RyanHirsch

There is a Crypto CMO Crisis. Here are your options: Firstly, what is the true cost of a top-tier CMO? Let’s break down the basic economics: • $250K–$300K+ base salary (minimum in today’s market) • 1% equity + token packages • Travel and event expenses That's not even including the hidden costs: • Recruitment fees: 20–30% of base salary → $60K–$90K • Time to hire: 3–6 months • Onboarding and ramp-up could be another 6–9 months And the biggest risk of all: what if they’re not the one? According to @HarvardBiz, a bad hire can cost a third of the employee's salary. That's just the economics and probability of success. The worst part is all the best CMOs are leaving. Now that we’ve established that hiring a CMO is not optimal, here are your other options. This is the way forward: 1. Hire Juniors and train them Stop chasing unicorns. Open your doors to hungry, crypto-native marketers. Look for proof of work: • Have they built their own brand account? • Are they active in web3 communities? • Do they understand the space? Invest in people who are eager to learn and scale with you. Train them, mentor them, and they’ll grow into being your CMO. 2. Use marketing agencies The truth is if you haven't done it. There is a reason why. You may be capable? But you still haven't done it. Agencies will execute for you. Here is the landscape: Full-service marketing = @hypepartners @scrib3_co and @serotonin_hq Founder-led storytelling = @fortyiq KOL = @TailoredWeb3 and @superpotionco PR = @AshleyStanhope and @YAPGlobalTeam There’s an entire ecosystem of niche agencies that specialize in crypto. TL;DR 1. Even if you land a CMO, they're gonna leave mate. 2. Hire a junior marketer and train them or go with an agency 3. Remember that a great story with average tech will beat amazing tech with poor storytelling. Every. Single. Time. If you need intros, advice, or direction—DM me. I’ll point you in the right direction.