Hiring guide · Leadership
How to hire a
fractional CMO.
Fractional CMOs work part-time across companies. The right hire brings strategic depth and channel expertise without the full-time cost.
Comp range$300+/hour or $10-25k/month retainer.
Timeline4-8 weeks.
When to hire
Hire in-house
Pre-Series A or B, founder is doing marketing themselves, and you need strategic oversight.
When to outsource
Outsource to a studio
You're still finding PMF — marketing isn't the bottleneck.
Evaluation · 02
Signs of strong candidates.
Strong signals
- Has been a real CMO at scale
- Specific channel expertise
- Honest about what fractional can and can't do
- Sets up systems and ships processes
- Strong network
Red flags
- ✗Has never run a real marketing org
- ✗Wants to do all the work themselves
- ✗Promises full-time outcomes
- ✗No specific channel expertise
- ✗Vague deliverables
Interview · 03
Questions to ask.
- Q1
How do you scope your involvement?
- Q2
How do you avoid being the bottleneck?
- Q3
What stage do you bring the most value?
- Q4
How would you audit our current marketing?
- Q5
How do you handoff?
Considering a studio?
We bridge
to your hire.
We pair with FCMOs on growth engagements. If you're not ready to hire a fractional CMO yet, brief us — we can fill the gap and help you hire later.
Brief us