In this episode, Serhat Pala, General Partner at Cross Ocean Ventures, shares his insights on building successful marketing teams for startups. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the proper role of marketing and giving it the attention it deserves. Serhat also discusses the critical marketing metrics he looks for when assessing investments and highlights startups' common mistakes in their marketing strategies. He advises founders to prioritize retention and engagement over acquisition and to be transparent about the risks when pitching to investors. Additionally, Serhat emphasizes the significance of having a supportive life partner and building a solid communication system for a successful founder's journey. Takeaways * Understand the actual role of marketing and give it the attention it deserves in your startup. * Prioritize retention and engagement over acquisition in your marketing strategies. * Be transparent about the risks when pitching to investors and focus on the upside of the opportunity. * Build a robust communication system and have a supportive life partner to navigate the challenges of being a founder. Keywords:marketing teams, startups, the role of marketing, marketing metrics, common mistakes, retention, engagement, risks, life partner, communication system Thanks for reading Founders' Marketing Compass! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit etgar.substack.com