Startup marketing and business advisory · Melbourne

Startup marketing and business advice from a founder who's done it.

For founders and early-stage teams shaping the business model, finding their market, winning first customers and building a company that holds up as it grows. Strategy comes with the operating detail to carry it out.

Book a 30-minute call See the advisory
Where I helpIdea to scale
Model
Market
Customers
Team
IdeaModel and pricing
LaunchPositioning and go-to-market
TractionAcquisition that pays back
ScaleRaise, hires and structure
PositioningGo-to-marketPricingCustomer acquisitionSEO and AEOFundraising readinessFinancial planningFirst hiresFractional CMOFractional COO
2017founding and scaling businesses since
100+team built from a standing start
2disciplines joined up: marketing and business strategy
4engagement models sized for startup budgets
Advisory

What I do

Two connected practices. In a startup, marketing decisions are business decisions, so I advise on both together.

Practice one

Marketing advisory

Find your market, say something distinct and spend a limited budget where it works.

  • Brand and positioningValue proposition, messaging and a market position that separates you from competitors.
  • Go-to-market and launchLaunch plans covering target segments, channels, referral partners, events and content.
  • Marketing strategy and planning90-day and 12-month plans with budgets, channel roles and targets tied to revenue.
  • Customer acquisitionTesting and scaling paid search, paid social and partnerships to find channels that pay back.
  • Search and AI visibilitySEO and answer-engine optimisation (AEO) so you show up in Google and in AI assistants.
  • Agency selection and oversightBriefing, choosing and managing agencies and freelancers, and holding them to outcomes.
  • Measurement and reportingDashboards and attribution that show what each dollar of marketing returns.
Practice two

Business advisory

The model, the numbers and the decisions that take a startup from idea to scale.

  • Business model and strategyTesting the model, choosing where to play and setting priorities the team can execute.
  • Pricing and revenue modelsPricing, packaging and offer design that build repeatable revenue.
  • Financial planningCashflow models, runway and scenario planning behind each major decision.
  • Fundraising readinessInvestor decks, financial story and preparation for pre-seed and seed raises.
  • Team and structureFirst hires, org design and building a team that scales with the business.
  • Partnerships and deal structureServices agreements, equity-for-services and vesting design, negotiated to signature.
  • Board advisoryAdvisory board seats, board reporting and governance set up for the stage you're at.
Supporting capabilities

AI adoption

Practical AI roadmaps and team training so a small team can operate like a larger one.

Product and platform delivery

Scoping and overseeing the MVP, platform or app the business depends on.

Launch assets

Brand identity, website and pitch materials briefed and delivered to a launch date.

Fractional executive

Senior leadership, part time

A seat at your leadership table for one to three days a week. You get executive experience now, without the cost of a full-time hire before the business is ready for one.

FractionalCMO

Chief Marketing Officer

Owns marketing strategy, budget and results, and leads your agencies and marketing team.

  • Positioning, brand and go-to-market
  • Channel mix, budget and acquisition targets
  • Agency and team leadership
  • Marketing reporting to founders and board
Typically 1 to 2 days a week
FractionalCOO

Chief Operating Officer

Turns strategy into an operating rhythm so the founder can focus on product, customers and capital.

  • Operating cadence, priorities and KPIs
  • Processes, systems and tooling
  • Hiring plan and team structure
  • Cashflow and delivery oversight
Typically 1 to 3 days a week
FractionalCGO

Chief Growth Officer

Joins marketing, sales and partnerships into one revenue engine with shared targets.

  • Revenue model, pricing and offers
  • Sales process and pipeline
  • Partnerships and referral channels
  • Growth experiments and measurement
Typically 1 to 2 days a week
FractionalCTO

Chief Technology Officer

Sets technology direction for non-technical founders and manages the people building the product.

  • Product roadmap and architecture decisions
  • Developer and vendor selection
  • Build oversight, budgets and delivery
  • Technical due diligence for investors
Typically 1 to 2 days a week
Commitment1 to 3 days a weekScaled up or down as needs change
Term6 to 12 monthsThen month-to-month on 30 days' notice
Reports toFounders or boardMonthly written report against agreed KPIs
Exit planHire and hand overI help recruit and onboard your full-time executive
Typical briefs

Questions founders bring

If one of these sounds familiar, that's usually where the first conversation starts.

  • We're about to launch. Which channels do we start with?
  • We have early customers. How do we find more of them, repeatably?
  • Our positioning sounds like every competitor's. How do we stand apart?
  • We're preparing to raise. Does our story and our model hold up?
  • How should we price this, and what should the first offer be?
  • Our marketing spend is rising and we can't see what it returns.
  • Which agency or freelancers should we use, and how do we manage them?
  • We need a CMO or COO but can't justify a full-time hire yet.
Schedule of engagement

How to engage

Four models. Terms are set per engagement and written into a services agreement.

ModelSuited toTypical termsRemuneration
Strategy sprintFixed scope, fixed priceA go-to-market plan, positioning, business model or raise preparation4 to 8 weeks, ending in a written plan and a working session with your teamFixed fee in milestones
Retained advisoryFounder adviserFounders who want a standing adviser on marketing and business decisionsMonthly strategy sessions plus on-call accessMonthly retainer
Fractional executiveCMO, COO, CGO or CTOStartups that need senior marketing or commercial leadership before a full-time hire12-month initial term, then month-to-month on 30 days' noticeRetainer, equity, or a blend
Venture partnerEquity-for-servicesEarly ventures with a strong thesis and limited cashTime-based and performance vesting tied to agreed milestonesOptions or equity, cash after a qualifying raise

Every engagement starts with a short paid diagnostic so scope, price and success measures are agreed before any larger commitment.

Method

How the work runs

The same four stages apply to a launch plan, a pricing decision or a raise.

1

Diagnose

Review the market, the numbers and current marketing performance. Name the decision that needs making.

2

Decide

Set the strategy, the priorities and the measures of success, agreed in writing.

3

Deliver

Run the plan with weekly cadence, clear owners and visible progress against each milestone.

4

Hand over

Leave the plan, dashboards and a capable team behind, so results hold without me.

Background

Track record

A founder first. The advice comes from starting, marketing and growing businesses directly.

  • Founded a digital marketing business in 2017 and grew it to a team of more than 100.
  • Co-founded and advised early-stage ventures in music technology, AI search, media and field data capture.
  • Took an AI search visibility platform from concept to live paying customers and seed raise materials.
  • Repositioned a performance media agency from service retainers to a media strategy and buying model.
  • Sits on an advisory board guiding a national IP firm's Melbourne market expansion.
  • Built marketing programs for startups and growing businesses across professional services, hospitality, retail, health and B2B technology.
  • Structured equity-for-services partnerships with startups, with vesting tied to delivery milestones.
Clients

Who I work with

  • Pre-seed and seed founders
  • Startups scaling after first revenue
  • SaaS and technology startups
  • Consumer and ecommerce brands
  • Founder-led small businesses
  • New ventures inside established firms
  • Startup boards and investors
Start a conversation

Bring the decision you're stuck on.

A 30-minute call is enough to tell whether I'm the right fit and which engagement model suits. If I'm not, I'll say so and point you to someone who is.

Contact Alex Roberts, Principal [email protected] Melbourne, Australia