EP 14 - Paul Knegten, Founder and former CMO of Outbrain & Beeswax - "We know it when we see it"

In this enlightening episode of Founders' Marketing Compass, host Etgar Shpivak sits down with Paul Knegten, former CMO of Outbrain and Beeswax, and a seasoned startup founder. Paul shares invaluable insights on the dynamic relationship between startup founders and their marketing teams. Drawing from his rich experience in both enterprise companies and startups, Paul discusses the challenges of translating high-level metrics into actionable KPIs, the evolving role of CMOs at different company stages, and the critical qualities to look for when building a marketing team. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, the power of saying "no" in strategy, and the delicate balance between creativity and data-driven decision-making in marketing. This episode is a must-listen for founders and marketers alike, offering a wealth of practical advice and thought-provoking perspectives on modern marketing leadership.Key Takeaways:* The importance of building trust between founders and marketing teams, both internally and with clients* The challenge of translating high-level business metrics into actionable marketing KPIs* The evolution of the CMO role at different company stages, from scrappy generalist to strategic executive* The value of having a strong operations person in marketing to manage complex, multi-faceted campaigns* The critical qualities to look for in marketing hires empathy, curiosity, and the ability to understand people* The power of saying "no" in marketing strategy and focusing on actual customer needs rather than assumed wants* The importance of staying at larger companies longer for career growth and learning opportunities* The need for founders to provide clear feedback and support to their marketing leaders* The balance between creativity and data-driven decision-making in modern marketing* The role of marketing in preventing companies from pursuing products or strategies that customers don't actually want* The value of understanding the "why" behind customer requests and needs* The importance of building durable marketing channels alongside successful growth hacksPauls’ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulknegten/Etgar’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/etgar/Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background07:00 Translating Metrics into Actionable KPIs17:45 Building Trust and a Shared Understanding27:00 Building Durable Marketing Channels and Avoiding Growth Hacks33:20 Understanding Customers' Pains and Desires for Effective Marketing39:04 Adapting Strategies When Marketing Campaigns Don't Go as Planned46:39 The Role of a CMO at Different Stages of Company Growth51:00 Staying at Bigger Companies Longer for Valuable ExperienceSubscribe to Paul’s Newsletter:https://theknection.beehiiv.com/subscribeThanks for reading Founders' Marketing Compass! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Keywords:Startup marketing, CMO role, founder-marketer relationship, marketing strategy, customer understanding, marketing team building, marketing KPIs, enterprise marketing, growth hacking, marketing operations, marketing analytics, startup growth, marketing leadership, customer feedback, product-market fit This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit etgar.substack.com