Here’s the complication that no one acknowledges:
The CEO owns GTM.
But the decision to hire a Chief Growth Officer (CGO) often doesn’t come from the CEO.
It comes from the board or PE investor, pushing for acceleration.
The CGO hire becomes a strategic checkbox, without confirming whether the system is ready to carry them.
The result?
A talented hire inherits a misaligned system.
They’re asked to create momentum, but they spend their first six months fighting friction.
By the time they diagnose the real issues, confidence has dipped.
And instead of leading growth, they’re defending progress.
🔍 What Needs to Be True Before You Hire for Growth
A growth hire works best when the go-to-market model can carry the weight.
That means:
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Clear buying journey: what triggers momentum, where buyers stall, and why
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Shared ICP and qualification logic across sales, marketing, and CS
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A tested GTM narrative that mirrors how your buyers decide
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Sales enablement that follows buyer logic, not internal slides
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CS is aligned to protect and expand revenue
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A leadership team ready to support and absorb change
Without this, the CGO inherits misalignment and absorbs risk.
✅ What Growth-Ready Looks Like
Before you make the hire, prepare the ground.
We work with leadership teams to:
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Run structured buyer interviews to surface switching triggers
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Build a shared GTM narrative: Why Meet. Why Change. Why Now. Why You.
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Deliver sales stories, messaging, and activation in 90 days
The result: a system designed to support growth — and a role set up to lead it.
Planning to hire a CGO?
Let’s test what’s ready and what’s getting in the way.
Get a free 45-minute GTM readiness session.
No prep required.