1658: Seed Stage B2B Startup Marketing with Lara McKeithan

Lara McKeithan explains how seed-stage B2B founders can build a focused marketing engine that produces traction before they reach Series A. She typically works with startups that have launched a product, gained initial customers, and now need to scale beyond founder-led sales and marketing. Rather than trying every channel, she recommends selecting a few opportunities with the strongest potential ROI, especially when runway may be only six to twelve months. Her process considers the product, ideal customer profile, competitors, online landscape, crowded channels, and areas where customers can be reached efficiently. She emphasizes close founder collaboration while also encouraging founders to delegate instead of micromanaging every marketing detail. AI is shifting marketing toward strategy, direction, and project management as more execution becomes automated. The key takeaway is to start testing quickly, focus limited resources, and learn from real market response instead of waiting for a perfect plan.