Maria Pergolino
Section 1: Technical marketing skills
Messaging / brand
Example questions
- Share an example of a time you joined a more mature marketing organization (Series C+) —how did you learn the product and translate that into a unique message and brand without scrapping the brand equity already formed?
- Share some examples of how you have supported a founder’s thought leadership and social media presence in the past. What were the outcomes?
- Follow-up: Share some examples of how you have supported a founder’s internal communication (e.g., company-wide updates).
- Which of the assets you’ve created over your career has resonated most with prospects and customers? How did you know it worked, and how did you measure its success?
Example rubric
| Element | Excellent response |
| Branding | Provided an example of creating a concise brand message |
| ICP | Demonstrated identification of the ideal customer profile (ICP) |
| Segmentation | Shared how they tailored messages for different customer profiles |
| Differentiation | Highlighted messaging that set the brand apart from competitors |
| Value creation | Provided messaging that clearly communicated brand value |
| Social media | Shared examples of supporting founder branding and leveraging social media |
| Thought leadership | Provided examples of supporting internal communication, particularly around an important inflection point (e.g., a company pivot or messaging change) |
Demand generation
Example questions
- We typically sell to [insert audience], and our deal sizes are $[X]. We currently have [X] customers. What type of demand generation strategy would you recommend, and how would you begin?
- Follow-up: Can you share an example of executing a similar strategy in the past?
- How have you reported on marketing success and demonstrated ROI in the past?
- What does a marketing tech stack look like for a company of our size? Which tools do you consider critical?
- Looking at our brand publicly (e.g., our website, analyst reports, etc.), what are some areas you think can be improved?
Example rubric
| Element | Excellent response |
| Pipeline motion | Identified the right model (PLG for high-volume B2B, ecommerce for high-volume B2C, ABM for high-value B2B, etc.) |
| Digital marketing | Shared successful examples from digital channels (SEO/SEM, PPC, performance marketing, etc.) |
| Event marketing | Provided success stories involving event-driven strategies |
| Earned media | Gave examples of success with PR, analysts, and social channels |
| Sales & marketing alignment | Articulated what strong alignment looks like, including examples and proof points |
| Reporting | Explained how to build a marketing funnel and report on ROI |
| Operations | Outlined a modern, AI-forward tech stack suited for Series C+-stage infrastructure |
Product marketing
Example questions
- Tell me about a successful product launch. What was required, and what outcomes did you achieve?
- Describe a competitive market you’ve worked in -how did you use messaging to stand out?
- How have you used customer stories and community to amplify a brand?
- The messaging needed to attract a customer is often different from what’s needed to close them. What materials have been most helpful in each case?
Example rubric
| Element | Excellent response |
| Competition | Explained how they created differentiation and demonstrated competitor knowledge |
| Community | Shared how community-building supported marketing efforts |
| Customer stories | Gave examples of using customer success stories in programs |
| Sales enablement | Articulated specific enablement tools that influenced business outcomes |
Section 2: Leadership and job organization
Series C+ resources
Example questions
- What approach do you take to team building, and how would you apply it here? Which roles do you believe are critical first hires?
- Our marketing budget is $[X] at $[Y] revenue and [Z] customers. What should we expect to achieve with this budget? How would you maximize its impact?
Cross-functional collaboration
Example questions
- Which C-suite team members do you typically collaborate with most? Can you share an example of a time you’ve worked closely with them?
- Tell me about a cross-functional initiative you led or contributed to in a previous company. What made it successful?
Innovation
Example questions
- Tell me about a campaign or approach you implemented that diverged from standard best practices and delivered outsized results.
- As AI transforms marketing productivity and efficiency, how have you integrated AI into your marketing strategies and execution?
Example rubric (for “Series C+ resources”, “Cross-functional collaboration”, and “Innovation” questions)
| Element | Excellent response |
| Team building | Provided examples of building or scaling marketing teams effectively |
| C-level leadership | Demonstrated experience collaborating with executive leadership across functions |
| Network | Shared examples of consultants or freelance talent they’ve worked with |
| Resources | Demonstrated ability to deliver results with current budget and headcount |
| Innovation | Provided innovative approaches that delivered above-average outcomes |
| AI | Showed how they use AI to enhance marketing execution or results |