ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the importance of developing marketing and sales capabilities to achieve competitive advantage. It aims to distinguish between marketing capabilities for survival and growth. The chapter also explains the transition from the customer development team to a marketing and sales department. Effectuation marketing is most suited to be used in the beginning of the start-up’s existence, that is, for customer discovery and validation. It serves the situation where customers and the market are unclear and product-market fit still needs to be established. The optimum number of marketing/salespeople required at the early stage of development is rarely seriously considered in many start-ups. A marketing dashboard helps marketing and salespeople to enhance the effect of their efforts. Although the marketing dashboard’s scope will be limited at first, start-ups can enhance their marketing efforts by developing such a tool. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.
