You need a CMO... just not every day.

Inference is a fractional marketing partner for early-stage startups who need senior thinking, without the senior hire — so your marketing compounds.

Thom

Why Inference

Hi, I'm Thom

I've led marketing end-to-end at startups like Pitch, SoundCloud, and Grover — from brand and content to growth and hiring. Now I partner with founders to build the same foundations at their companies.

Craft and Speed

Great brands aren't a luxury for later — they're a growth lever from day one. I help you build one without breaking stride.

Data-Driven Approach

Rigorous enough to run the numbers but experienced enough to know when to ignore them.

Builder Mode

I build my own products, I've been at startups from day one, and I'm AI-native. You're hiring for results, not strategy docs.

Working Together

Multiple ways to work together

Each engagement is different. Here's what that usually looks like.

01

Fractional CMO

Embedded 2-3 Days/Week

Senior marketing leadership for founders who need it now but aren't ready to hire full-time. I embed with your team to build strategy, test what works, and get marketing running. When you're ready for a permanent VP, you'll know exactly who to hire and I can help you find them.

02

Foundational Audit

Two-Week Deep Dive Sprint

A focused two-week sprint where I dive into your biggest marketing questions on growth, positioning, or AI-native ops. You'll get an honest audit and a concrete action plan.

03

Coaching

1:1 Advisory

A thinking partner for founders navigating marketing decisions. A sparring partner for marketing leaders building their careers. Direct but authentic advice from someone who's been there before.

04

Hiring

With Trusted Partners

When it's time to bring marketing in-house, I help you find the right people — from sourcing senior operators to vetting leadership candidates — with my network of trusted recruiting partners.

05

Workshops

Dedicated One-Off Sessions

Training for your team on the most misunderstood topics in marketing including growth loops, product marketing fundamentals, and AI-native GTM. Built around your team's actual challenges, not generic frameworks.

What Clients Say

Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote.


Andrey Vinitsky

CEO/Founder, Graphy

Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote.


Ele Diakomichaelis

Founder, Radicle

Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote. Placeholder quote.


Nick Mills

CRO, Prolific

Pattern Matching

Essays to help you
rethink your marketing foundations.

All Essays →

Work With Inference

Book a free 30-minute
discovery call.

We'll dig into where your marketing stands today, where the biggest gaps are, and how I can help. No pitch, no pressure.

Book a Call →