Fractional CMO playbook for AI infrastructure
AI infrastructure companies rarely lose because the market is too small; they lose because the proof a buyer needs is too hard to find.
By vertical
Industry playbooks
What fractional CMO engagements look like by industry: typical bottlenecks, the shape of the first-month diagnostic, and the signals it's time to bring in senior leadership.
Fractional CMO playbook for AI-first SaaS
AI-first SaaS rarely fails on the demo; it fails when go-to-market cannot turn attention into trusted adoption. Here is how a fractional CMO fixes that.
Fractional CMO playbook for B2B SaaS
B2B SaaS growth usually breaks at the seam between product-led signals and the sales-led handoff: product activity says one thing, CRM stages say another.
Fractional CMO playbook for consumer subscription
Consumer subscription companies do not break because the team forgot how to buy media; they break because acquisition gets asked to carry a retention problem.
Fractional CMO playbook for cybersecurity
Cybersecurity growth usually breaks when a company keeps scaling claim-based marketing after buyers have shifted into proof-based evaluation.
Fractional CMO playbook for data & analytics
For Series B and beyond data companies, growth stalls when the product is technically strong but the buying motion is too hard to understand.
Fractional CMO playbook for developer tools
Developer tools growth usually breaks when the company tries to market like a SaaS company instead of earning trust like an infrastructure layer.
Fractional CMO playbook for DTC e-commerce
DTC e-commerce growth usually breaks when a brand keeps running marketing as acquisition arbitrage after the market has moved to margin and retention.
Fractional CMO playbook for enterprise software
Enterprise software growth breaks when marketing keeps chasing lead volume after the business has become an account-led, committee-driven sale.
Fractional CMO playbook for fintech
Fintech growth usually breaks when a company scales demand faster than trust, compliance, and sales readiness can support it.
Fractional CMO playbook for healthtech
Healthtech growth usually breaks when a company treats a multi-buyer market like a single-message problem. Here is how to sequence the fix.
Fractional CMO playbook for marketplaces
Marketplace growth usually breaks when the company runs marketplace marketing as one funnel instead of two connected acquisition motions.
Fractional CMO playbook for PE-backed tech
PE-backed tech companies rarely need louder marketing; they need a cleaner commercial system the board and a future buyer can both trust.
Fractional CMO playbook for post-acquisition tech
Post-acquisition tech companies rarely need more marketing first; they need marketing rebuilt around the new business the deal created.
Fractional CMO playbook for vertical SaaS
A fractional CMO for vertical SaaS is most useful when the company has product-market proof but the market still cannot tell what category to put it in.