How to choose a growth marketing agency (without getting burned)

Hiring a marketing agency is expensive when it goes right and catastrophic when it goes wrong. Here's the honest framework we wish more founders used.

1. Ask what they won't work on

Any good agency has a "not for us" list. If they say yes to every industry, every channel, and every stage — walk.

2. Ask for the last three clients they fired

Great agencies fire clients. The reasons tell you what they value: unrealistic timelines, unclear attribution, unwilling to invest in creative.

3. Ask to see a losing campaign

Anyone can show wins. The way they diagnose a loss tells you how they'll handle yours.

4. Ask who actually does the work

The senior person in the pitch is often not the senior person on the account. Get names, seniority, and hours per week in writing.

5. Ask how they price

Percentage-of-spend is misaligned. Flat retainers are honest. Performance-only is usually a red flag unless your unit economics are already dialed in.

6. Ask for their reporting cadence

Weekly Slack + monthly report + quarterly review is a healthy rhythm. "You'll hear from us when there's news" is not.

7. Ask what would make them quit

If they can't answer, they've never thought about it. That's the tell.

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The shortcut: book a call with two or three shortlisted agencies in the same week, ask the same questions, and compare the answers side by side. The gaps will be obvious.