S5E13 - how to hire your first marketing leader for a B2B SaaS Startup With Andrew Davis

In today's episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, host Joran Hofman sits down with Andrew Davis, the CMO at Paddle, to explore how to hire your first marketing leader for a B2B SaaS Startup. In this comprehensive guide, they dive into the critical relationship between founders and their first marketing hire. Andrew shares valuable insights on building a successful founder-marketer relationship, a topic that continues to resonate with many B2B SaaS founders. Having been both a founder and a marketer, Andrew offers a unique perspective on the dynamics and challenges faced by both parties. This episode is a must-listen for any founder looking to hire their first marketing professional and establish a successful partnership.

Key Timestamps

• (0:00) - Introduction and Marketing Challenges

• (1:36) - Andrew's Background and Experience

• (2:38) - Challenges and Pitfalls in Marketing

• (4:05) - Benefits of Diverse Input in Marketing

• (4:16) - Why Marketing is Scary

• (6:02) - When to Hire Your First Marketing Person

• (7:07) - Trigger Points for Hiring a Marketer

• (8:52) - Understanding the Founder's Burden

• (12:02) - Marketers' Challenges in Early-Stage Companies

• (13:32) - Transitioning Marketing Strategy

• (15:28) - Go-to-Market Motion and Founder-Marketer Relationship

• (17:48) - Channels and Tactics in Marketing

• (20:02) - The Importance of Benchmarking

• (23:52) - The Importance of Fit in Hiring

• (26:02) - Complementary Skills in Hiring

• (27:15) - Building Trust in the Relationship

• (28:14) - Trust Formula Explanation

• (30:30) - Advice for SaaS Founders at Different Stages

• (31:01) - Importance of Insight Over Cash