Marketing for Startups Masterclass

Customer obsession means putting your customer first in every decision. It’s also called market orientation or customer-centricity, but the core idea is this: you are not your customer. Assuming their needs based on your own experiences is a common and fatal mistake for startups. In this module, you’ll learn how to embrace customer obsession, align your business to their needs, and build a foundation for long-term success.

You started your company with a vision, but do you truly know what your customers want? Gut instincts only take you so far—successful startups rely on data, not guesswork. In this module, you’ll learn how to use market research to uncover real customer needs, validate your ideas, and gain the insights needed to make confident, strategic decisions. Move beyond assumptions and start building with certainty.

Customer obsession means knowing your market inside and out—but not all customers are the same. Segmentation helps you cut through the noise, breaking your market into distinct, manageable groups based on real behaviors and needs. In this module, you’ll learn how to segment effectively, identify the most valuable opportunities, and focus your efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact.

Targeting is the first stage of marketing strategy - and one of the most crucial choices you'll make as an entrepreneur. Not all customers are created equal, and trying to serve everyone is a fast track to failure. In this module, you'll learn how to evaluate your market segments, identify the most profitable opportunities, and make strategic choices about where to focus - and just as importantly, where not to - so you can maximize impact and growth.

Positioning isn’t about what you do to your product - it’s about shaping how customers perceive it. It defines your place in the market and sets you apart from competitors. In this module, you’ll learn how to craft a clear, compelling positioning statement that resonates with your audience and aligns your entire team. Get ready to stake your claim, stand out, and make your brand unforgettable.

Strong objectives turn strategy into action. In this module, you'll learn how to build a custom purchase funnel to guide your marketing, set SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic and Timely) that drive real results and communicate your strategy effectively to your team and partners. Mastering these skills will keep your business focused, aligned and primed for growth.

Your product is the foundation of your business—but is it truly what customers need? In this module, we’ll dive into the first of the four Ps: Product. You’ll learn how to use Clayton Christensen’s jobs-to-be-done framework to uncover what drives customer decisions and apply the Net Promoter Score to measure and improve satisfaction. By the end, you’ll have the tools to refine your product and ensure it delivers real value.

Price is a three-part discipline: setting the price, the price itself and then communicating the price. We'll examine two different ways of setting price - cost-plus and value-added - and the impact of behavioural economics on price. We'll also discuss how price is the crucial driver of profit, why you must avoid pricing low and why you should NEVER EVER EVER discount.

Promotion is an important tactic. It's where all the glamour and the clamour is. The PR. The Advertising. The whizz-bang stuff. The trouble is that many entrepreneurs happily go through their whole career only understanding this portion of marketing. That's your competitive advantage right here.

How do you get your products to your customers? We'll examine the difference between the two main distribution channels: direct and indirect. We'll also discuss the direct-to-consumer (D2C) model and consider how our choices around distribution should be guided by your core competencies.