Marketing Frameworks are Failing Entrepreneurs: Why “Zero to One” Demands a Different Approach
By Priyashah, World-Today-News.com - November 8, 2023
For the vast majority of entrepreneurs, notably those in the crucial “zero to one” phase, conventional marketing frameworks are not just unhelpful – they’re actively hindering progress.Designed by marketers for marketers – specifically, those operating within large corporations – these models often fail to address the realities faced by freelancers, independent business owners, and those just starting out.
This isn’t a critique of marketing itself, but a challenge to the prevailing wisdom that a rigid framework is the first step to success. The core issue? These frameworks operate on assumptions that simply don’t hold true when you’re building a business from the ground up.
(Image: A visual representing the disconnect between theoretical marketing frameworks and the practical challenges of early-stage entrepreneurship.)
When you’re at the “zero to one” stage, you’re typically lacking the foundational elements these frameworks rely on: a dedicated team, a substantial advertising budget, an established customer base, and – crucially - data to analyze. Frameworks promise structure, but they become largely inoperable without a functioning business to build upon. This is a fundamental flaw in modern marketing pedagogy.
Take the ubiquitous exercise of defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). How can you accurately pinpoint a “perfect” customer when you haven’t yet engaged in real-world interactions with potential clients? The result is often a sterile, theoretical profile – “Male, 35, Upper-Middle Class, Paris” – that looks good on paper but delivers little practical value.
At this stage, theory takes a backseat to traction.
Many entrepreneurs, myself included, have spent valuable time and energy attempting to force-fit their nascent businesses into these pre-defined molds. The consistent conclusion? The problem isn’t a lack of skill on the entrepreneur’s part; it’s that the frameworks themselves are poorly suited to the realities of building something new.
Traditional frameworks often assume you choose a business based on a pre-existing
