First Impression
Hema PadhuHema Padhu writes First Impression — a newsletter for startup founders and marketers. She covers positioning, brand, GTM, and leadership.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 30 | Founded | 4 years ago | Last Issue | 2 years ago |
| Active | |||||
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firstimpression.substack.comLatest Issues
Pivots — the art of reinventing ourselves.
For startups, a pivot isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a strategic shift, a new direction. Pivots can be a powerful way to adapt, transform, and thrive in an ever-changing world. But when it comes to our career pivots, they are not always easy...
How to hire and manage people smarter than you.
Every founder and leader is given this advice: Hire people smarter than you. But how?
This is one of those axioms, almost a Zen-level paradox that sounds so wise, brilliant, and humbling that we think: Totally. That’s it. That’s what I nee...
Ready to rebrand? Wait! Read this first.
Reading time: 5 minutes
Many times, founders bring me on board after a rebranding effort fails or because a website redesign project is going poorly.
Often, they blame the agency or design firm—they didn’t understand our audience, their...
The art of persuasive engagement
Early in my career, a CMO I worked for asked the marketing team what the #1 job of marketing was. We all came up with different answers, and none of them were what he wanted to hear. He walked up to the whiteboard and wrote one word—persuas...
Do you have product-story fit?
Reading time: 6 minutes
A few months ago, I was talking to the CMO of Mayfield Capital, and she often asks startup founders this question: You have product-market fit, but do you have product-story fit?
That got me thinking because we do...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Interim and Fractional CMO, consultant, and advisor to over 25+ early-stage startups. Check out https://firstimpression.substack.com/, where I write about marketing and leadership.
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