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"The Talent Stack: Who to Hire, When, and What You Can Outsource"

“The Talent Stack: Who to Hire, When, and What You Can Outsource”

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Mark Gabrielli
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The Talent Stack: Who to Hire, When, and What You Can Outsource

MarkCMO.COM | the talent stack who to hire when and what you can outsource

Let’s get one thing straight: your marketing org isn’t a buffet. You don’t need “a little bit of everything” and you definitely don’t need to hire a full-time TikTok whisperer just because your competitor did. The real game is building a talent stack that’s lean, lethal, and aligned with your growth stage—not bloated with generalists who can “wear many hats” (translation: do nothing well). In this article, we’ll break down who you should hire, when to bring them in, and what you can—and should—outsource without losing your strategic edge. If you’re tired of bloated org charts and marketing teams that look busy but move slow, this one’s for you.

Why Most Marketing Teams Are Built Backwards

Here’s the dirty little secret: most marketing teams are built based on what the last CMO did, not what the business actually needs. It’s like inheriting a closet full of clothes that don’t fit—but you keep wearing them because “that’s what we’ve always done.”

Instead of starting with strategy, companies start with roles. “We need a content person.” Why? “Because we’ve always had one.” That’s not a strategy. That’s inertia.

Let’s flip the script. Start with outcomes, not org charts. What are you trying to achieve in the next 6–12 months? Then reverse-engineer the talent stack that gets you there.

The Talent Stack Framework

Think of your marketing team like a tech stack. You don’t install every tool on day one—you add what you need, when you need it. Same goes for people.

  • Core Strategic Talent (Hire): These are your in-house brains. They own the roadmap, understand the business, and make the calls.
  • Specialist Execution (Outsource): These are your on-demand snipers. You don’t need them full-time, but when you do, they deliver with precision.
  • Scalable Support (Automate or Offshore): Repetitive, process-driven tasks? Don’t waste your A-players on B-level work.

Who to Hire: The Core Strategic Stack

Hiring is expensive. Not just in dollars, but in time, onboarding, and cultural bandwidth. So hire slow, and hire for leverage.

1. The Marketing Architect (aka Your First Strategic Hire)

This is your Head of Marketing, VP, or CMO—depending on your stage. They don’t just “run campaigns.” They build the machine. They understand positioning, GTM strategy, and how to align marketing with revenue—not just impressions.

Hire this person when:

  • You’ve found product-market fit
  • You’re ready to scale beyond founder-led growth
  • You need someone to own the full funnel, not just the top

2. The Content Strategist (Not a Copy-Paste Blogger)

Content isn’t about volume—it’s about velocity and value. A good content strategist knows how to turn insights into assets that drive pipeline, not just pageviews.

Hire this person when:

  • Your sales team is starving for enablement content
  • You’re ready to build a content engine, not a content calendar
  • You want to own your category, not just rank for keywords

3. The Growth Operator (Your Data-Driven Doer)

This is your performance marketer, growth lead, or demand gen pro. They live in the numbers and know how to turn $1 into $3. They don’t just run ads—they build acquisition systems.

Hire this person when:

  • You have a clear ICP and a working funnel
  • You’re ready to scale paid channels or optimize conversion
  • You want to stop guessing and start testing

What to Outsource: The Specialist Stack

Here’s the truth: you don’t need a full-time video editor, SEO analyst, or email designer. You need access to them—when it matters.

Outsource these roles to agencies, freelancers, or fractional experts:

  • Design: Brand refresh? Hire a pro. Daily social graphics? Use templates.
  • SEO: Strategy and audits? Outsource. Content optimization? Train your team.
  • Video: High-impact brand videos? Outsource. Loom walkthroughs? DIY.
  • PR: Launching a new category? Bring in the big guns. Ongoing media pitching? Maybe not worth the retainer.

Outsourcing isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of focus. You’re not building a marketing museum. You’re building a growth engine.

What to Automate or Offshore: The Support Stack

If a task is repeatable, predictable, and doesn’t require strategic thinking—it’s a candidate for automation or offshoring.

  • Email list cleaning
  • CRM hygiene
  • Basic reporting
  • Social media scheduling

Don’t pay a $120K marketer to do $12/hour work. That’s not lean—that’s lazy leadership.

Truth Bomb

If your marketing team looks the same at $1M ARR as it does at $10M ARR, you’re not scaling—you’re stalling.

How to Evolve Your Talent Stack Over Time

Your talent stack should evolve with your business. What works at Seed will break at Series B. What works at Series B will be irrelevant at IPO.

Seed Stage (0–$1M ARR)

  • Hire: A strategic generalist (Head of Marketing or Fractional CMO)
  • Outsource: Design, content, paid media
  • Automate: Everything you can

Series A–B ($1M–$10M ARR)

  • Hire: Content strategist, growth marketer, marketing ops
  • Outsource:

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