Finding someone who sits on marketing that understands product, or someone in product that understands marketing isn’t enough to assure they are going to drive real impact along your growth curve. And if we’re going to be brutally honest for a minute…isn’t cross-team knowledge and awareness more of a prerequisite for any hire these days? In this presentation you’ll learn what you need to know to staff for sustainable growth.

1. Joanna Lord
CMO, ClassPass
@JoannaLord
Who You Should Hire
for Sustainable
Growth
#GHConf18

2. Who You Should Hire for
Sustainable Growth
Joanna Lord
Chief Marketing Officer, ClassPass
@joannalord
#GHconf18

3. X

5. What is growth?

6. Creating inflection opportunities for
business success.

7. T h e r e a r e o n l y t h r e e w a y s t o g r o w :

8. T h e r e a r e o n l y t h r e e w a y s t o g r o w :
ACQUISITION
RETENTION
MONETIZATION

9. T h e r e a r e o n l y t h r e e w a y s t o g r o w :
ACQUISITION
RETENTION
MONETIZATION

10. T h e r e a r e o n l y t h r e e w a y s t o g r o w :
ACQUISITION
RETENTION
MONETIZATION

11. but why is that so hard?

12. because a lot has changed.

13. ownership
has changed

14. PRODUCT MARKETING
ENGINEERING DATA
GROWTH
: marketing

15. PRODUCT MARKETING
ENGINEERING DATA
GROWTH
: marketing
: product & marketing

16. PRODUCT MARKETING
ENGINEERING DATA
GROWTH
: marketing
: product & marketing
& engineering & data
: product & marketing

17. there is now a requirement for cross functional
effectiveness that wasn’t there before.

18. organizational structure
has changed

19. Example: LinkedIn Growth Team
SEO
Onboarding
Network
Growth
Comms
PYMK,
Virality,
Connections
Engagement through
email/push,
Resurrection
SEO,
Conversion
optimization,
Public profile
Onboarding,
Activation,
Intent discovery

20. there is now a requirement for elasticity and comfort
with ambiguity that wasn’t there before.

21. who you need
to hire has changed

22. : creative

23. : creative
: creative & analytical

24. : creative
: creative & analytical
: creative & analytical
& technical & intuition

25. there is now a requirement for cross domain
hires that wasn’t there before.

26. So we just have to change who we hire, how we
organize around, and how we operate.

27. …and we have to do that while delivering beautiful
marketing, on a budget, with limited resources, quickly,
effectively, and we have to do it better than anyone else.
So we just have to change who we hire, how we
organize around, and how we operate.

28. f&ck.*
* the & is a u. it spells fuck.

29. but it can be done.

30. #itsallaboutthepeople

31. The Key Qualities of a
Great Growth Hire

32. 1
they are:
brutally optimistic.

33. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic
abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—
brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a
love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great
accomplishment.
the coveted “growth mindset”

34. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic
abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—
brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a
love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great
accomplishment.
the coveted “growth mindset”

35. but for real…what does that mean?
Relentless.
Exceptionally high work ethic.
Been through pivots, can speak to them effectively.
Understands power of retro, ABL mentality.
“Visionary” approach to management.
High likeability, “lead from within” style.

36. they are:
domain agnostic, t-shaped hires.

37. skills that fuel growth : t-shaped

38. skills that fuel growth : t-shaped, domain specific
Brand : Lead Gen : Community : Loyalty : Email : Social : Press : Communications : Content : SEO : Technical
PPC

39. Technical : Analytical : Creative : Product : Design Theory : Paid : Inbound : CRO : Content : Statistics: Modeling : Database/SQL : Psychology
Marketing
skills that fuel growth : t-shaped, domain agnostic

40. but for real…what does that mean?
Top down expectation around a more well rounded skillset.
Invest in training programs like Reforge, GA, CodeFellows, etc.
In-house programs around cross domain learning.
Encourage the side hustle.
Support the millenial renaissance of always wanting to be better.

41. they are:
low ego, comfortable with ambiguity

42. T H I S I S
T H E H A R D E S T
PA R T
“How you organize will
either fuel or kill
growth.”

43. MARKETING PARTNERS PRODUCT ENGINEERIN
G
PRICING CX FINANCE LEGAL
T H E WAY I T S A LWAY S B E E N D O N E .

44. CAC CHURN BURN
T H E WAY I T S H O U L D B E D O N E .

45. but for real…what does that mean?
Full stack inclination for autonomous output.
Decentralized mentality.
No need to “own” but can when needed.
Comfortable with quick pivots & gray areas.
Excellent collaborator.
Strong documenter, attention to detail oriented.

46. they are:
high EQ, able to keep perspective

47. L I K E R I G H T N O W
“Often the hardest,
most complicated
business decision is
the exact one you need
to make.”

49. X

50. but for real…what does that mean?
Scores high on all four of the EQ quandrants.
Ruthless prioritizor, nothing is precious.
Ability to compartmentalize.
Pragmatist.
Structures around output not people.

51. Growth isn’t about
magical tactics and platform
hacks.

52. The best brands in the world are investing
in growth as an operational machine.
They’re hiring curious, resourceful, low
ego people to triangulate around a
problem and run fast.
Growth isn’t about
magical tactics and platform
hacks.

53. Thank You!
Questions? @joannalord
Joanna Lord
CMO, ClassPass
@joannalord

54. Learn more about the
GrowthHackers Conference at
GrowthHackers.com/Conference