To become a CMO, you need:
1️⃣ Some years of experience as a VP of Marketing
2️⃣ Your results at multiple companies are consistently solid
3️⃣ The items in the 2x VP of Marketing are a must-have now. In case you missed these in the last post, those are:
1. Already been a VP of Marketing at a company with ARR greater than the ARR of the company you’re joining (they want to know you can get to their level; it’s risky to a company if you’ve never worked at their level already)
2. Proven pipeline and revenue results from the last company you worked at
3. Able to speak to specific campaigns end to end
4. Able to give examples of how to solve people management issues
5. Able to put together a solid 90 day and/or 1 year Marketing plan
The one caveat here: I haven’t been a CMO, so the steps to becoming a CMO are based on what I’ve seen and been told.
But let’s be real, being the VP of Marketing at a startup reporting to the CEO or CRO has essentially the same job duties as a CMO at a startup.
Check out previous posts in this series to see other steps needed to advance in other parts of Marketing.