The terms get used interchangeably and they shouldn't.
Fractional CMO. Growth consultant. In-house head of growth. Three different roles, three different engagement models, three different price points. Founders pick one when they need the other and the math doesn't work.
This is the cluster post for Why boutique beats agency for founders €30K-€500K MRR. If you're trying to figure out which "senior growth person" actually fits your stage, this is the breakdown.
What each role actually is
Fractional CMO
Who they are: an experienced CMO (usually 10+ years operating, often previously full-time C-level at a notable brand) who splits their time across 2-4 companies.
What they do: strategic marketing leadership. They sit in the leadership team, build the marketing roadmap, hire and manage the marketing team, report to the CEO, sometimes sit on the board.
Engagement model: 1-2 days per week per company. Long-term (12+ months typical). They're a leader, not an executor.
Cost: €8,000-€20,000 per month for the fractional seat. Usually structured as monthly retainer + sometimes equity at smaller companies.
Best for: companies €2M+ ARR with multiple marketing channels live, an existing junior/mid team that needs senior leadership, and a CEO who needs another C-level voice in strategic decisions.
Growth consultant (or boutique growth operator)
Who they are: a senior operator (usually 8+ years marketing operations experience) who consults rather than leads. Not in the leadership team. Not managing your team.
What they do: strategy + roadmap + pattern recognition across 8-15 businesses they've worked with. They diagnose what's broken, install foundational systems, advise the founder, hand back execution to the founder's team or freelancers.
Engagement model: 6-12 month retainers, weekly strategy call + async support. The founder stays the decision-maker.
Cost: €2,500-€5,000 per month retainer. Plus possibly a productized sprint for the initial foundation install.
Best for: founders €30K-€500K MRR who need strategic depth but can't justify a full fractional CMO seat. The growth consultant is the boutique senior partner, not a leadership role.
In-house head of growth
Who they are: a full-time employee with growth marketing experience. Senior level (5-8+ years) ideally, mid-level if budget constrained.
What they do: owns the marketing function end-to-end. Builds the team. Executes the strategy. Sits in every meeting. Reports directly to founder or CEO.
Engagement model: full-time employment. Salary + benefits + equity. Long onboarding (3-6 months). High commitment both directions.
Cost: €60,000-€120,000 base salary + 20-30% benefits + equity grant. Loaded cost: €80,000-€160,000 per year. €6,500-€13,000 per month.
Best for: €1M+ ARR companies with the runway to absorb a long-term hire, the system infrastructure for a senior to walk into (see marketing SOP template), and a team big enough to manage.
The decision tree
Match your situation to the row that fits:
| Stage | MRR / ARR | Recommended shape |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-PMF / early | <€30K MRR | Not yet. Founder owns marketing personally. |
| Foundation | €30K-€500K MRR | Boutique growth consultant |
| Scaling | €500K-€2M MRR | Boutique → consider fractional CMO if multi-channel complexity grows |
| Established | €2M-€10M ARR | Fractional CMO (or full-time CMO if budget allows) |
| Mature | €10M+ ARR | Full-time CMO with senior team underneath |
The most common mistake: founders at €100K MRR hiring fractional CMOs because it "sounds more senior" than a consultant. The fractional CMO needs an existing team to lead. At €100K MRR you probably don't have that team yet. The fractional ends up doing consultant work at fractional CMO prices.
The reverse mistake: founders at €2M ARR hiring a "boutique growth consultant" because they want to save vs CMO cost. The boutique advises; they don't lead the team. At your stage you need leadership presence, not advisor cadence.
What I am (and what I'm not)
I'm a boutique growth consultant / operator in the framework above. Not a fractional CMO. Not an in-house. Not an agency.
Specifically:
- I work with 4-6 founders per year.
- Engagements are €2,500-€5,000 per month, 6-12 month minimum.
- I do not sit in your leadership team. I'm not your CMO.
- I bring strategy + roadmap + pattern recognition. Your team or your freelancers execute.
- I work alongside in-house growth hires if you have one — never replace them.
If you're €2M+ ARR and you need C-level leadership presence with hiring authority, I'd recommend a fractional CMO instead. I can refer good ones. If you're €5K MRR pre-PMF, you probably need product focus more than growth help. The right answer to "what do I need?" is sometimes "not me, not yet."
Cost-effectiveness math
Annual cost over 12 months, including realistic onboarding + handoff costs:
| Shape | Monthly | Annual TCO | Hands-on hours/week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boutique growth consultant | €3,500 | €42,000 | 5-15 strategic hours |
| Fractional CMO | €10,000 | €120,000 | 8-20 leadership hours |
| In-house head of growth (mid-level) | €5,500 | €66,000 | Full-time, mostly tactical |
| In-house head of growth (senior) | €10,000 | €120,000 | Full-time, strategic + tactical |
The math:
- Boutique is ~35% the cost of a fractional CMO. Different role, smaller scope.
- In-house mid-level is cheaper than fractional CMO but requires SOP infrastructure to be useful.
- In-house senior is comparable cost to fractional CMO. Trade-off: dedication (in-house) vs cross-industry pattern recognition (fractional).
What founders ask me
"Can a fractional CMO be a growth consultant?" The roles overlap but the seat is different. A fractional CMO sits IN the company. A growth consultant sits ADJACENT to the company. Same person could do either role — different engagement structure determines which.
"I don't have €10K/mo for a fractional. Can I use you as one?" You can engage me as a boutique growth consultant at €2.5-5K. That's strategy + roadmap. If you need someone IN the leadership team representing marketing in C-level conversations, that's fractional CMO territory and a different ask. I'd flag the mismatch upfront.
"When should I move from consultant to fractional to full-time?" The signal isn't title — it's where decisions live. If marketing decisions are mostly tactical and one strategic call a week is enough, consultant. If marketing decisions are strategic and need to be in leadership cadence, fractional. If marketing decisions are constant and need a full-time owner, full-time hire.
Where to start
If you're €30K-€500K MRR and not sure which shape fits, take the 5-min audit. Five minutes auto-qualifies whether we're a fit and whether the boutique consultant role is the right answer for your stage.
Which of the three roles have you been considering for the wrong reasons?