POSITIONING · NARRATIVE · ORGANIC DEMAND

Fractional marketing leadership for startups and venture capital.

I work alongside Seed–Series B founders and marketing teams as an ongoing marketing partner, sharpening positioning, building customer proof, and turning company expertise into content, launches and organic demand. For venture firms, I build editorial programmes around partner expertise and founder experience.

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Experience across Accel’s SeedToScale, Champ AI, Zenskar, Web3Auth and YourStory.

Featured cases

Selected work.

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Case 01

Champ AI

Role: Fractional VP Marketing

Focus: Positioning, category framing & stealth emergence

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My contribution

I developed Champ’s positioning around buying operational outcomes without building and managing the underlying software infrastructure, with legacy outsourcing as the relevant alternative. I also led launch communications for the company’s emergence from stealth.

Launch coverageBusiness Insider: Coverage of Champ’s Emergence from Stealth

Third-party reporting on Champ’s launch and financing. My contribution was positioning and launch communications.

Case 02

Zenskar

Role: Head of Content and Brand

Tenure: January–November 2024

View the Zenskar work →

My contribution

At Zenskar, I built the brand, content and inbound function and led a nine-person team. The work covered positioning, website messaging, the company newsletter and more than 60 search-led articles in approximately 90 days.

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Discuss your marketing

Primary Founder Engagement

Your product has moved ahead of the way you explain it. You need clearer positioning, stronger customer proof and a publishing operation the team can sustain.

An ongoing partner, from direction to delivery.

We agree the remit upfront. I help set the priorities, develop the core work, and coordinate the people and reviews needed to move it forward.

Positioning and messaging

Research the product, customers and alternatives; develop positioning and website messaging.

Founder communication and customer proof

Develop founder narratives and customer stories, with claims grounded in the available evidence.

Editorial and launches

Plan and produce the material, coordinate collaborators and reviews, and support publishing and distribution.

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Additional Working Relationships

For marketing leaders

A senior owner for a defined programme.

Bring me in to lead a focused positioning, customer proof, founder narrative, launch or editorial programme within your wider marketing plan.

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For venture firms

Editorial programmes for venture firms.

Turn partner expertise and founder experience into useful essays, interviews, resources and other editorial work.

Accel’s SeedToScale:Contributed to SeedToScale’s editorial voice, founder resources and publishing operation as Marketing Consultant — Brand and Content (Sept 2020–June 2022).

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A newsroom foundation. Experience inside funds and startups.

My work spans technology journalism, venture capital and startup marketing. My journalism experience at YourStory shapes how I research businesses, interview founders and develop customer stories. Platform and operating roles taught me to turn that understanding into work a team can publish, distribute and use.

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What does your marketing need next?

Tell me about the company or fund, what needs to change, and where you need help.

Discuss your marketing sampathptrvu@gmail.com