📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Founding Marketing Lead
🔹 Company: ProjectDiscovery
🔹 Location: United States - Remote
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: May 5, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: Remote (US only)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Designing and executing marketing strategy from scratch
- Defining company value proposition, positioning, and messaging
- Creating high-quality content for various channels and formats
- Collaborating with sales to develop materials and support pipeline growth
- Leading event strategy and community engagement
- Driving both paid and organic campaigns to generate leads
- Working with analysts to shape market perception and support enterprise sales
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of autonomy and strategic thinking, as the marketing function is still being established at the company.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Build and execute marketing strategy from the ground up
✅ Define and own company value proposition, positioning, and messaging
✅ Create high-quality content (sales collateral, case studies, blogs, videos, webinars) to educate users and drive conversion
✅ Partner with sales to develop talk tracks, outreach materials, and inside sales collateral
✅ Lead event strategy, including industry conferences, co-marketing with partners, and customer dinners
✅ Run paid and organic campaigns across various channels to generate leads
✅ Own marketing-sourced pipeline targets in collaboration with SDRs and external demand partners
✅ Work with analysts like Gartner and Forrester to shape market perception and support enterprise sales
✅ Support community and open source growth
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a mix of strategic planning, creative content development, and cross-functional collaboration.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Experience: Proven track record as the first marketing hire at a cybersecurity startup with fewer than 50 people
Required Skills:
- Proven go-to-market experience across product, sales, and content
- Strong ability to translate technical capabilities into business value
- Excellent writing, editing, and production skills for both long and short-form content
- Data-driven and experiment-minded, with a history of hitting pipeline goals
- Familiarity with vulnerability management or AppSec space (preferred but not required)
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with account-based marketing campaigns
- Event strategies that turned conference presence into pipeline
- Work with analyst firms to shape company positioning in formal reports
- Active in the cybersecurity marketing community
- Support for community-driven or open source developer tools
ASSUMPTION: Candidates should have a strong background in marketing, with a focus on strategic planning and execution in the cybersecurity industry.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $180,000 to $220,000 USD per year for U.S. employees, depending on experience. International compensation aligned to local market data
Benefits:
- Competitive equity option plan
- Platinum-tier health insurance with 100% premium coverage
- 401(k) with company match
- Flexible paid time off
- $1,000 home office stipend
- Learning and education allowance
Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible scheduling
ASSUMPTION: The salary range is based on industry standards for a senior marketing role in the United States. International compensation is adjusted based on local market data.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: ProjectDiscovery operates in the cybersecurity industry, focusing on application security and vulnerability management. The market is competitive and rapidly evolving, with a strong emphasis on innovation and customer success.
Company Size: ProjectDiscovery is a small but growing company with 11-50 employees. This size allows for a high degree of autonomy and direct impact on the company's success.
Founded: ProjectDiscovery was founded in 2020, making it a relatively new player in the cybersecurity market. Despite its young age, the company has already established a strong reputation and user base.
Company Description:
- ProjectDiscovery is an open-source powered security company with a mission to democratize security.
- The company specializes in detecting new, exploitable vulnerabilities and misconfigurations to help organizations remediate issues before hackers can exploit them.
- ProjectDiscovery hosts contributions from ethical hackers and bug bounty hunters to its 20+ open-source projects, earning over 80k GitHub stars.
Company Specialties:
- Attack Surface Management
- Vulnerability Detection
- Automated Security Workflows
- Remediation
- Application Security
Company Website: projectdiscovery.io
ASSUMPTION: ProjectDiscovery's focus on open-source tools and community engagement sets it apart in the cybersecurity market, offering applicants a unique opportunity to contribute to a rapidly growing and innovative company.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is suitable for a mid- to senior-level marketing professional with a proven track record in strategic planning and execution.
Reporting Structure: The Founding Marketing Lead will report directly to the CEO and work closely with the sales, product, and engineering teams.
Work Arrangement: This is a remote position within the United States, offering a high degree of flexibility and autonomy.
Growth Opportunities:
- As the first marketing hire, there is significant potential for growth and advancement within the company as it expands.
- The role offers the opportunity to build and lead a marketing team as the company continues to grow.
- Applicants can expect to gain valuable experience in strategic planning, content creation, and cross-functional collaboration.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity for applicants to make a significant impact on the company's growth and success, with ample room for professional development and advancement.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Remote (fully remote)
Office Location(s): United States
Geographic Context:
- The United States offers a large and diverse market for cybersecurity products and services.
