Frequently Asked Questions

  • A fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) provides senior-level marketing leadership without the full-time cost. For fintech startups, this means building a growth engine that aligns brand, product, and revenue without waiting six months to hire or onboard a full-time exec. At illumination, we plug in fast, cut through the chaos, and build systems that scale.

  • Most founders bring in a fractional CMO after Series A, when investor pressure ramps up, go-to-market starts to stall, or marketing feels like a black box. Others founders find it beneficial to hire a fractional CMO pre-Series A to help with investor business casing. If you're trying to translate complex products into market-ready/investor-ready messaging or prove CAC and LTV metrics, it’s time.

  • We solve founder-led marketing chaos. That includes:

    • unclear messaging that confuses the market

    • scattered tactics with no funnel

    • pressure to report on CAC, LTV, and pipeline with no system behind it

    • internal misalignment between product, sales, and marketing

    In short, we partner with you to turn your business into measurable growth quickly.

  • A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) focuses on brand, messaging, and demand generation. A Chief Growth Officer (CGO) is responsible for the full revenue picture including marketing, sales, customer lifecycle, and sometimes even product.

    Most early-stage fintechs need both, but don’t have the headcount or budget.

    That’s where illumination comes in. We bridge the gap:

    • We deliver CMO-level strategy like positioning, go-to-market, and team structure

    • Plus CGO-style focus on growth metrics like CAC, LTV, funnel velocity, and revenue outcomes

    You get a unified growth engine without hiring two executives or faking it with freelancers.

  • We’re not an agency. We’re senior operators.

    No decks for the sake of decks. No junior teams pretending to “own strategy.”

    We embed into your team, build clarity fast, and focus on outcomes, not output. If marketing doesn’t move the needle, it’s not on the roadmap.

  • Yes, if that team needs leadership, structure, or strategic clarity. Junior marketers and freelancers can execute, but they can’t architect. We create the roadmap, align your team, and make marketing work harder for revenue and investor readiness.

  • Absolutely. We build the investor-facing story and back it with metrics like CAC, LTV, conversion paths, and funnel velocity. Whether it’s prepping for Series B or entering new markets, we make sure your growth story holds up in the boardroom.

  • We specialize in working with:

    • Technical B2B fintechs like APIs, infrastructure, or compliance tools

    • Visionary B2C fintechs like neobanks, investing apps, or lending platforms

    • Second-time founders building infrastructure or B2B2C fintech platforms

    If you’ve outgrown duct tape and need a scalable system, we’re probably a fit.

  • We work with progressive credit unions and financial institutions that are ready to modernize their marketing without losing member trust. Typically, that means:

    • Teams launching new digital offerings or embedded fintech partnerships

    • Leaders under pressure to show ROI from marketing spend

    • Organizations stuck between legacy systems and next-gen expectations

    Whether you're rebranding, rolling out a new product, or just tired of doing “a bit of everything” with no results, we help build the strategy and systems that actually move the needle.

  • Our clients have seen:

    • 100% more conversions on half the spend

    • 50% increase in appointments

    • 230% growth driven by full-funnel marketing

    A good fractional CMO doesn't just "do marketing". They turn it into a growth lever your investors will understand.

  • Most founders see momentum within 2 to 3 months. We build the right marketing systems, not just flashy campaigns, so the impact compounds. Think systems, not stunts.

  • We offer structured engagements, not random acts of marketing. If you need a go-to-market plan, messaging system, or growth engine audit, we’ll scope it and build it right.