A senior growth operator at your leadership table.
How can we help you get found?
Then your name and website.
Deliverables, not adjectives.
Growth plan and budget.
Channel mix, sequencing, targets and spend, written to be run rather than presented. Revisited quarterly against results.
Weekly operating cadence.
A standing leadership session, a scoreboard everyone reads the same way, and decisions made on numbers rather than opinions.
Team and vendor management.
Hiring plans, agency selection and oversight, and the accountability that keeps every vendor working toward the same target.
Pricing and offer strategy.
Packaging, pricing across channels, and offer design informed by what we see across our own portfolio and client base.
Advisory partner option.
For teams that need standing access and a monthly working session rather than an embedded leader.
Who this is for
- Companies between $3M and $100M in revenue without a marketing executive
- Founders who want a growth partner rather than a report
- Private-equity backed companies with a growth thesis to execute
Platforms
- Your existing stack
- Reporting in Google Sheets and Looker Studio
How fractional CMO services work.
Fractional CMO services give a company a senior marketing executive on a part-time contract. The person holds the CMO seat: the growth plan, the budget, the channel mix, the vendors and the reporting. They answer to the CEO for results. If you are looking to hire a fractional CMO, the first thing to settle is whether you need someone to own the number or someone to give advice. A fractional CMO consultant who only reviews plans is a different purchase. This page covers how the role runs, what it costs, how it compares to a full-time hire, and what to check before you sign.
The usual buyer is a company between $3M and $100M in revenue that spends real money on marketing with no senior owner. The founder still makes the channel calls. An agency or two runs campaigns, and each one reports its own wins. A marketing manager coordinates but cannot set strategy or tell a vendor no. Nobody can say with confidence which dollars produce revenue. A full-time CMO looks like the fix, but the loaded cost is high and the search is slow. A fractional leader fills that seat now and builds the function so a later hire, if one is needed, starts on solid ground.
Our engagements are priced by days per month, from two to eight, with a three-month minimum and a weekly cadence at every tier. Fewer days does not mean less seniority. It means less of the calendar. The weekly session stays fixed because marketing decisions go stale fast. Between sessions the work is reading the numbers, briefing vendors, reviewing creative and landing pages, and preparing the decisions that need the CEO. Because Theory Road is also a full-service agency, the plan can come with people to execute it. It does not have to. Many clients keep their current agencies and staff, and we direct them.
People who search for a fractional CMO near them usually want someone in the room for planning days and board prep. Theory Road is in the Austin, Texas area, with an office in Liberty Hill, so companies in Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown and the rest of Central Texas can have in-person working sessions when they help. Most of the role runs fine remotely, and we work with companies across the US. The weekly session, the scoreboard and the vendor reviews happen on video and in shared documents. Location matters less than whether the person has run this kind of business and will be accountable for the result.
Finding a fractional CMO is mostly a screening problem. The title has no licensing body, so anyone can use it. Strong candidates talk in specifics: a budget, a channel, a decision, what happened next. Weak ones talk in frameworks and slides. Ask each one what the first month will produce, who executes the plan, how they get paid, and what they will report every week. Ask how they would handle the agency you already have. Compare proposals by hours of senior time and named deliverables, not by the monthly figure alone. The sections below give you the tools to do that comparison.
What Fractional CMO costs.
Fractional CMO pricing follows a few standard models. The figures below are typical market ranges published in our own cost guides, not Theory Road pricing. We quote a fixed monthly figure after a scoping call.
Days-per-week or days-per-month retainer
Mid four figures to mid five figures per month
The most common model. You buy a fixed share of the person's time on a monthly retainer with a minimum term. It covers leadership meetings, planning, vendor management and reporting. One day a week sits at the low end. Three days a week plus execution support sits at the high end.
Hourly advisory
Senior consulting rate, a few thousand dollars a month
A set number of hours each month for plan reviews, vendor pitches and coaching an internal marketing manager. It is the cheapest entry point. The advisor usually owns nothing, so the company still needs someone to make and live with the decisions.
Project scope
Fixed fee per defined deliverable
A set price for one piece of executive work, such as a go-to-market plan for a new product, a channel strategy before a raise, or an agency selection process. It suits companies that need the thinking once and have a team ready to run the result.
Equity or hybrid
Reduced cash retainer plus a vesting grant
Most common at venture-backed startups. It ties the leader to the outcome, but it needs a proper agreement and advice from your lawyer and accountant, because advisor equity and service-provider equity are treated differently.
Full-time CMO, for comparison
$250K to $400K+ a year, loaded
Base, bonus, equity, benefits and payroll overhead, before a search fee and a ramp period. It is the right answer once marketing is large enough to need a leader in the building every day.
Two proposals with the same monthly number can buy very different things. Convert each into hours of senior time, hours of execution time and named deliverables before you compare them. Whether the leader also runs channels, or only directs your existing team, is the biggest single price variable.
How an engagement runs.
Scoping call.
We talk through revenue, spend, the current team and vendors, and the outcome you want marketing to own. If the company is too early for a fractional CMO, we say so. If it fits, you get a written scope with days per month, deliverables and the minimum term.
