In this episode of Next Round Ready, Dan Banning joins me, Coach Chris, to unpack the marketing mindset founders need before they raise money, launch campaigns, or hire agencies. Dan brings years of experience working with venture-backed startups and shares actionable lessons on building traction without wasting time or budget.

We had a great discussion on brand awareness and how it gets confused with real marketing channels. Then we talked about “minimum viable marketing” and what it looks like in practice.

Key Topics we Covered

* Why your marketing strategy should be tied to your GTM model

* What to do before hiring a marketing agency

* How to create a message that lands with your ideal customer

* Why content is the fastest path to founder visibility

* What successful early stage marketing actually looks like

Episode Highlights:

* “You can’t outsource strategy if you don’t know your story yet.”

* “A founder who knows their customer wins even if the product isn’t perfect.”

* “Most startups don’t need more awareness—they need more clarity.”

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