To Life Science Investors
Why Work with an FCMO?
Without a strong go-to-market strategy, your portfolio company will burn through investment capital trying to “figure out marketing” the hard way—through trial, error, and sometimes… YEARS.
Strong Science. Weak Market Strategy. The Gap That Kills Growth.
Many early-stage life sciences companies are led by scientists, engineers, or physicians.
Sure, they understand the technical challenges.
They can talk in depth about the data.
But commercialization is a different game.
Without the right marketing and positioning, even a breakthrough innovation can struggle to gain traction.
- Sales cycles drag on because customers don’t understand the value.
- Pricing pressure increases because there’s no clear differentiation.
- Investor expectations aren’t met because marketing isn’t driving demand at scale.
- Competitors with weaker products win because they communicate better.
And the biggest problem?
The leadership team doesn’t always see this coming.
They assume that once the product is launched, customers will naturally adopt it. They believe that scientific merit alone will drive market success.
It won’t.
Without a strong go-to-market strategy, they’ll burn through investment capital trying to “figure out marketing” the hard way—through trial, error, and missed opportunities.
A Fractional CMO Protects Your Investment by Driving Market Traction.
A Fractional CMO is your commercialization strategist—someone who knows how to take a life sciences product from “promising technology” to recognized market leader.
It’s about de-risking the business by building a scalable, repeatable growth engine.
Here’s how it changes your trajectory:
- Positioning that attracts the right buyers. If customers don’t immediately understand why this product matters, they won’t buy it. We fix that.
- Messaging that simplifies complex science. Customers don’t buy based on technical specs—they buy based on value. We translate science into commercial success.
- Demand generation that works in a technical market. Long sales cycles? Niche buyers? Regulatory constraints? We create a strategy that actually fits life sciences.
- Sales and marketing alignment. No more gaps between the lab, the sales team, and the market. Everyone is rowing in the same direction.
- Data-backed decisions. Investors want metrics, not guesswork. We track what’s working, what’s not, and what’s moving the needle on revenue.
Marketing is often miscateogirzed as an expense (thanks Accounting).
But in the best companies, it’s a growth multiplier.
When done right, marketing shortens sales cycles, increases valuation, and makes your portfolio company a real contender.
Should I Hire a Marketing Agency?
It’s tempting.
Your portfolio company needs marketing, so the first instinct is to hire an agency.
They promise slick branding, a new website, social media campaigns, maybe even some SEO.
It sounds SO good.
It looks great.
But it won’t move the needle.
Because most agencies don’t understand life sciences.
They specialize in B2B or healthcare marketing, but they don’t know the realities of long sales cycles, complex buyer journeys, regulatory hurdles, or scientific decision-making.
And that means your startup ends up with marketing that looks great but doesn’t actually generate demand.
- They focus on tactics, not strategy. An agency will happily run LinkedIn ads and redesign the website, but if the company doesn’t have a strong positioning strategy, those efforts won’t convert.
- They don’t align with sales. A well-produced whitepaper means nothing if it doesn’t help sales shorten the buying process.
- They measure the wrong things. Agencies love reporting on impressions, website visits, and clicks. But in life sciences, what matters is pipeline, revenue, and customer adoption.
- They don’t speak the language of scientists, researchers, or clinicians. If your marketing doesn’t resonate with technical buyers, it gets ignored.
- They don’t have the clout to push back on bad ideas. A hired agency takes orders. A senior marketing leader challenges assumptions and aligns marketing with business goals.
And here’s the worst part: agencies leave.
They come in, do a project, and move on. And then the company is right back where it started—no internal marketing leadership, no long-term strategy, and no real progress.
What’s missing isn’t an agency.
What’s missing is a senior leader who can build and execute a scalable go-to-market strategy.
That’s what a Fractional CMO does.
They’re not here to “run campaigns.” They’re here to own marketing, set the strategy, and drive real, measurablebusiness impact.
Because when you’re betting on a life sciences company, you don’t need to grow busy-ness. You need to grow the business.
But Hold On. It’s Global Agency With a PhD.
It makes sense on paper.
Your portfolio company needs marketing, and this agency is big, global, well-established. They even have a PhD on staff who “gets the science.”
Sounds like the perfect fit, right?
Except… it’s not.
Because scaling one company isn’t the same as building a repeatable marketing engine for a startup.
And understanding the science isn’t the same as knowing how to sell it.
A PhD Won’t Fix the Commercialization Gap
Sure, having a PhD on board sounds reassuring—especially in a technical field like life sciences.
But let’s be honest:
- Can they translate science into a compelling commercial story? Understanding the technology isn’t enough. What matters is knowing how to position it so investors, decision-makers, and buyers immediately grasp its value.
- Do they understand how to scale a go-to-market function from scratch? Growing one company is different from creating a repeatable system that works across different markets, sales cycles, and customer types.
- Have they navigated regulatory and compliance-driven marketing at scale? Selling in life sciences isn’t like SaaS—what you say, how you say it, and where you say it can literally determine whether a sale happens or not.
A PhD might help you understand the market, but that doesn’t mean they know how to break into it.
Big Agencies Move Slow. Startups Can’t Afford That.
Global agencies aren’t built for early-stage companies.
They work with big brands—the ones that already have marketing teams, established reputations, and budgets for long-term awareness campaigns.
Your life sciences startup needs traction now.
But here’s what happens when you hire a large agency:
- They take months to ramp up. By the time they’ve had their kickoff meetings and outlined their strategy, you’ve lost a quarter.
- They prioritize “awareness” over sales. Startups need revenue, not just website traffic. Agencies love big creative campaigns, but will they actually generate pipeline?
- They charge for everything. Need a pivot? A messaging refresh? A new campaign? That’s another statement of work, another budget approval, another delay.
- They aren’t embedded in the business. An agency takes orders. A senior marketing leader sits at the table, challenges assumptions, and builds for scale.
Your company isn’t Pfizer.
You don’t need brand committees, global approval workflows, and overpriced market research.
You need a clear, focused, and adaptable marketing strategy that works in the trenches, right now.
What You Actually Need: A Hands-On Marketing Leader Who Builds for Growth
A Fractional CMO does what a global agency can’t.
- They move fast. No waiting months for a strategy deck—you get execution from day one.
- They align marketing with sales. Because leads and awareness mean nothing if they don’t convert.
- They make marketing a core business function. No outsourcing your go-to-market strategy—it becomes part of your DNA.
- They don’t just “get the science.” They get the business of life sciences.
A PhD might understand the tech.
A global agency might have reach.
But a Fractional CMO gets results.
Because at this stage, your portfolio company doesn’t need more reports, committees, or vanity metrics.
It needs traction. Fast.
And that’s exactly what a Fractional CMO delivers.
You Invested in the Science. Now It’s Time to Invest in the Market Strategy.
If your portfolio company doesn’t have a senior marketing leader, you’re taking on unnecessary risk.
Because without a strong go-to-market function, even the best technology will struggle to gain traction.
A Fractional CMO ensures that doesn’t happen.
If you’re serious about protecting and growing your investment, let’s talk.
Because in life sciences, the best product doesn’t always win.
The best-positioned one does.
Bill Schick
Founder and FCMO
MESH Interactive Agency