How to hire AAA marketers 💎
"We need someone like Tom" is the wrong strategy...
“We need someone like you to run our marketing, Tom!”
This is the #1 message I get from founders. I understand their desire for viral magic, but there’s a fundamental problem:
The “hire an amazing marketer” approach is broken for most startups in 2025. Top marketers (including me) simply have too many options these days. I’m not trying to brag - just being honest about talent scarcity.
Here’s the good news, though 👇
You don’t really need a “unicorn” hire to get amazing marketing results.
I won’t waste your time with fluffy advice about writing exciting job posts or offering more equity, because the solution isn’t finding unicorns - it’s building systems that don’t even require them. 💎
Why top marketers won’t join your startup 🔍
When founders try to hire top marketing talent, they hit these walls:
💰 Money talks → Senior marketers make $200-500K+ at bigger companies with real budgets
🌀 “Only marketer” roles are risky → Experienced marketers know being the lone marketer means impossible expectations, tiny budgets, and taking blame when miracles don’t happen
🍂 Been there, done that - Many have already tried the startup “do everything” role and got burned out
🍃 Freedom tastes better - Top marketers have newsletters, consulting gigs, or side projects that pay more with less hassle
I’ve seen this painful cycle play out dozens of times:
You’re looking for someone with an IMPOSSIBLE mix of skills: strategic thinking, creative ideas, technical know-how, data analysis, hands-on execution, and leadership experience - all while accepting startup pay.
These people exist, but they have much better options than joining your startup as the only marketer.
Why the usual hiring advice doesn't work 🚫
The standard playbook for hiring marketers is broken:
❌ “Write an exciting job description!”
(Reality: Great marketers care about your team, industry, product, and resources - not your clever job post)❌ “Offer generous equity!”
(Reality: Experienced marketers have seen too many worthless equity packages and know cash pays bills)❌ “Run a creative marketing challenge!”
(Reality: Top marketers might crush your challenge for fun, but that doesn’t mean they’ll join you)❌ “Find unemployed marketers with personal brands!”
(Reality: These people already know they can make more money working for themselves)
The game has changed. What worked even a few years ago doesn’t cut it anymore.
What actually works instead 💡
In my work with dozens of startups, I’ve found a clear pattern: winning companies build smart marketing orgs that don’t require hiring celebrities full-time.
Here’s exactly how the best companies solve the hiring paradox: