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This week in startup marketing: comments replies are now a growth lever, Beehiiv went full Transformer-mode, Gartner told marketers to stop duct-taping AI to broken systems, and stealth founders were gently told to rejoin society. Let’s get into it.

IN THIS ISSUE

• ✍️ The Ink Well

• 🎧 SUM Podcast 

• 🌎 Around the Web: Buffer, Beehiiv, Gartner & Stealth Mode

• 🫣 SUM Community Events

• 💪 Introducing: SUM Training

• 😂 In the Meme Time

THE INK WELL

Burnout Prevention for Startup Marketers

According to our recent report, 27% of marketing generalists didn’t choose the role of a generalist, they inherited it. Now they’re juggling 4–5 functions at once and context-switching every hour. Sound familiar?

If so, we’ve put together a practical checklist you can use to create better boundaries and (hopefully) avoid burnout.

Leveling the Marketing Playing Field with AI

Most startup marketers aren’t using AI to build the future of marketing, they’re using it to survive their to-do lists. Our new piece digs into the real ways generalists are using AI every day: turning chaos into copy, whipping up social designs on the fly, pulling quotes from transcripts without spending hours combing through conversations, and flagging what changed in dashboards so they don’t have to pretend they saw it all along. It’s a look at what’s actually happening inside small teams and how AI is quietly leveling the playing field.

🎧 StartUp Marketing Uncut

"Is the traditional in-house marketing team model broken for startups?"
"Completely."

In this episode, The Kay Prince talks with Mack McKelvey about why the old model isn’t working—and what founders should do instead. If you’ve ever been the lone generalist expected to do everything (or hired one), this conversation will hit home.

Find your customers on Roku this Black Friday

As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. To that end, Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting options. After all, you know your customers, and we know our streaming audience.

Worried it’s too late to spin up new Black Friday creative? With Roku Ads Manager, you can easily import and augment existing creative assets from your social channels. We also have AI-assisted upscaling, so every ad is primed for CTV.

Once you’ve done this, then you can easily set up A/B tests to flight different creative variants and Black Friday offers. If you’re a Shopify brand, you can even run shoppable ads directly on-screen so viewers can purchase with just a click of their Roku remote.

Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.

Use code GET5K now

AROUND THE WEB

• A Buffer analysis of nearly 2 million posts shows that replying to comments can boost engagement by 5% to 42% across major platforms, with the biggest lift on Threads (+42%) and LinkedIn (+30%). [Buffer]

• New Gartner data shows that while two-thirds of marketers expect AI to transform their role, most organizations aren’t making the structural changes needed for AI agents to actually improve performance. [Marketing Dive]

• Beehiiv is no longer just a newsletter tool. The platform now includes AI website building, podcasts, real-time analytics, digital product sales, segmentation, workflows, and fee-free subscriptions. [Tech Crunch]

• Startup advisors are warning that long-term “stealth mode” has become a trap for founders, leading to isolation, weak networks, and a lack of real customer feedback. [Forbes]

SUM COMMUNITY EVENTS

Friendly reminder to block off Thursdays at 1 pm ET for SUM community events. Consider it your weekly power hour for growth, insights, and community. Note: These events are exclusively available to SUM members. Not a member? 👉 Join now 👈 (It’s free!)

INTRODUCING: SUM TRAINING

Good news: you no longer have to learn everything the hard way. SUM now has exclusive training for startup marketers who don’t have time for a 47-slide “framework” that makes you question your life choices.

We’re kicking things off with the AIM Leadership Accelerator from Dr. Camille Preston, a business psychologist and executive coach who has spent two decades helping leaders stop spiraling and start leading. You’ll get bite-sized lessons, practical tools, and actionable frameworks you can use right away.

Because in startup land, you’re already doing the job… you might as well have the training to go with it.

IN THE MEME TIME