How Tech Founders Do More Marketing with Less

Hi!

Welcome to Sparksense's Newsletter! Every month, I personally bring you insights to fuel your sales strategies, drive business growth, and succeed on your entrepreneurial journey. My focus is clear: to equip you with actionable takeaways.

There’s endless advice out there on B2B and B2C marketing. But almost none of it is made for deep tech founders. And deep tech is different. Different buyers, longer cycles, complex products. So if you’ve been wondering why the usual playbooks don’t work for you, listen up…

There’s one line I hear from founders all the time:
“We don’t have a real marketing team… so we’re not doing much right now.”

And you’ve probably heard this phrase from the Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.” 

Well… in deep tech, they won’t.

If no one knows the great tech you built exists, or why it matters, it won’t sell. The good news? You’re probably already doing some marketing without even realizing it.

This newsletter breaks down how to make it work without a big team, by focusing on smart inbound tactics, choosing the right events, reusing assets wisely, and following a marketing plan that fits your schedule.

You are involved without realizing it.

Just like the best marketing doesn’t feel like sales to your prospects, you might not even notice you’re already doing it yourself. Every time you explain your product, follow up with a lead, or show up at an event, you’re marketing.

Be careful though, not doing it intentionally is a risk! Take responsibility for your marketing, structure, strategize, and learn to focus your limited time on what works.

Balance inbound and outbound to build a pipeline fast. 

First things first, let’s understand what both mean. 

Inbound marketing

What is it? Inbound is about attracting potential customers by offering valuable content and experiences tailored to their needs. This strategy relies on methods like content marketing, scientific papers, webinars, SEO, and social media to bring prospects to you, nurturing them until they’re ready to buy.

Outbound sales

How is it different? Outbound involves proactively reaching out to potential customers through direct methods like “cold” calling or email campaigns. Here, the focus is on identifying key decision-makers and engaging them directly to pitch your product or service.

Content is King. Distribution is Queen.

As Guy Kawasaki says, “If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing.”

You don’t need a big team to make inbound work but you do need smart reuse. Think of every founder Q&A, demo, and follow-up email as fuel. These real-life insights are your best source of content.

• Turn founder conversations into LinkedIn posts.

• Turn a webinar into 3 reels, 2 posts, and 1 whitepaper.

• Turn a product update into a how-to video.

And remember: you need to be relevant and present where your audience is. Start small, choose one or two channels and show up consistently.

In our Inbound Startup Guide, we break down: 

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Use the right tools to make your marketing easier.

Simple tools can make content creation and distribution faster, sharper, and more consistent. Recommended picks for early-stage founders:

• Canva – design one-pagers, carousels, and social visuals quickly

• Beehiiv – build and send clean, professional newsletters (like this one)

• LinkedIn – a powerful platform to:

  • publish blog-style posts

  • host live events and webinars

  • launch a branded newsletter

  • invite prospects and follow up directly

  • start sales conversations

• HubSpot – automate follow-ups, manage lead forms, and track checklist downloads or content engagement without manual work

Download our Guide on Content for more tools, templates, and distribution ideas.

Strategic scouting helps Thoro.ai accelerate market adoption.

Our BD-as-a-Service model helps deep tech innovators like Thoro.ai build a strong presence faster. Are you entering a new market or planning to attend key industry events? Let’s talk about how Sparksense can support your growth with smart scouting.

Are you looking to grow into demanding deep tech markets? Let’s discuss your industry requirements and speed up your market adoption. Reach out to uncover new growth opportunities with Sparksense.

Tap into hidden market opportunities in … Precision vacuum technology.

Are you struggling to gain traction or compete with industry giants? We help startups find hidden market opportunities by connecting them with second-tier players that hold untapped potential.

Do you want to have access to more decision makers? Let’s work together to identify the Hidden Champions that need YOUR STARTUP’s solution.

Pick the right events for your startup in advance

Spring and fall are full of opportunities to get out there. You still have time to decide and prepare for the events that make sense to attend for you. The right ones can help your startup grow through connecting with customers, or meeting investors. To know which events to attend, you need to have a clear goal, and match it with the right format. Our Startup Guide breaks it down.

First things first, why are you attending? Even before you sign up, ask yourself what you’re looking for. Your goal should fall into one (or more) of these buckets:

Then, you need to choose the format that fits your startup best. An event can be a quick meetup or a large international trade fairs, and each of them offers different value. Choose based on time, cost, and audience.

Sparksense does scouting for our clients at trade shows around the world. If you would like to work with our advisors for such in person collaboration, reach out!

Want to know more about Sparksense? Discover our services and packages here. Additionally, we offer free valuable insights and strategies to boost your Sales. Download our comprehensive Business Development Guide ebook. Let’s talk to find out how we can help take your sales to the next level. Book a call with me today!

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions please feel free to email me directly.

Stay Lean!

Hervé Flutto,

Managing Director and Founder of Sparksense

About Sparksense

With 200 global clients supported over the last 7 years, Sparksense is the trusted Sales Team for B2B Tech Startups. With a smarter outreach, Sparksense’s team of over 30+ advisors has ignited sales for hardware and software solutions across Europe, North America and Asia – thanks to its robust, proven business development skills and relevant market access to decision makers across key industries.

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