Leads that don't convert? Campaigns that are launched for the sake of launching? Eternal meetings without focus?
It is not always the team's fault.
In many startups, the marketing team is not failing... it is exhausted. Saturated with tasks, without a clear strategy and pushed to do "everything" non-stop.
The result? Burnt-out people, mediocre results and stagnant growth.
In this article we tell you why this happens, how to avoid it and what to do if you want to climb without anyone exploding along the way.
The signs of burnout (more common than you think)
Campaigns are launched without analysing data and targets
You publish for the sake of publishing. Paid is activated because "something has to be done". But no one has defined what is expected to be achieved or how it will be measured. The team becomes a machine for doing without knowing whether it is getting it right or not.
Priorities change every week
The urgent always wins out over the important. One day it's time to launch a newsletter, the next day it's time to prepare a presentation for investors and then it's time to prepare the new website... without anything really being finalised. We live in permanent firefighting mode.
The team says "yes" to everything, but comes up with nothing
Without focus or clear direction, everything seems important. And when everything is important, nothing is. The team ends up taking on tasks it can't handle, jumping from one thing to another, with no time to go deeper or improve.
Everything is urgent. Everything is now
Planning? Zero. Everything is done on the fly, in a hurry, without being able to dedicate time to everything. Campaigns are launched at the last minute, copies are approved without review and creativity is improvised. Result: low quality, low impact and high exhaustion.
There is no time to check whether what is done... works.
Reporting is half-hearted. Campaigns are measured only by impressions or likes. And the team lives on autopilot, without learning or iterating. Everything stays the same... even though nothing is working.
And most importantly, no one questions whether it all makes sense.
It is assumed that we have to be on all platforms, launch campaigns every week and 'do more'. But nobody stops to think: is this aligned with our objectives, is it working, or are we just doing it because we have to?
The source of the problem: lack of strategic direction
Most marketing teams do not need more hands or more tools.
What they need is a clear, well-prioritised strategy, with a focus on what really impacts the business.
When there is no focus, you try to do everything. And when you try to do everything....
- The equipment is overloaded.
- The impact is diluted.
- Nobody knows what is working and what is not.
Climbing without burning: what works
1. Define what is a priority (and what is not).
A startup cannot afford 15 open fronts. Land 3 clear priorities and align it with business. Everything else, out.
2. Measure to decide
It's not about doing more. It's about measuring what works. CAC, conversion, LTV... what doesn't improve, doesn't scale.
3. Organise tasks by impact
Not everything is the same: a new campaign or improving the one that already converts? Another channel or fine-tuning the messages of the one that already works? Do less, but better.
4. Set healthy boundaries
It's OK if you're not on all the networks. Or if you don't post every week. The important thing is that what you do has a clear purpose.
5. Bringing an outsider's view
Many teams burn out because they are too much inside. An outside view (such as that of a Fractional CMO 👋) helps to focus, prioritise and say "no" judiciously.
Remember: scale ≠ do more
To climb well is not to do more things.
It is to do the right ones better.
If your marketing team is saturated, but your startup wants to grow... you don't need more campaigns, you need to more strategic focus.
At Lebowski, we've been helping startups sort through the chaos and turn it into real growth. And we do it without anyone exploding along the way.
Does this chaos ring a bell?
Let's talk and bring order: https://lebowskicmo.com/contacto