Observations
The CEO Should Not Be a Marketer. The CEO should understand the system.
As we’ve stated in previous articles, the final responsibility for marketing success lies with the CEO. The first reaction to this idea is predictable: “Wait, but I’m not a marketer! I don’t have time to understand SEO, SMM, and targeting. My job is to manage the entire business, not just one function.” This is an absolutely correct position. You shouldn’t be a marketer.
A CEO’s job isn’t to play every instrument, but to conduct the entire orchestra. A good conductor does not have to be a virtuoso violinist. However, they must know the score perfectly (the overall strategy), recognize when an instrument is out of tune (deviations from key metrics), and be able to synchronize the sound of the entire ensemble with a single wave of the baton (the right question).
This article is precisely such a “conductor’s baton.” We won’t teach you how to “play the instruments.” Instead, we will provide a clear framework of what a CEO must understand about the marketing system and the questions to ask the team to manage growth effectively without micromanaging or acting like an amateur marketer.
Separation of Roles: Architect (CEO) and Foreman (CMO)
Any management chaos begins when areas of responsibility become blurred. In order to effectively “conduct” marketing, the CEO must have a clear understanding of their own role as well as that of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). A construction analogy fits perfectly here.
The role of the CEO is like that of the architect.
An architect does not lay bricks or mix concrete. Their task is to design the building. You determine what and why we are building. In a business context, this means answering the following questions:
- What business goal are we pursuing? For example, “Increase market share in segment X by 15 percent within a year.”
- Which customer segment are we making a strategic bet on?
- What final, financially measurable value should marketing deliver?
- What level of investment are we willing to allocate to achieve an acceptable ROI?
Your task is to set a measurable business goal and allocate the necessary resources. You are responsible for the business logic and final profitability of the project as a whole.
The role of the CMO is similar to that of the foreman or chief engineer.
After receiving the “architectural plan” (the approved business goal and budget) from you, the foreman determines HOW the building will be constructed.
His responsibilities include:
- Выбор технологий и инструментов (рекламные каналы, аналитические системы).
- Building the team and managing contractors.
- Creating the work schedule, which includes developing the marketing strategy and media plan.
- Controlling the quality of “construction” (operational analytics and reporting).
Similarly, an architect cannot demand that a foreman build a skyscraper while providing a budget suitable for building a garage. Likewise, a foreman cannot start construction without an approved project.
When these roles are clearly defined, the system works. The CEO gains strategic control and predictable results, and the marketing team gains a clear goal and the freedom to choose the tools to achieve it.
The Three Pillars of System Understanding for the CEO
Being an effective marketing “architect” means more than knowing how to set up advertising campaigns. Rather, it means understanding three fundamental things on which any healthy marketing system rests.
The first pillar is the logic of the funnel, or the customer journey. Potential customers do not appear out of nowhere with an immediate desire to buy. First, they must recognize a problem, then explore potential solutions, and finally select a provider. Understanding this simple logic protects you from the main managerial mistake of demanding immediate sales from activities not designed for that purpose. You wouldn’t expect a harvest the day after plowing a field.
Once you grasp the logic of the customer journey, the second pillar comes into play: ownership of key business metrics. This is your “dashboard.” Instead of “likes” and “reach,” it should display indicators that directly reflect the health of the business. These include customer acquisition cost (CAC), which tells you whether growth is too expensive; customer lifetime value (CLV), which shows whether your customers are profitable in the long term; and return on marketing investment (ROMI), which tells you whether you are earning or losing money. Your task is not to configure the collection of this data but to ensure it informs every marketing decision.
The third and final pillar is the ruthless validation of the entire system through unit economics. In short, does the math work out for a single customer? If you spend $10000 to acquire a customer who brings you $9000 over their lifetime, then you have serious problems, no matter how good the reports look. Scaling such marketing means scaling losses. Understanding this basic relationship should be your main filter for making investment decisions in marketing.
The Art of Asking the Right Questions
Once you grasp the funnel, metrics, and economics, your primary management tool becomes well-formulated questions rather than commands. These questions shift the team’s focus from the process (“We are making posts”) to the results (“We are reducing the cost per lead”). They force the team to think in the language of business.
Instead of asking the tactical question, “Why aren’t we on TikTok yet?” ask the strategic question: “What is our hypothesis for attracting this audience segment, and why are the selected channels the most cost-effective for testing it?”
Don’t ask in a panic, “Why are there so few leads this month?” Such a question generates fuss and excuses. Ask like a systemic investor: “What is our current cost per qualified lead? Does it align with our financial model? What is the team’s plan to optimize it in the next quarter?”
Avoid subjective statements such as “I don’t like this design.” Instead, ask about the business goal: “Who is this creative aimed at, and how will we measure its impact on conversion?”
You don’t need to know marketing tools to answer such questions. Rather, they demonstrate your deep understanding of the system and direct the team’s energy toward achieving measurable business goals.
Ultimately, a CEO’s strength in marketing does not lie in their ability to be a marketer. Rather, it lies in their ability to remain a strategist who sees the entire system as a whole. This ability involves clearly separating your role as “architect” from the team’s role as “foremen,” understanding the basic principles of the funnel and unit economics, and most importantly, asking questions that connect marketing activities to the company’s financial results.
This text is not just an article. It is a foundation for productive dialogue. Share it with your marketing and sales teams. Use it as a starting point to align your vision with their tactics. When the architect and the foreman speak the same language and look at the same blueprints, the building is solid and reliable and is delivered on time.
