fractional-cmo growth-strategy
The De Facto CMO Trap: Why What Got You to €1M Won't Get You to €10M
Most technical founders become the de facto head of marketing by accident. Here's how to recognize the pattern and what to do about it.
Marketing that works like engineering
I help technical founders escape the de facto CMO trap by engineering growth systems that combine strategy, AI automation, and psychology-based coaching.
The problem
The De Facto CMO Trap
You've proven product-market fit. You've hired a small marketing team. But you're still the bottleneck — reviewing campaigns, writing copy, approving spend. What got you to €1M won't get you to €10M.
Direction
Strategy by intuition. No data-driven framework to allocate budget or prioritize channels. Every decision loops back to you.
Velocity
Everything takes too long. Campaigns stall, content sits in draft, and your team waits on approvals only you can give.
Capability
Your team is stuck. They have execution skills but lack strategic thinking. They follow instructions rather than driving outcomes.
Services
Two Ways to Work Together
Start with a diagnostic audit or go straight to ongoing partnership. Both are designed for founders who think in systems.
Growth Velocity Audit
Entry point
€2,500
A 2-week diagnostic that maps your entire growth system and identifies the highest-leverage fixes.
- Analytics & Attribution Review
- Positioning & Competitive Snapshot
- Funnel & Conversion Analysis
- Growth Systems Inventory
- 90-Day Priority Roadmap
Most Popular
Growth Velocity Retainer
Ongoing partnership
€5,500/mo
Embedded strategic partnership that builds the systems, processes, and capabilities your team needs.
- Monthly strategic sessions
- Growth systems delivery
- AI automation embedded
- Bi-weekly coaching
- Documented SOPs & playbooks
- Slack access
Framework
The Growth Velocity Framework
Three interdependent layers that form a reinforcing flywheel. Fix one and the others accelerate. Ignore one and the others stall.
Direction
Evidence-based strategy
Positioning, ICP definition, channel selection, and budget allocation grounded in data, not gut feel.
Velocity
Execution infrastructure
SOPs, automation workflows, content systems, and AI-augmented processes that remove you as the bottleneck.
Capability
Human performance
Psychology-based coaching that develops your team's strategic thinking, ownership, and decision-making autonomy.
Track record
Results That Compound
€4.3M → €16M
Revenue Growth
5:1
LTV/CAC Ratio
30%
YoY Growth
7
Team Built From Scratch
"Mantas didn't just give us a marketing strategy — he built the machine that makes strategy execute itself. Within 6 months, our team was operating autonomously and we'd doubled our pipeline."
Blog
Latest Insights
Frameworks, teardowns, and systems thinking for technical founders building growth.
Growth systems, not growth hacks
Weekly frameworks for technical founders building predictable growth. Strategy, AI automation, and team dynamics — no fluff.
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Ready to escape the de facto CMO trap?
Start with the Growth Velocity Audit. In 2 weeks, you'll know exactly where the bottlenecks are and what to fix first.