# Your First Marketing Hire Is Probably Not a CMO

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fund-build-scale-6723964/your-first-marketing-hire-is-probably-not-a-cmo
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fund-build-scale-6723964/your-first-marketing-hire-is-probably-not-a-cmo.md
Podcast: [Fund/Build/Scale](https://stenobird.com/podcast/fund-build-scale-6723964)
Published: 2026-06-05T21:06:59+00:00
Episode link: https://fundbuildscale.podbean.com/e/your-first-marketing-hire-is-probably-not-a-cmo/
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/x53qvux7xijxr3ex/Your_First_Marketing_Hire_Is_Probably_Not_a_CMO72wuq.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fund-build-scale-6723964/episodes/your-first-marketing-hire-is-probably-not-a-cmo
Duration seconds: 2719

## Resource

Most technical founders can explain how their product works. Far fewer can clearly explain why a customer should care. In this episode, Cribl CMO Abby Strong shares what she has learned from building go-to-market teams and helping scale one of the fastest-growing companies in data infrastructure. Drawing on her background in IT operations, product, and marketing, Abby explains why founders often struggle with messaging, how to know when you've found product-market fit, and what it takes to build demand before you have a large team or budget. We also discuss category creation, customer discovery, the early signals that the market is pulling your product, and why your first marketing hire is probably not a CMO. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9TnFwRgy2fw RUNTIME 45:19 EPISODE BREAKDOWN [3:56] Why Technical Founders Struggle With Marketing [09:58] When Should You Hire Your First Marketer? [11:29] Marketing Before You Have A Marketing Team [13:46] Why Marketing Takes Longer Than Founders Expect [19:35] Your First Marketing Hire Is Probably Not A CMO [25:23] Turning Features Into Outcomes [27:15] Four Questions Every Founder Must Answer [28:57] How To Understand A Technical Product [32:44] Building Cribl's GTM Engine [36:46] When The Market Starts Pulling [42:09] Build Trust Before You Chase Scale LINKS Abby Strong (LinkedIn) Cribl SUBSCRIBE 📥 Get the Fund/Build/Scale newsletter on Beehiiv: https://fundbuildscale.beehiiv.com/ 📸 Follow Fund/Build/Scale on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fundbuildscale/ 📺 Watch Fund/Build/Scale on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFFH4cs2B1BKatPGs8SFRJw Thanks for listening! – Walter

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## Transcript

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