Via Emily Kramer of MKT1 & Dear Marketers

“One of the ways that we are able to move fast is because teams can take things end to end. The death of the marketing team is when every single idea takes 20 people to execute.”

— MKT1 Gen Marketer Summit | Roundtable with marketers from Clay, Bridge by Stripe, and Pear VC/Vanta, at 21:53

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The biggest enemy of marketing execution isn’t lack of resources—it’s too many people in the process. Per Ting Ting Luo (Head of Product Marketing at Clay): “The death of the marketing team is when every single idea takes 20 people to execute and the momentum dies before the idea ever gets off the ground.”

This operational bloat is especially dangerous in today’s competitive landscape:

• Speed is now a competitive advantage due to AI tools that accelerate execution
• Market differentiation requires rapid iteration and quick pivots when campaigns aren’t working
• Cross-functional dependencies kill momentum before ideas can gain traction
• End-to-end ownership allows teams to maintain quality while moving fast

For marketers making the jump to leadership roles, this insight is crucial. Building teams where individuals or small groups can take projects from concept to completion isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about creating the organizational structure that allows marketing to keep pace with business needs and market opportunities.

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