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Why startups from seed to Series B choose fractional marketing leadership over full-time hires.
Startups face unique constraints. Fractional CMOs solve the "too expensive for full-time, too important to ignore" problem.
A full-time CMO costs £150k-£250k in salary + £40k-£60k in benefits, equity, and overhead. That's £200k-£300k+ annually. A fractional CMO delivers strategic leadership for £70k-£140k—saving you £100k+ to invest in product, engineering, or customer acquisition.
Recruiting a full-time CMO takes 3-6 months. Most startups can't wait that long—growth stalls, campaigns drift, and competitors gain ground. Fractional CMOs start within 1-2 weeks with proven playbooks ready to deploy immediately.
Fractional CMOs bring 15-20 years of experience scaling startups from £1M to £10M+ ARR. They've done it before at 3-5 companies, know what works, and avoid rookie mistakes. You get seasoned expertise without paying £200k+ for someone still learning.
Startups have variable needs. Increase to 3 days/week for product launches or fundraising, reduce to 1 day/week during quiet periods. No long-term employment risk—exit with 30 days notice if priorities change or budget tightens.
Fractional CMOs work with 2-4 startups simultaneously. They see what's working across different models, markets, and stages. You get best practices from the wider ecosystem, not just one person's limited experience.
Hiring a full-time CMO is high-risk: 6-month onboarding, long notice periods, severance costs if it doesn't work. Fractional engagements start with 3-month trials—low commitment, fast iteration, clean exit if needed.
The right timing depends on your stage, ARR, and marketing maturity. Here's what works at each stage.
Typical Engagement:
2 days/week for 12-18 months. Cost: £70k-£104k annually. Transition to full-time CMO when you hit £3M-£5M ARR or raise Series B.
Typical Engagement:
2-3 days/week for 6-18 months. Cost: £104k-£145k annually. Often transitions to full-time hire as company scales past £10M ARR.
Golden Rule for Startups
Hire a fractional CMO when you have proven PMF, £500k+ ARR, and founder-led marketing has hit a wall. Too early = wasted money. Too late = missed growth.
Pricing varies by stage, with many fractional CMOs offering equity options for early-stage startups.
Based on 2.5 days/week x 2 clients x 48 working weeks. CMO UK average day rate: £950.
BetaThis calculator provides rough estimates for illustration only. Actual rates and salaries vary based on location, experience, industry, and market conditions. Consult with a qualified accountant for accurate financial planning.
Offering 0.1-0.25% equity to a fractional CMO makes sense if:
Avoid equity if: It's a short-term project (3-6 months), the CMO doesn't add strategic value beyond execution, or your cap table is already crowded.
| Cost Item | Fractional CMO | Full-Time CMO |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Compensation | £70k-£104k/year | £150k-£200k/year |
| Benefits & Pension | £0 | £22k-£30k |
| Equity (typical) | 0-0.25% | 0.5-2.0% |
| Recruitment Fees | £0 | £37k-£50k (25% salary) |
| Notice / Severance Risk | 30 days | 3-6 months |
| Total Year 1 Cost | £70k-£104k | £209k-£280k |
Year 1 savings with fractional vs full-time CMO
That's 6-18 months of runway for a seed-stage startup
Real examples of startups that hired fractional CMOs and scaled successfully.
Founder-led marketing plateaued at £2M ARR. No clear ICP, scattered channel efforts, CAC rising.
Fractional CMO conducted ICP research, built demand gen engine (SEO + paid), hired 3 marketers, implemented attribution.
Investment: £104k/year. Return: £6M incremental ARR.
Strong product, no marketing expertise in founding team. Struggled with positioning and GTM for regulated industry.
Fractional CMO repositioned product for compliance teams, launched thought leadership, built partnerships channel, created sales enablement.
Investment: £91k total. Outcome: Successful £8M Series A raise.
Browse fractional CMOs with startup experience. Find someone who's scaled companies from £1M to £10M+ ARR.