3 things VCs ask marketers (and how to prep)

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🧑‍💻 What VCs Actually Ask B2B Marketers (And How to Nail Your Answers)

You've made it to the final round. The VC board members want to meet.

Your palms are sweaty. You're expecting a grilling about CAC, LTV, and conversion metrics.

Plot twist: They don't care about your spreadsheets.

Here's what actually happens in these conversations, straight from marketers who've been there.

They Want Strategy, Not Metrics

Dave Gerhardt spent time with VCs at Sequoia and CRV. His takeaway? "I expected them to be super intense and metrics driven, but really what they wanted to know was all about strategy."

They asked him:

• What is good marketing?
• Who's doing it well?
• What could you be doing at this company?

Notice what's missing? No CAC discussions. No channel breakdowns.

They care about the company story, the narrative, the brand. Building something that lasts, not just this quarter's numbers.

The Real Questions They're Asking

Hugo Bernardo, Partner at Keen Founders, went through this twice. Once with Sequoia, once with Andreessen and Founders Fund. Here's what each one focused on:

Sequoia asked big picture questions:

• "What do you think the biggest challenges of company X are?"
• "What does it take to get the company to the next milestone?"

Andreessen got specific about problem-solving:

• "Our LinkedIn outreach isn't working and our sales team is ineffective. What do you think might be happening?"
• "Have you faced a similar problem? How did you solve it?"

Founders Fund wanted concrete examples:

• "Tell me about a project when you had to build out a self-service motion"
• "What did your social acquisition plan look like and why did you do it that way?

What They're Really Testing

Sylvia LePoidevin, CMO at Kandji, nailed it: VCs want someone who can "dive in and be scrappy on day 1" AND "drive towards the moonshot they are all hoping for."

They're checking for 2 things:

1. Can you communicate effectively?
2. Can you problem-solve alongside them?

It's less about your skills (you wouldn't be there if you didn't have them) and more about fit.

How to Prepare

Don't just prepare answers. Prepare questions.

Ask them:

• What do you think this company needs most?
• Who in your portfolio is doing marketing well?
• What's your biggest concern about the marketing function here?

Balance vision with execution.

Have strong opinions about the big picture, but also concrete ideas for what you'd do in the first 90 days.

Include your personal story.

VCs care about who you are as a person. Don't skip this part.

The bottom line? VC board interviews aren't technical assessments. They're strategic conversations.

Come ready to think out loud about hard problems. Show them you can see the forest AND the trees.

And remember. If you're in the room, they already think you can do the job. Now they just want to know if you're the right person to do it with them.

📺 UPCOMING EVENTS

⁉️ [TOMORROW] WTF is GTM Engineering?! Do I need to hire for this role?

You’ve seen the title. Now let’s unpack the hype.

Six months ago, there were just a few hundred GTM Engineering roles online. Today? Over 5,000 and counting. But ask ten execs what the role actually does, and you’ll get ten different answers.

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We’ll cover:

• What makes GTM Engineering different from RevOps, MOPs, and SOPs
• Why frictionless buying now matters more than product differentiation in the AI era
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• Real examples of how GTM Engineers drive impact, solve stack challenges, and partner with GTM Strategists

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Other open roles on the Exit Five job board this week:

• The Virtual Hub is hiring a Head of Growth Marketing
• Quarterzip is hiring a Senior Growth Marketing Manager
• Science Interactive is hiring a Producat Marketing Mangager
• Animalz is hiring a Senior Content Marketer
• Ceipal is hiring a Director of Content
• TuMeke is hiring a Senior Marketing Manager (Demand Gen)
• Boost My School is hiring a Mid-level or Senior Marketing Manager (Demand Gen/Events)
• Walnut is hiring a Senior Content and Brand Strategist
• New North is hiring a Growth Marketing Strategist
• Valence is hiring a Product Marketing Manager

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