Why Early-Stage Founders Underinvest in Marketing—and Why That’s a Costly Mistake

Let’s talk about something I see all the time: early-stage founders treating marketing like an afterthought. Especially in healthtech and mission-driven startups, marketing often gets labeled as a “money pit” or something they can DIY until they have more traction. Some think of it as just posting on LinkedIn now and then. Others assume a junior hire or freelancer can “just handle it.”

But here’s the thing: marketing isn’t just an expense—it’s an investment in growth, credibility, and customer acquisition. And if you put it off too long or do it without strategy, you’ll feel the consequences later.

Let’s break down the common reasons founders underinvest in marketing—and why a shift in thinking can be a game-changer.

1. Marketing Feels Like a “Money Pit” Instead of a Growth Lever

If you’re an early-stage founder, you probably think about growth constantly. But when budgets are tight, marketing is often the first thing to go because it doesn’t always deliver instant results like sales does.

The reality: Done right, marketing actually makes sales easier. A strong brand, clear messaging, and well-executed content build trust before a salesperson even gets on a call. Founders who invest in marketing early often find their sales cycles get shorter because leads come in already educated and interested.

2. Founders Think They Can Do It Themselves (or Hand It Off to a Junior Hire)

You know your product and market better than anyone, so shouldn’t you be able to handle marketing yourself? Or, at the very least, bring on an intern or a freelancer to pump out some content?

The reality: Marketing—especially in healthtech—is more than just writing a few blog posts. It’s about positioning, messaging, and knowing how to drive demand in a complex market. Without expertise, you risk creating generic content that doesn’t resonate or, worse, confuses your audience. Marketing isn’t just about being visible—it’s about being clear and compelling to the right people.

3. Content Feels Like an Afterthought

A lot of founders treat content marketing as a “nice to have.” Maybe they launch a blog or post on social media here and there, but there’s no clear strategy behind it.

The reality: Content should be part of your demand generation strategy, not just an activity to check off the list. Thoughtful, strategic content helps educate your market, position your company as a leader, and bring in inbound leads. If you don’t have a clear plan for your messaging, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

4. Marketing ROI Feels Hard to Measure

Unlike sales, where success is measured in closed deals, marketing’s impact often takes longer to show up. And let’s be honest, if you’re expecting overnight traction, you’re going to be frustrated.

The reality: Marketing’s ROI compounds over time. The key is tracking the right things—like inbound demo requests, conversion rates, and sales cycle length—not just vanity metrics like likes and impressions. When marketing and sales are aligned, you’ll start seeing the impact in your pipeline.

5. They Overlook How Marketing Helps Secure Funding and Partnerships

Most early-stage startups focus their messaging on customers. But guess who else is paying attention? Investors, potential partners, and even top talent you want to hire.

The reality: A weak brand or unclear positioning makes it harder to raise capital and build credibility. Investors dotheir research, and if your website or thought leadership doesn’t tell a compelling story, they’ll move on. On the flip side, a strong marketing presence signals that you know your market, your customer, and your value prop inside and out.

How to Shift Your Mindset on Marketing

If marketing has felt like a “someday” problem, here’s how to reframe it:

• Start with strategy. Before creating content or launching campaigns, define your positioning, ideal customer profile (ICP), and messaging framework.

• Invest in expertise. Whether through a fractional CMO, an experienced consultant, or a skilled in-house hire, marketing requires leadership—just like product and sales.

• Align marketing with sales. Marketing should support pipeline generation, not operate in a silo. Work closely with sales teams to ensure messaging resonates with decision-makers.

• Measure what matters. Track pipeline influence, inbound leads, and customer acquisition costs (CAC) to assess marketing effectiveness.

Final Thought

The best B2B startups don’t wait until they’re “ready” to invest in marketing. They integrate it into their growth strategy from the beginning. If you’re serious about building a sustainable business, treating marketing as an afterthought is a mistake you can’t afford to make.

If this sounds familiar, I’d love to hear from you: How are you thinking about marketing at your startup?