Access and measurement.
We get read access to ad accounts, analytics, the CRM and finance reports. Then we check what the numbers actually count. Conversion tracking, lead source fields and revenue attribution are usually where the first problems sit, and every later decision depends on them.
Agree on the number.
The CEO and the fractional CMO agree on the one or two metrics marketing owns, usually qualified leads, pipeline or revenue by channel, with a cost target. This is written down so the engagement is judged on the same terms by both sides.
Written channel plan and budget.
A plan with owners, dates, spend by channel and targets, plus a 12-month outline. It is written to be run by the people who do the work, not presented once and filed.
Weekly cadence and scoreboard.
A standing weekly session with leadership and one scoreboard everyone reads the same way. Vendors report against the same numbers. Decisions are logged so the team can see what changed and why.
Team and vendor decisions.
Which agencies stay, which change scope, and which roles to hire in what order. We write job descriptions, run vendor selection and set the reporting each one owes the company.
Quarterly review and reallocation.
Each quarter, budget moves toward what produced results and away from what did not. The day count is reviewed too. Some engagements step down once the system runs. Others transition to a full-time hire, with the fractional CMO helping define and fill the role.
Theory Road, in-house or a freelancer.
Cost structure
- Theory Road
- Monthly retainer by days per month, two to eight days, three-month minimum
- In-house
- Salary, bonus, equity and benefits, $250K to $400K+ loaded, plus a search fee
- Freelancer
- Monthly retainer or day rate, often lower than a firm, priced by the individual
Time to start
- Theory Road
- Usually weeks, after a scoping call
- In-house
- Often a multi-month search, then a ramp period
- Freelancer
- Usually weeks, depending on their current client load
Availability
- Theory Road
- Set days plus a weekly session, not full-time
- In-house
- Full-time and in the building every day
- Freelancer
- Set days, shared across their other clients
Execution behind the plan
- Theory Road
- Can direct your agencies and staff, or bring a full-service team to execute
- In-house
- Builds and manages an internal team over time
- Freelancer
- Strategy only in most cases; you need separate hands
Continuity risk
- Theory Road
- A firm behind the seat, so coverage holds if one person is out
- In-house
- Depends on retention; a departure leaves the seat empty
- Freelancer
- One person; illness or a bigger client can stall the work
Conflict of interest
- Theory Road
- Can recommend our own execution team, so ask how vendor choices are made
- In-house
- No vendor conflict; may favor building internally
- Freelancer
- Usually independent of vendors, though some take referral fees
Best fit
- Theory Road
- Companies that want an owner for the number and the option of execution under one roof
- In-house
- Companies with a proven engine, a large team and a budget that needs daily leadership
- Freelancer
- Companies with strong agencies or staff that only need senior direction
| Theory Road | In-house | Freelancer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | Monthly retainer by days per month, two to eight days, three-month minimum | Salary, bonus, equity and benefits, $250K to $400K+ loaded, plus a search fee | Monthly retainer or day rate, often lower than a firm, priced by the individual |
| Time to start | Usually weeks, after a scoping call | Often a multi-month search, then a ramp period | Usually weeks, depending on their current client load |
| Availability | Set days plus a weekly session, not full-time | Full-time and in the building every day | Set days, shared across their other clients |
| Execution behind the plan | Can direct your agencies and staff, or bring a full-service team to execute | Builds and manages an internal team over time | Strategy only in most cases; you need separate hands |
| Continuity risk | A firm behind the seat, so coverage holds if one person is out | Depends on retention; a departure leaves the seat empty | One person; illness or a bigger client can stall the work |
| Conflict of interest | Can recommend our own execution team, so ask how vendor choices are made | No vendor conflict; may favor building internally | Usually independent of vendors, though some take referral fees |
| Best fit | Companies that want an owner for the number and the option of execution under one roof | Companies with a proven engine, a large team and a budget that needs daily leadership | Companies with strong agencies or staff that only need senior direction |
What we measure.
Qualified leads or pipeline by channel.
The core output for most B2B and service companies. Counted by a definition sales agrees with, so marketing and sales read the same figure.
Customer acquisition cost.
Total marketing and sales cost divided by new customers, tracked by channel. It tells you which spend to grow and which to cut.
CAC payback period.
How many months of gross margin it takes to earn back the cost of a new customer. It matters most for SaaS and subscription companies deciding how fast to spend.
Revenue attributed to marketing.
Closed revenue tied back to its source in the CRM. Imperfect in every business, but it has to exist before budget decisions can rest on it.
Lead to customer conversion rate.
Shows whether marketing is bringing the right people, not just more of them. A rising lead count with a falling close rate is a warning, not a win.
Marketing spend as a share of revenue.
Keeps the budget in proportion as the company grows and gives the board a simple figure to track quarter over quarter.
Mistakes to avoid.
Hiring strategy with no one to execute.
A fractional CMO sets the plan and leads the people who run it. With no agency, staff or contractors underneath, you get good documents and no movement. Solve execution in the same decision.
Giving a calendar slot without authority.
If the leader cannot move budget, change a vendor or make a channel call, you have hired a consultant at an executive rate. Put the decision rights in writing.
