How to use it
Designed for one sitting, not a workshop series.
Score your situation first, then your shortlist. Use it to avoid hiring a full-stack unicorn when you needed a channel owner.
Resources · Founders hiring marketing
First Marketing Hire Scorecard
Score whether you need a generalist, growth marketer, or leader — and what to test first.
Free. No autoresponder funnel. Reply by email, usually within a working day.
What you get
Inside the First Marketing Hire Scorecard
Hiring scorecard · 15 minutes per role design
- Stage-fit criteria — what the first marketing hire should actually own
- Scorecard for candidates against execution vs advisory bias
- Sequencing note — when fractional beats full-time
Best fit
Who this is for.
Founders deciding between generalist, growth marketer, or senior GTM leader.
Not for: Enterprise marketing teams with established leadership.
FAQ
Three questions founders ask before requesting it.
Does this overlap the fractional CMO hiring checklist?
Similar territory — this scorecard is faster and stage-first; the checklist goes deeper on interviews.
Can WSS help hire?
We often advise on role design and bar-setting; recruiting partners handle search when needed.
Is it only for B2B SaaS?
Written for B2B SaaS and AI — most criteria transfer to adjacent B2B models.
Other resources
Three more, all free.
Post-PMF founders · ~5 minutes
Growth Bottleneck Scorecard
10 questions across the five constraints that usually block repeatable pipeline: positioning, acquisition, conversion, reporting, and team ownership.
View →Startup leadership teams
90-Day Growth Sprint Planner
Map a quarter of tests, owners, decision rules, and reporting so the team stops running disconnected activity.
View →VCs and accelerator teams
VC Portfolio Growth Diagnosis Template
A portfolio workshop format for spotting whether a founder needs positioning, acquisition, team, or reporting help first.
View →Need more than a template?
If the first marketing hire scorecard surfaces a constraint you'd rather solve with senior help, the next step is a Growth Diagnosis call. Bring your result — we'll pressure-test the constraint it names and sketch the next move in 20 minutes.
Last updated: 4 May 2026