Growth doesn't wait for your marketing to catch up
You've just closed your funding round, and the board has set expectations. You don’t have six months to hire a marketing leader. I can start within 30 days to establish or strengthen your marketing foundation and have your marketing initiatives moving within 90.
Where the gaps show up
Growth-stage companies don't stall from a lack of effort. They stall because no one is connecting the dots between marketing, sales, product, and ops. I help you build the marketing function and the alignment around it at a stage when it was still easy to get right.
You're gaining market traction and growth is within reach
While founder-led, relationship-driven marketing has been effective, it’s time to adopt a next-level approach. Focus on establishing processes, enhancing alignment between sales and marketing, and creating compelling product stories that connect with the right buyers at the right time.
With the deal just closed, it's time for sales and marketing to align
As investment is secured, expectations increase. It is important to involve senior marketing leadership at this stage to effectively drive results and align our efforts with the overall business objectives.
Sales is busy, but revenue isn't moving
Your team is executing, and campaigns are running. However, marketing feels like a cost center instead of a growth driver. The strategy is missing, broken, or perhaps never really existed in the first place.
Most fractional CMOs fit into one of two categories:
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The strategist that devises the plan but disappears during execution
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The Executor that runs plays designed by others without assessing what's actually suitable for your current stage.
I'm Different
I've spent the last 20 years working in some of the most exciting and competitive marketing environments in the tech world. For the past six years, I've had the pleasure of helping emerging innovators and growth-stage companies as a go-to-market advisor at Gartner. I truly understand what makes a great strategy, and I’m dedicated to staying with you every step of the way until it really works!
How I Work
Every engagement begins with a 30-day diagnostic to ensure we are addressing the real constraints rather than just the obvious ones. Here are three ways we can work together:
Strategic Sprint
30-60 Days
For: Founders who are approaching or have just achieved product-market fit and need a solid foundation before scaling their efforts.
What you get: A comprehensive positioning, messaging, and go-to-market (GTM) plan that your team can realistically execute within 30-60 days, rather than over six months.
Fractional Engagement
Ongoing, Part-time
For: Growth-focused companies that need experienced marketing leadership without the commitment and high cost of a full-time hire, along with the lengthy onboarding process.
What you get: Senior marketing leadership embedded in your business, providing strategy, execution, storytelling, enablement, and team direction on an ongoing basis.
Advisory
As Needed
For: Founders and operators seeking a senior thought partner during specific inflection points, rather than a continual retainer.
What you get: Insightful and experienced guidance on GTM strategy, team structure, board preparation, and positioning—without the overhead costs.
I steer clear of slide decks that lack actionable outcomes. Each engagement starts with a thorough analysis of your market, your competitors, your pipeline, and the actual constraints. From there, we craft and implement a tailored strategy.
About
Carrie Cowan
Principal, Synthesize Marketing
I am an operator, strategist, executor, angel investor, and startup co-founder. Unlike many fractional CMOs who rely on generic frameworks or playbooks, I bring a unique, evolving perspective and domain expertise gained from over two decades of hands-on experience in technology innovation, challenger brands, and category-building within fast-paced, competitive markets.
At NVIDIA, I was part of the GPU-to-AI transformation as it unfolded. While at Microsoft, I launched Xbox to compete against PlayStation's market dominance, turning it into a credible challenger through innovative storytelling and determination. My experience at EA and Sega allowed me to witness the rise of what would ultimately become the billion-dollar mobile gaming market.
As an Executive Go-To-Market Advisor for startups, emerging technologies, and high-growth B2B SaaS tech companies at Gartner, I leveraged my operational experience to assist hundreds of growth-stage companies. I provided guidance on positioning, demand generation, branding, partner marketing, and ecosystem strategy at all development stages, from pre-revenue to mid-market.
Currently, I collaborate with a select group of tech companies at critical inflection points—post-investment, post-product-market fit, and when entering new markets. I believe that getting marketing right in the next 90 days can significantly impact their overall success.
Operator & Practitioner Experience From:
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