Oh Frac! Ep12: Sjeel Koster - Ex Director of Marketing at Lightspeed says Fractional is the Future

Описание: Sjeel Koster went from startup employee #16 at SEOshop (acq. by Lightspeed) to EMEA marketing lead by 25, helped steer through IPO/M&A waves, founded Holiday Hero, and now operates as a sought-after Fractional CMO. In this Oh Frac! conversation, host Adir Ron digs into Sjeel’s playbook: landing the first fractional clients, running 4+ concurrent engagements without burning out, building a steady pipeline with LinkedIn, and drawing a hard line between true fractional leadership and interim work.

You’ll hear candid lessons on ICP focus, saying “no” to misfit gigs, using VC office hours and partnerships as one-to-many ABM, and why Europe’s on the cusp of a massive fractional surge. If you’re a CEO, aspiring fractional, or investor, this one’s stacked with tactical takeaways—and some spicy myths busted along the way.

Key takeaways:
Start like a marketer: define a tight ICP, pick the channel your ICP already lives on (her choice: LinkedIn), and repeat your message consistently.
Fractional ≠ interim: set firm “day-a-week” boundaries to protect quality and avoid context chaos.
Pipeline math: work backward from 6–9 month engagements; warm leads months before a rollover.
One-to-many ABM: partner with VCs/accelerators whose portfolios match your ICP.
Managing 4 clients: dedicate fixed days per client; avoid hour-by-hour context-switching.
Don’t default to LinkedIn—choose the channel that proves your superpower (content, ABM, paid, community).
Red flags: “We need more MQLs” and founders who won’t let go of GTM.
Niche with conviction: B2B tech/AI, PMF, ~$5–10M ARR, team/budget in place.
Founder empathy matters: operating a startup sharpens GTM, P&L, and prioritization instincts.
Europe’s moment: rising demand for fractional leaders across startups and scale-ups.

Chapters:
00:00 Cold open — “How do I get leads?”
04:30 Intro & why fractional vs interim
09:00 Sjeel’s path: SEOshop → Lightspeed IPO
13:30 EVBox lessons: ABM & enterprise GTM
18:00 Founding Holiday Hero & founder empathy
22:30 Going fractional: first clients & positioning
27:00 Running 4 accounts: structure, energy, boundaries
31:30 Pipeline design: LinkedIn, referrals, VC collabs
36:00 Frac’d-up moments: misfit ICP & saying no
40:30 Quickfire: tools, dream/nightmare clients, future of fractional

Sjeel’s LinkedIn:
  / sjeel-koster  

Adir’s LinkedIn:
  / adir-ron  

Keywords:
fractional leadership, fractional CMO, **Sjeel Koster**, Oh Frac podcast, Adir Ron, GTM strategy, ICP definition, LinkedIn marketing, ABM for fractionals, PLG to SLG, pipeline generation, founder empathy, Lightspeed IPO, EVBox, Holiday Hero, TestGorilla, VC office hours, Europe startups, scale-ups, B2B SaaS growth