Understanding Advanced Startup Marketers: A Vision for the Future

View the full Google Doc report here (customer information redacted) >

Goal

To inform the company’s 10-year vision by uncovering the needs, expectations, and norms of advanced startup marketers.

Approach

We conducted in-depth field visits with high-revenue, paid-account users in San Francisco’s startup ecosystem. Given the exploratory nature of the research, we used qualitative, attitudinal methods to understand how these marketers work.

My role

In this team effort, I was the lead analyst, responsible for synthesizing findings each step of the way, as well as creating the final findings report to share with C-suite leadership and at the company all-hands.

Process

• Collaborated with cross-functional partners to craft a research plan.

• Vetted participants based on marketing activity and business profile.

• Conducted in-person observations with a facilitator and notetaker to capture contextual insights.

• Synthesized findings daily, refining hypotheses and identifying patterns.

Key Findings & Impact

• Changed target persona: The advanced marketers we interviewed preferred using best-in-class tools for different tasks rather than an all-in-one suite. This finding helped the company re-orient around a new target customer, less advanced marketers with early-to-market small businesses.

• A major insight that drove user-facing change: Marketers relied on handwritten calendars to plan email send dates, which led to the launch of a calendar view feature within six months.

• The findings shifted the company’s vision, challenging assumptions about consolidating marketing tools and instead highlighting alternative strategies to meet user needs.

This research played a crucial role in shaping long-term product and market strategy, ensuring future investments aligned with the real behaviors of advanced startup marketers.

View the full Google Doc report here (customer information redacted) >