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/cs:cmo-review — CMO Forcing Questions

C-Level Advisory cmo-review Source

Install: claude /plugin install c-level-skills

Command: /cs:cmo-review <plan>

The narrative-first strategist pressure-tests positioning before debating tactics.

When to Run

  • Before launching any new campaign
  • Before changing positioning, tagline, or category
  • Before allocating > 10% of marketing budget to a new channel
  • Before a major PR moment (funding announcement, product launch)
  • When pipeline contribution is declining

The Six CMO Questions

1. ICP (One Real Person)

Name one real person in your ICP. Company, title, what they do daily, what they hate. - Persona ≠ ICP. ICP is real. - If you can't name one, the ICP isn't sharp enough.

2. JTBD

What job is the customer hiring this product to do, and what's the alternative they use today? - One sentence the customer would say out loud. - "We use spreadsheets" is a valid alternative. So is "we don't."

3. Positioning Statement

One sentence: For [ICP], who needs [job], we are [category] that [differentiator] unlike [alternative]. - This is the headline. Everything cascades. - If it doesn't fit in one sentence, it's not positioning yet.

4. Distribution Channel

Where does the customer first hear your name — and is it inbound or outbound at this stage? - Name the channel, intent, and the path to first contact. - PLG, sales-led, content-led, partnership-led — pick a primary.

5. CAC Payback

Per channel: what's CAC, what's payback in months, and is it improving? - If a channel's payback is > 18 months, it isn't a channel — it's a hobby.

6. Defensibility of Brand

If a well-funded competitor copies your messaging tomorrow, what's still yours? - Category position, founder-market fit, customer love, distribution lock — name one.

Workflow

  1. Run the models: 
    python ../../../skills/cmo-advisor/scripts/marketing_budget_modeler.py
python ../../../skills/cmo-advisor/scripts/growth_model_simulator.py
  2. Answer the six questions in writing.
  3. Apply the verdict:
  4. 🟢 GREEN — story is sharp, channel mix sound
  5. 🟡 YELLOW — sharpen positioning before scaling
  6. 🔴 RED — positioning broken; do not spend

Output Format

# CMO Review: <plan>
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD

## Positioning
One-sentence statement: <here>

## ICP
- Named persona: <name, title, company>
- JTBD: <one sentence in their words>

## Channel Mix
- Primary: <channel> | CAC $X | Payback Ym
- Secondary: <channel> | CAC $X | Payback Ym

## Verdict
🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴

## Next Steps
[3 concrete actions]

Routing

  • /cs:cro-review — pipeline contribution check
  • /cs:cpo-review — product ↔ positioning alignment
  • /cs:decide — log the verdict

Version: 1.0.0