When you’re building a startup, resources are scarce. Time. Money. People. Unfortunately that means founders make trade offs that might hurt them in the long run.

One of the first things to be put on the “...we’ll get to it list” is branding and marketing. But building a great product isn’t enough, especially in a crowded space or a new category where customer education is critical to success.

Our guest today wants you to know that you don’t have to choose between building a great product and a solid marketing strategy.

Roshni Wijayasinha is the CEO and lead strategist of Prosh Marketing, a fractional marketing firm providing guidance and support to startups and scale-ups across Canada. Prosh is also a member of the Communitech Pro Squad, a curated group of professionals offering mentorship and services to Communitech members.

Roshni shares why marketing shouldn’t be left until after launch, how early brand and go-to-market thinking de-risk your product, and why you don’t need a massive budget to start building traction. From PR hacks and social strategies to AI tools and customer discovery tips, this episode is packed with insights for founders at any stage.

She also shares how her passion for street art informs her creative approach to marketing—and how you can bring more creativity to your startup strategy.

03:16 – What is the Pro Squad?
04:39 – Meet Roshni Wijayasinha from Prosh Marketing
05:57 – Roshni’s journey from Microsoft to Kobo to fractional CMO
07:03 – The danger of delaying marketing until product launch
08:47 – Why beta testing beats early bad PR
09:41 – Funnel vs flywheel thinking in startup marketing
10:59 – Marketing with $0: Partnerships, email, social, and more
13:00 – Choosing the right social media channel
14:40 – Is LinkedIn dead? (Spoiler: No)
16:21 – Using channels in a way your customers actually want
16:54 – How AI is supercharging—but not replacing—startup marketing
19:05 – Paid ads: underrated channels and smarter testing
20:31 – PR on a budget: tools and tactics
21:34 – Founder as thought leader: writing opinion pieces that get noticed
22:27 – Roshni’s street art practice and how it inspires her marketing
24:24 – Bringing murals and creative energy into company culture
25:28 – The one thing every founder should know about marketing
28:15 – Free strategy call offer from Prosh Marketing for Communitech founders