What does it really take to build a startup marketing engine from scratch—without a playbook, a team, or even a working product?
In this episode of MarketingTips, we sit down with Nicole Schafer, Head of Marketing at M0, a VC-funded crypto startup. As the first and only marketer at the company, Nicole had to build everything from the ground up: positioning, brand narrative, content strategy, campaign execution, analytics—you name it.
This conversation is a masterclass in early-stage marketing, perfect for marketers at seed to Series B startups, especially in fast-moving, technical industries like crypto, fintech, or Web3.
You’ll learn:
The first three moves Nicole made when joining M0
How to create a brand narrative that sticks (and earns mindshare)
Why "people buy feelings, not features" should drive your messaging
How to balance rapid testing with consistent storytelling
What metrics to track when your #1 goal is brand awareness
How to manage campaigns, content, and positioning as a one-person team
The battle-tested framework she uses to define messaging: origin, challenge, resolution
Plus: Nicole shares how startup marketing forced her to grow faster than ever before—from mastering analytics to running company-wide strategy solo.
If you’re building a marketing function from the ground up or want a peek inside the reality of being a solo marketer at a high-growth startup, this one’s for you.
