Andrew Dunn has scaled 450+ companies over 10 years and writes about marketing, systems and scaling small businesses into big ones.
Let me take you back to 2015, when I was working at Ford Motor Company, feeling trapped. Fast forward to today—I’ve helped drive over $100 million in trackable revenue for clients and built multiple successful companies. What was my secret? Founder-led marketing.
The most successful startups I’ve worked with all have one thing in common: founders who are actively involved in their marketing efforts. Not just approving budgets or reviewing campaigns, but actually being the face and voice of their brand.
Here’s the reality—customers are tired of polished corporate messaging. They want real stories, real people and real connections. When I started sharing my journey openly—including the failures and setbacks—something incredible happened. People started trusting not just me, but my brands too.
Founder-led marketing can be your game-changer.
Want to implement this in your business? Start by documenting your daily journey. Share your product development process, team meetings and customer interactions. One of our SaaS clients began doing exactly this in 2023 and saw a major increase in organic leads and a reduction in customer acquisition costs, leading to over a million in directly attributable revenue.
The implementation is straightforward. First, choose one platform where your customers actually spend time. LinkedIn can work well for B2B, while Instagram or TikTok might be better for B2C. Commit to posting three times per week minimum. Share what you’re learning, what you’re building and the challenges you’re overcoming.
Next, create a content mix that resonates. For example, spend 60% of your time sharing educational insights from your industry experience. Use 30% to show behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business operations. The remaining 10% can focus on promoting your products or services.
Here’s a golden nugget most founders miss: Consistency trumps perfection. Consider setting aside 30 minutes each morning to create content. Use your phone to record quick videos, sharing your insights. Write posts about challenges you’re solving. The key is maintaining a regular presence, not creating perfectly polished content.
Engagement is crucial. Try spending 20 minutes daily responding to comments and connecting with potential customers. This direct interaction builds trust and creates a community around your brand. One founder I worked with landed a contract simply by consistently engaging with their LinkedIn community.
Start sharing your journey and building trust.
This isn’t about becoming an influencer. It’s about building genuine relationships that drive business growth. Your story and experience are your unique advantage. No one else has lived your journey or learned your lessons. That’s what makes founder-led marketing so powerful. It’s not about perfect production values or viral posts. It’s about being real, being consistent and delivering value.
Start today. Share one insight from your founder journey. Document one behind-the-scenes moment. Engage with five potential customers. Then do it again tomorrow. That’s how you build a powerful founder-led marketing strategy that drives real business results.
Trust me, I’ve been there, done that and have gotten the revenue to prove it. Your founder story isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s your secret weapon for startup success in 2025 and beyond.
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