execution
- Long promises with no early results
Conclusion: Hire for Growth, Not Brand
Your first marketing hire should drive revenue, not build brand. Look for experienced demand generators who've done it before, can execute hands-on, and are excited by the challenge. The right first hire accelerates growth by 2-3x and builds the foundation for a strong marketing organization as you scale.