For many startups, the journey from founder-led sales to building a professional marketing team is a critical transition. Sendbird, the customer communications platform that has raised over $220 million in funding, navigated this challenge successfully. CEO and co-founder John Kim recently shared insights on when and how to make that crucial first marketing hire.
The Tipping Point: $5M ARR
Kim reveals that Sendbird reached a significant milestone before bringing on dedicated marketing leadership. “We’re still founder led sales until we’re past 5 million in revenue,” he states. This approach allowed the company to deeply understand its product and market before investing in a formal marketing structure.
However, Kim admits that in hindsight, they may have waited too long. “I think we hired a little bit too late,” he reflects, highlighting the delicate balance between conserving resources and scaling growth.
The Chicken-and-Egg Dilemma: Sales or Marketing First?
One of the key decisions startups face is whether to hire a sales leader or a marketing leader first. Kim addresses this dilemma, noting, “There’s always a question around do you hire marketing leader first or sales leader first? Some sales leader do nothing, join a company when there isn’t a marketing leader.”
In Sendbird’s case, the decision was influenced by their strong inbound lead flow. Kim explains, “But thankfully at that point, we have so much of inbound flowing in. Like sales leaders, like look at the, like, heard the numbers. I’m like, okay, if this is working, I can start closing deals.”
This abundance of inbound leads made the sales leadership role more attractive and viable, even without a formal marketing structure in place.
The Hiring Timeline
Sendbird’s approach to building their executive team was methodical. Kim details the sequence: “So went through a couple of iterations. I think initially probably was after our vp of sales arrived, probably shortly after, I’m guessing three, six months after.”
He further clarifies the revenue stage at which these hires occurred: “And this was when we’re doing, call it five, $6 million in revenue.” This provides a clear benchmark for other startups considering similar hires.
The Marketing Leader Profile
When it came to hiring their first marketing leader, Sendbird had specific needs. Kim explains, “We look for that product marketing because we never had real like messaging, exercise, strategic thinking or positioning.”
However, he acknowledges that this focus came with trade-offs: “I think we got a lot of those things right, but we also had a less, I guess a lower strength in terms of dimension capabilities. So we had to augment with like a dimension leader.”
This insight highlights the importance of understanding your company’s specific marketing needs and being prepared to complement your hire’s strengths with additional support where necessary.
The Evolving Marketing Function
Kim provides a glimpse into how Sendbird’s marketing function has evolved since that first hire: “Initially of our marketing was basically me and one other guy trying to read up on how to do SEO. Oh, we have to take turns and write blog posts.”
He contrasts this with their current state: “Then of course, over the years, then you have this specialized functions like demandgen, product marketing, a little bit of content and brand. So you start to specialize some of those functions.”
This evolution underscores the importance of starting with a foundational hire who can then build out a more specialized team as the company grows.
Lessons for Startups
Kim’s experience offers valuable lessons for other startups approaching this critical juncture:
- Timing is crucial: While Sendbird waited until $5M ARR, Kim suggests earlier might be better.
- Understand your needs: Identify whether you need more help with strategic positioning or demand generation.
- Be prepared to complement: Your first marketing hire may not cover all bases, so be ready to augment their skills.
- Let inbound leads guide you: Strong inbound interest can help determine whether to prioritize sales or marketing hires.
- Expect evolution: Your marketing function will specialize and expand as your company grows.
As Kim summarizes, “It’s a constant evolution of like this two kind of main cylinders being product marketing dimension. Of course there’s content and branded analyst relationship that comes a little more importantly as your company scales.”
For startups navigating the complex world of scaling their go-to-market teams, Sendbird’s journey offers a valuable roadmap. By carefully considering timing, needs, and market response, founders can make informed decisions about building their marketing leadership.
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