Marketing is not a price tag. It’s a system. And if you’re not thinking of it that way, you’re throwing money into a black hole.

Sacha Awwa

Sacha Awwa, a marketing strategist with two decades of experience spanning The New York Times, the Army National Guard, and multiple tech startups, delivered a no-nonsense talk this week on what she calls the “epidemic” of startups misusing or outright misunderstanding marketing.

Awwa, who now runs her own strategic agency, has worked closely with early-stage startups as well as companies scaling beyond their Series B. Speaking to a room of founders, Awwa didn’t mince words, her core message was clear:

Most founders either overspend on flashy tools or underinvest altogether both without a real framework in place.

The Three-Part Framework

She outlined a three-phase process that forms the basis of her client work:

Foundation: This is the often skipped step, she says, where companies define their mission, vision, ideal customer profile (ICP), value proposition, and budget. She said:

You wouldn’t build a house without a solid foundation. Why are you running ads without clarity on who you’re even trying to reach?

Mapping: Once the foundation is laid, it’s time to build a go-to-market strategy across a few focused channels. She said:

It’s not spray and pray, It’s test and learn. Pick 2-3 channels, run 30-60-90 day tests, and iterate based on results.

Execution and Optimization: Awwa explained, calling this the engine room of any high-performing growth system.

This is where the data tells the story. You tweak what works, cut what doesn’t, and revisit the foundation if your conversion rates plateau.

Founders Are Not Their Customers

One of the most common blind spots Awwa sees? Founders believing they are their own ICP.

You are not your customer. You may have birthed the idea, but assuming your buying behavior mirrors your audience is a dangerous trap.

she emphasized.

She also warned against chasing marquee platforms just because they dominate market share, like using HubSpot for CRM when a simpler, cheaper tool would suffice.

You don’t need a Ferrari to make a grocery run. Get the Mustang. Spend where it matters.

Sacha Awwa

AI, Geofencing, and Growth Myths

Despite the buzz around AI, Awwa reminded the audience that marketers have been using automation and data tools for years.

AI is getting better, yes. But marketing has always been about technology and systems. AI is just gasoline on that fire.

She also gave an example of working with a North Florida based tech platform using geofencing, creating virtual perimeters around events to target users who weren’t physically attending.

You can drive high impact exposure at low cost without flying across the country to shake hands.

Don’t Cut Marketing When Things Get Tough

Too many founders see marketing as the first expense to cut when the going gets rough. But marketing is not the thing you kill. It’s the pulse that keeps your business breathing.

Awwa said.

She backed this up with a case study from her time at PinchMe, a quirky New York based startup that scaled to 6 million users while keeping its customer acquisition cost under 75 cents by leveraging micro influencers and precision targeting, not big budget campaigns.

Ugly Wins

Awwa closed with a story from her days at The New York Times, where machine learning tools tested seven ad creatives. The ugliest one, the most direct and least designed, performed best.

Your customer doesn’t care how beautiful it is. They care if it solves their problem.

Key Takeaways for

• Don’t conflate spending money with doing marketing.
• Start with customer clarity before buying tools or hiring vendors.
• Build a community around your product, before you build your campaign.
• Marketing is iterative. You don’t get it right once and walk away.
• Look at how other industries market, even if they’re wildly different from yours.