CMO Codes
The Codes
DOMAIN : The Playing Field
The strategic terrain of modern marketing.
THE CODES
D1 The playing field
D2 Every signal speaks
D3 Brands are systems, not assets
D4 Growth is the CMO mandate
D5 The CMO as architect
D6 Be ahead of the game
FUNDAMENT : Strategic Base Layer
Strategy, conceptual thinking, psychology, economics, systems, market forces.
THE CODES
F1 Understand the market forces, not just the players
F2 Strategy before execution
F3 Master human psychology
F4 See systems, not silos
F5 Connect the dots
F6 Think in horizons
F7 Customer before company
F8 Data as first principle
F9 Build a stack, not a zoo
F10 Experiment with tokens, anchor in money
F11 P&L literacy as a marketing superpower
F12 Brand drives margin. Margin drives scale.
YOU : The Beta CMO
Mindset, energy, adaptability, self-management.
THE CODES
Y1 Live in beta
Y2 Extract the lesson, not the label
Y3 Challenge the default
Y4 Augment, don’t abdicate (AI)
Y5 Discomfort as direction
Y6 Discipline before drama
Y7 Energy is a KPI
DISCIPLINES : The Toolbox
This is the toolbox layer for everything a CMO must master.
THE CODES
DS1 Data before opinions
DS2 Creativity as competitive moat
DS3 Simplicity scales; complexity breaks
DS4 Design a content OS, not campaigns
DS5 Redesign the work, not the tools
DS6 Balance brand and performance
DS7 Compete in the attention economy
DS8 Build followership, not just reach
DS9 Reputation is compounding capital
ENGINE : The System of Growth
Turning strategy into scalable, measurable, repeatable growth.
THE CODES
E1 Run a living plan
E2 Tie everything to a business outcome
E3 Love the signal, ignore the noise
E4 Learn as fast as you spend
E5 Build ecosystems, not islands
E6 Emotions move markets
E7 Trust is the real conversion rate
E8 Celebrate the clean loss
E9 If you only win, the bar is too low
TEAM : Leadership & Capability
The CMO as organizational force multiplier.
THE CODES
T1 Lead across, not just down
T2 Culture writes the campaigns
T3 Hire for learning speed
T4 Integrate AI into the operating model
T5 Innovation as a habit, not a hero moment
T6 Let marketing build new revenue streams