Why Marketing Is the Only Job That Really Matters
When I first heard it the notion that marketing is all that matters, I rejected it.
It sounded like the kind of business advice you’d find on a motivational poster or some “10x” guru’s feed. Oversimplified. Maybe even reckless.
“There are only two functions of a business: marketing and innovation.” (Peter Drucker)
But the more I sat with it, the more it unraveled everything I’d been taught and revealed a truth most founders never see.
Most Founders Are Conditioned to Get This Wrong
Like many, I was trained to believe that real work was the product or the service or the delivery of it. Marketing was the decorative layer you painted on afterwards to make it sell. Maybe some social posts, a newsletter, a funnel. All important, yes, but definitely secondary.
But this mindset is the silent killer of business growth.
The businesses that really win are the ones that flip this thinking entirely. They realise marketing is not the thing you do after the work is done.
Marketing is the work.
Marketing Isn’t What You Think It Is
One reason so many founders underestimate the importance of marketing is because they define it too narrowly.
Ask most people what “marketing” means and you’ll get something like:
Running Google ads
Social media posts
Sending emails
Doing SEO
This all makes it sound like a set of tactical chores. And yes, those are all components. But they’re not the point.
Here’s a new, founder-level definition:
Marketing = Activities that better connect your products and services to the audience that needs them.
That’s it. That’s the job.
It’s not just about visibility. It’s about resonance, relevance, clarity, emotion, timing and insight. It’s about doing whatever it takes to create that visceral connection between what you offer and what people need, whether they know it yet or not.
When You See It This Way, Everything Changes
Using that wider definition, marketing includes:
Listening to customers and hearing what actually matters to them
Evolving your products and services to better serve there needs
Writing, podcasting, or speaking to shape your category’s conversation
Running experiments to find growth levers
Creating offers that move people to act
Fixing leaks in your funnel
Adjusting pricing to match perceived value
Packaging services in ways that reduce risk
Upselling and cross-selling.
Building partnerships and networks
Being known (or even famous) for something
Crafting positioning that makes competition irrelevant
Suddenly it’s obvious why this deserves the majority of your time, because it is the work of a founder. The strategy. The narrative. The growth. The edge.
Systemise Delivery. Obsess Over Marketing.
If you’re spending most of your week “doing the work” (delivery), ask yourself what could be systemised.
Could your delivery be made more routine? Could your team run it without you?
The answer should be yes.
Delivery should be repeatable, scalable, and process-driven.
Marketing, however, is where the founder belongs because it’s fluid. and dynamic. It requires vision, insight, judgment, context and bravery that only founders can provide.
Marketing is where your business must constantly think and feel and evolve. It’s where the fight is.
So if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or flatlined then don’t look to work harder, Look at the ratio of your marketing activity to your other business activity. Ask yourself, “How much of my week is spent deepening the connection between what we do and the people who need it?”
If the answer is below 50%, I’ll bet that’s where your biggest growth lies.
So Why Don’t More Founders Do This?
Founders of SMEs are often technicians or managers, so nobody ever told them that marketing was their real job when they started out.
They were taught that being ‘in the weeds’ means you’re committed. That delivery is noble and marketing is fluffy. That building a great product is enough.
But a great product without marketing is like a seed never planted. It has the potential but not the oxygen, and they’re scared.
Marketing means:
Being visible (scary)
Taking a stance (risky)
Showing up consistently (hard)
Trying things that might not work (ego-bruising)
But that’s why it’s the founder’s job. Because it’s not just execution, it’s judgment, instinct and vision.
No agency or freelancer or VA can replace the founder’s voice, and until that voice is clear and resonant in the market, the business won’t break through.
What To Do Next: A Simple 3-Step Audit
Time Audit
Look at your calendar. Break down your week. How many hours are spent on:Delivery
Admin
Marketing (by the wider definition above)
Redefine Marketing in Your Business
Make a list of all the activities that help you better connect your offer to your audience. Include product refinement, positioning, pricing, content, offers, outreach, etc.Reallocate Your Focus
If marketing is below 50%, build a plan to shift. What can you delegate, systemise, or drop to free up more time? What marketing activities have the highest leverage right now?
Remember, this is not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things.
Marketing Isn’t the Side Job. It’s the Only Job.
If you’re the founder, this is your mountain to climb.
It’s the most valuable, creative, and impactful work you can do.
Because when marketing is done right:
You never chase. You attract.
You don’t compete. You differentiate.
You don’t discount. You become the obvious choice.
You don’t worry about pipeline. It’s always flowing.
Marketing isn’t the thing you do after the work, it is the work, and the sooner you believe that, the sooner your business becomes unstoppable.
Want to Spend More Time Doing What Actually Grows Your Business?
If you’re ready to shift your energy toward high-leverage marketing, but need help with clarity, focus, or execution, I can help.
As a business growth advisor, I help founders turn their strategic confusion into category dominance (and enhance their marketing capabilities of course!).
→ Book a 30-minute clarity session (it’ll probably change how you see your business forever).