| name | cmo-review |
| description | /cs:cmo-review <plan> — Narrative-first interrogation of positioning, ICP, message house, and channel mix. Use when launching a campaign or repositioning, or when CAC is rising and the one-sentence positioning test fails. |
/cs:cmo-review — CMO Forcing Questions
Command: /cs:cmo-review <plan>
The narrative-first strategist pressure-tests positioning before debating tactics.
When to Run
- Before launching any new campaign
- Before changing positioning, tagline, or category
- Before allocating > 10% of marketing budget to a new channel
- Before a major PR moment (funding announcement, product launch)
- When pipeline contribution is declining
The Six CMO Questions
1. ICP (One Real Person)
Name one real person in your ICP. Company, title, what they do daily, what they hate.
- Persona ≠ ICP. ICP is real.
- If you can't name one, the ICP isn't sharp enough.
2. JTBD
What job is the customer hiring this product to do, and what's the alternative they use today?
- One sentence the customer would say out loud.
- "We use spreadsheets" is a valid alternative. So is "we don't."
3. Positioning Statement
One sentence: For [ICP], who needs [job], we are [category] that [differentiator] unlike [alternative].
- This is the headline. Everything cascades.
- If it doesn't fit in one sentence, it's not positioning yet.
4. Distribution Channel
Where does the customer first hear your name — and is it inbound or outbound at this stage?
- Name the channel, intent, and the path to first contact.
- PLG, sales-led, content-led, partnership-led — pick a primary.
5. CAC Payback
Per channel: what's CAC, what's payback in months, and is it improving?
- If a channel's payback is > 18 months, it isn't a channel — it's a hobby.
6. Defensibility of Brand
If a well-funded competitor copies your messaging tomorrow, what's still yours?
- Category position, founder-market fit, customer love, distribution lock — name one.
Workflow
- Run the models:
python ../../../skills/cmo-advisor/scripts/marketing_budget_modeler.py
python ../../../skills/cmo-advisor/scripts/growth_model_simulator.py
- Answer the six questions in writing.
- Apply the verdict:
- 🟢 GREEN — story is sharp, channel mix sound
- 🟡 YELLOW — sharpen positioning before scaling
- 🔴 RED — positioning broken; do not spend
Output Format
# CMO Review: <plan>
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
## Positioning
One-sentence statement: <here>
## ICP
- Named persona: <name, title, company>
- JTBD: <one sentence in their words>
## Channel Mix
- Primary: <channel> | CAC $X | Payback Ym
- Secondary: <channel> | CAC $X | Payback Ym
## Verdict
🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴
## Next Steps
[3 concrete actions]
Routing
/cs:cro-review — pipeline contribution check/cs:cpo-review — product ↔ positioning alignment/cs:decide — log the verdict
Related
Version: 1.0.0
