Frameworks That Win: The Fractional CMO Playbook
w/ Aaron Hassen
Hosted by Peter Wheeler · 57 min
Show Notes
Aaron Hassen, fractional CMO and CXO Games champion, makes the case that most marketers have never had a real mentor — and it shows. He draws on his journey from military analyst to accidental founder (Rentblurb) to marketing leader, arguing that proven frameworks like Andy Cunningham's 6 Cs and StoryBrand are not constraints but shortcuts for time-strapped founders. Marketing, he insists, is the tip of the spear — not a support function.
Key Takeaways
Proven frameworks are shortcuts, not crutches — choose ones built by practitioners with track records
Marketing must be a strategic revenue function, not a support team
The three metrics that matter: qualified meetings, closed revenue, customer loyalty
Spend company money like it's your own — the founder's mindset separates great CMOs
Alignment between sales, marketing, and the CEO is a survival requirement, not a nice-to-have
The Slap Summary
- ✓Proven frameworks are shortcuts, not crutches — choose ones built by practitioners with track records
- ✓Marketing must be a strategic revenue function, not a support team
- ✓The three metrics that matter: qualified meetings, closed revenue, customer loyalty
Guest
Aaron Hassen · AH Marketing
Aaron Hassen is a Fractional CMO who helps startups and founders build GTM strategy from the ground up. A four-time competitor and winner of the CXO Games on Hype Cycle, he brings a performance-minded approach to early-stage marketing leadership.