What does it really take to build a startup marketing engine from scratch—without a playbook, a team, or even a working product?

In this episode of MarketingTips, we sit down with Nicole Schafer, Head of Marketing at M^0, a VC-funded crypto startup. As the first and only marketer at the company, Nicole had to build everything from the ground up: positioning, brand narrative, content strategy, campaign execution, analytics—you name it.

This conversation is a masterclass in early-stage marketing, perfect for marketers at seed to Series B startups, especially in fast-moving, technical industries like crypto, fintech, or Web3.

You’ll learn:

• The first three moves Nicole made when joining M^0

• How to create a brand narrative that sticks (and earns mindshare)

• Why "people buy feelings, not features" should drive your messaging

• How to balance rapid testing with consistent storytelling

• What metrics to track when your #1 goal is brand awareness

• How to manage campaigns, content, and positioning as a one-person team

• The battle-tested framework she uses to define messaging: origin, challenge, resolution

Plus: Nicole shares how startup marketing forced her to grow faster than ever before—from mastering analytics to running company-wide strategy solo.

If you’re building a marketing function from the ground up or want a peek inside the reality of being a solo marketer at a high-growth startup, this one’s for you.