Jason Harper, Founder @ Ready Signal - Why Attitude Trumps Experience in Marketing Hires

Join host Etgar Shpivak on Founders' Marketing Compass as he interviews Jason Harper, founder of Ready Signal and AI economist. Jason shares his journey from economist to GoDaddy employee to Ford executive, before founding his own successful consulting company. Discover his unique perspective on marketing effectiveness, team building, and the critical founder-marketer relationship. Jason reveals practical insights on measuring marketing ROI, setting proper expectations, and balancing startup growth with marketing investment. Key Takeaways: - Hard metrics like cash flow and booked meetings are crucial for evaluating marketing effectiveness in early-stage startups - The top three qualities Jason looks for when hiring are attitude, effort, and competence - in that exact order - Founders often make the mistake of having unrealistic expectations about marketing timelines and results - Senior marketing roles need competitive compensation - underpaying leads to poor outcomes - Bridging the gap between founder expectations and marketing realities requires clear communication and concrete KPIs - When investing in startups, Jason values people with the right attitude over specific marketing expertise - For startups to succeed, founders need to be "all in" - side hustles rarely work for launching successful companies - Startup cash reserves typically last half as long as founders initially estimate - Marketing leaders must understand both immediate sales needs and long-term brand building Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction and Jason's Background 2:58 - Defining Marketing KPIs Across Different Company Stages 5:26 - Measuring Marketing Effectiveness in Small Companies 8:00 - Top Three Qualities When Hiring Marketing Team Members 10:34 - Compensation Structure for Marketing Teams 13:55 - When to Hire a Full-Time vs. Fractional CMO 15:05 - Common Mistakes Founders Make with Marketing Teams 18:13 - Bridging the Expectations Gap Between Founders and Marketers 22:39 - The Investor Perspective on Startup Marketing 26:14 - Supporting Founders with Limited Marketing Experience 28:01 - Red Flags in Marketing Budget Allocation 29:05 - Due Diligence Process for Startup Investments 30:57 - Debunking the Side Hustle Myth in Entrepreneurship Jason's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximizeroi/ Etgar's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/etgar/ Keywords: startup marketing, founder-marketer relationship, marketing KPIs, marketing team building, startup investment, marketing ROI, sales metrics, marketing expectations, AI economist, Ready Signal, entrepreneurship journey, marketing budget, startup funding, marketing leadership, B2B marketing