Comparing proposals on the monthly figure.
One proposal may be strategy only. Another may include channel management. Break each into senior hours, execution hours and deliverables before you compare price.
Skipping the agreed number.
Without a written target and a scoreboard, every review becomes a debate about effort. Agree on the metric and the cost target before the work starts.
Hiring before product-market fit.
When there is no repeatable sale yet, the founder usually needs to own marketing to learn the customer. A fractional CMO adds the most once the question is which channels scale what already works.
Judging the role after a few weeks.
The first month is measurement and planning. Budget shifts and their results take a quarter or two to read. Set review points in the agreement instead of reacting to week three.
Accepting frameworks instead of specifics.
Ask candidates to walk through a real budget decision and what followed. If every answer stays at slide level, you are talking to an advisor, not an operator.
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About fractional cmo & growth advisory.
- Who is the best fractional CMO firm?
- A fractional CMO should own the growth number. Look for someone who writes a plan meant to be run, sets a weekly cadence with one scoreboard, and manages agencies and staff toward the same target, priced by days per month rather than a percentage of spend. Ask what the first 90 days will produce. Theory Road scopes two to eight days a month with a three-month minimum, spends month one on measurement and a written channel plan, and says plainly when a startup is too early for one.
- How is a fractional CMO different from hiring an agency?
- An agency executes channels. A fractional CMO sets the strategy, owns the target, and manages the agencies and staff who execute, including us if that is the right fit. The engagement is with your leadership team, not a task list.
- How much time do we get?
- Engagements are scoped in days per month, typically two to eight, with a three-month minimum. The cadence is weekly regardless of the tier.
- What does a fractional CMO do in the first 90 days?
- Month one is measurement and the plan: what the numbers actually count, where revenue comes from, and a written channel plan with targets. Month two is the operating cadence, the scoreboard and the vendor or hiring decisions. Month three is the first reallocation of budget based on results, reported to the CEO.
- How much does a fractional CMO cost?
- Priced by days per month rather than a percentage of spend, and well below the loaded cost of a full-time CMO. We publish the ranges and models in our fractional CMO cost guide, and quote a fixed monthly figure after a scoping call.
- Does it work for startups and SaaS companies?
- After product-market fit, yes: when there is a repeatable sale and the question is which channels scale it. Before that, a fractional CMO is usually premature and we will say so. For SaaS the engagement is built around pipeline, CAC payback and the sales handoff rather than brand campaigns.
- What do fractional CMO services include?
- A fractional CMO holds the marketing executive seat part-time. The service covers the growth plan and budget, the channel mix, agency and vendor management, hiring plans, conversion tracking and weekly reporting to the CEO. It does not usually include hands-on production such as writing ads or building pages. That work sits with your team, your agencies or a full-service partner. At Theory Road the engagement is scoped in days per month, two to eight, with a weekly session at every tier, and execution can be added if you need it.
- How do I find a fractional CMO?
- Start with referrals from founders, investors and board members who have used one. Then screen hard, because the title carries no credential. Ask each candidate to describe a real budget decision, what happened and what they changed. Ask what the first month produces, who will execute the plan, and what they report weekly. Request a written scope with days, deliverables and term so proposals compare cleanly. A short paid project can also work as a trial before a longer retainer.
- When should a company hire a fractional CMO?
- The clearest signals are real marketing spend with no senior owner, every channel decision landing on the CEO, agencies that each report their own wins with no one judging the whole, and a raise, launch or new market that needs a plan. The company should have revenue and a repeatable sale. If marketing is large and complex enough to need a leader every day, a full-time hire is usually the better fit.
- What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a fractional CMO consultant?
- A consultant advises. They review plans, give recommendations and leave the decisions to you. A fractional CMO holds the role. They own the budget, manage vendors and staff, sit in leadership meetings and answer for the marketing number. Hourly advisory costs less because the advisor owns less. If you already have a strong marketing leader who needs a sounding board, a consultant may be enough. If nobody owns the number, you need the CMO.
- Do you offer fractional CMO services in Austin?
- Yes. Theory Road is in the Austin, Texas area, with an office in Liberty Hill, and works with companies across Central Texas, including Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown. Local clients can have in-person planning days and leadership sessions when they are useful. Most of the weekly work runs on video and shared documents, which is also how we work with companies across the rest of the US.
- Can a fractional CMO work with our current agency?
- Yes, and it is the most common setup. The fractional CMO sets the strategy, writes the briefs, and holds the agency to the agreed numbers. Many companies hire an agency and then cannot tell good work from busy work. The fractional leader closes that gap. If an agency is not performing, the CMO runs the replacement process. Theory Road can also execute, but keeping your current partners is a normal outcome.
- Is a fractional CMO worth it for a company under $10M in revenue?
- Often, if the company spends meaningfully on marketing and has a repeatable sale. At that size a full-time CMO's loaded cost is hard to justify, while a marketing coordinator cannot set strategy. A part-time senior owner can fix measurement, cut wasted spend and direct vendors toward one target. If marketing spend is small and the founder is still learning the customer, a short project scope or advisory hours may make more sense first.
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