About this episode

Marlena Sarunac discusses the evolving landscape of startup marketing and go-to-market strategies in the context of tighter capital and AI-informed buyers.

In this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Marlena Sarunac , co-founder and fractional CMO at The Company Advice , a marketing firm for startups. They help startups clarify their category, sharpen their messaging, and build go-to-market strategies that actually convert. After leading marketing from Series A to Series B at Particle Health and driving go-to-market across highly technical industries, Marlena now helps founders turn complex products into compelling narratives that resonate with buyers and drive growth. She explains how tighter capital and AI-informed buyers are reshaping startup marketing — and what founders need to do differently today. We dive into: Why the traditional startup go-to-market playbook no longer works and what to do instead The risks of not clearly defining your market category How to develop consistent messaging that builds trust with both buyers and AI search models Why shared KPIs are key to aligning teams — from engineering to marketing — around growth How to uncover your startup's hidden growth blockers with their Friction Finder tool This episode offers practical frameworks for founders trying to break through crowded markets and…

People in this episode

Host: Kate Adams

Guest: Marlena Sarunac

Topics covered

• go-to-market strategies
• startup marketing
• founder challenges
• AI in marketing
• messaging
• growth strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Company Advice, Particle Health

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