What A Chief Marketing Officer At Protecto Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Tech Industry
Shekar, Chief Marketing Officer at Protecto, learned that the role is "very demanding," especially in the fast-paced tech startup world, requiring constant "pushing the envelope." This insight led Shekar to recommend seeking career coaching early in one's career to proactively address blind spots and better prepare for the intense demands of such a position.
Executive/Leadership, Stress Management, Overcoming Challenges, Industry Realities, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Shekar Hariharan
Chief Marketing Officer
Protecto
MSRIT (Bengaluru, India), 1993-1997
Louisiana State university, M.S. in Industrial Engineering
Engineering - Mechanical
Technology
Communication and Marketing
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role, especially in tech startups, is extremely demanding and requires a fast pace.
2. Mentally preparing for the demanding nature of the role is crucial. Career coaching can help identify blind spots and improve preparedness.
3. Investing time and money in career coaching early on can provide significant benefits for navigating the challenges of the CMO role.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered this industry?
I think the biggest challenge is that this role is very demanding. Being a chief marketing officer is demanding in itself. When it's in tech, it's even more so because, as I mentioned, the pace is too fast.
This is especially true if you're in a startup; it's extreme. We're pretty much pushing the envelope every day.
If I had known this before, I don't think I would have done something different, but I would have mentally prepared. In terms of career coaching, I would always look at my blind spots. I probably would have spent some time and investment, both monetarily and through working with career coaches, from the get-go. I only recently sought this out about two years ago, but that's something I probably should have considered about five years ago.