- The remote work arrangement allows for a high degree of flexibility and work-life balance.
- The company's global user base provides opportunities for international collaboration and growth.
Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) with flexible scheduling
ASSUMPTION: The remote work arrangement and flexible scheduling allow applicants to balance their personal and professional lives effectively.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Initial phone or video screen to assess cultural fit and basic qualifications
- In-depth interview with the CEO to discuss the role, company, and strategic vision
- Final interview with the hiring team to discuss specific responsibilities and expectations
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and planning
- Content creation and storytelling
- Cross-functional collaboration and communication
- Data-driven decision making
- Alignment with company values and culture
Application Tips:
- Highlight specific examples of strategic marketing initiatives you've led in previous roles
- Demonstrate your ability to translate technical capabilities into business value
- Showcase your understanding of the cybersecurity industry and ProjectDiscovery's unique value proposition
- Prepare questions that demonstrate your interest in the role and the company's mission
ATS Keywords: Marketing Strategy, Content Creation, Sales Collaboration, Event Strategy, Campaign Management, Data-Driven Decision Making, Technical Translation, Community Engagement
ASSUMPTION: The interview process will focus on assessing the applicant's strategic thinking, creativity, and cultural fit, as well as their ability to execute marketing initiatives that drive growth and revenue.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo)
- Content creation tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
- Analytics and reporting tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Tableau)
ASSUMPTION: The Founding Marketing Lead will be responsible for selecting and implementing marketing tools and technologies that support the company's growth and success.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Innovation: ProjectDiscovery values continuous learning and improvement, encouraging employees to explore new ideas and approaches.
- Community: The company fosters a strong sense of community, both internally and with its user base, emphasizing collaboration and support.
- Transparency: ProjectDiscovery values open and honest communication, promoting a culture of trust and accountability.
Work Style:
- Remote-friendly: The company offers a flexible and remote-friendly work environment, allowing employees to balance their personal and professional lives effectively.
- Collaborative: ProjectDiscovery values cross-functional collaboration and encourages employees to work together to achieve common goals.
- Adaptable: The company operates in a dynamic and rapidly evolving market, requiring employees to be adaptable and responsive to change.
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where you can make a significant impact on the company's success?
- Are you comfortable working remotely and managing your own time and priorities?
- Do you enjoy collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals?
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should be comfortable working remotely, adaptable to change, and eager to contribute to a dynamic and growing company.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- As the first marketing hire, the Founding Marketing Lead will need to establish marketing processes and infrastructure from scratch.
- The role requires a high degree of strategic thinking and planning, which can be challenging and time-consuming.
- The cybersecurity industry is competitive and rapidly evolving, requiring the marketing team to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.
- The remote work arrangement may present challenges in terms of communication and collaboration, requiring applicants to be proactive and self-motivated.
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should be prepared to face these challenges head-on and demonstrate their ability to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Unlike traditional marketing roles, the Founding Marketing Lead will have the unique opportunity to build and shape the company's marketing engine from the ground up.
- The role offers a high degree of autonomy and direct impact on the company's growth and success, making it an attractive opportunity for strategic-minded marketing professionals.
- Compared to other marketing roles in the cybersecurity industry, this position offers a unique blend of strategic planning, content creation, and cross-functional collaboration.
ASSUMPTION: Applicants should be drawn to this role for its unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the company's growth and success, as well as its blend of strategic planning, content creation, and cross-functional collaboration.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a comprehensive marketing strategy that aligns with the company's business objectives and growth goals
- Creating a suite of high-quality sales collateral that effectively communicates the company's unique value proposition and product offerings
- Hosting a successful customer dinner or industry conference that generates leads and strengthens the company's brand
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the strategic, creative, and collaborative nature of the Founding Marketing Lead role, as well as the opportunity to make a significant impact on the company's growth and success.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- What are the company's top priorities for the marketing team in the first 90 days?
- How does the company support the growth and development of its marketing team members?
- What is the company's approach to measuring and optimizing marketing performance?
- How does the company collaborate with external partners, such as analysts and event organizers?
- What is the company's long-term vision for its marketing function, and how does this role contribute to that vision?
ASSUMPTION: These key questions help applicants assess the company's strategic vision, marketing priorities, and commitment to growth and development, as well as their own fit within the organization.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your strategic marketing experience and alignment with ProjectDiscovery's mission and values
- Prepare a portfolio or examples of your marketing work, demonstrating your ability to create high-quality content and drive results
- Follow up with the hiring team one week after submitting your application to express your interest and reiterate your qualifications
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
