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