Senior judgement, built with AI
Founders and CROs who look for an AI native marketer usually meet people early in their careers: quick with the tools, newer to pricing, sales cycles, board pressure and the calls that decide a quarter. Senior CMOs bring that judgement, but rarely build with AI themselves.
Shashwat brings both. He has 24+ years in B2B and 10+ years as a fractional leader, and he built 85 GTM tools and skills himself: 48 tools in 6 MCP connectors and 37 skills in 9 Claude plugins. The tools give the speed. The experience decides what to do with the answers.
Sector depth
His sector depth covers fintech, BFSI, logistics tech, cybersecurity, telecommunications, IT services and ITeS, retail and consumer packaged goods. See how his career built that judgement.
Judgement. 24+ years in B2B and 37+ engagements, so the work starts from which motion, which segment and which number matter. About Shashwat
Built, not bought. The tools are his own, so the method is the same in every engagement, and the same input gives the same result. See the tools
Checked by people. Where a human check is needed on tool output, vetted specialist freelancers verify it. Read the 30 operator guides
Bring one in when
Your marketing team is new to the job, or its brand stories do not land.
He shapes the value proposition and a brand story built around your ideal customer's problems. Start with IMPACT, which turns the buyer who wants you into a message your team can use, and CRAFT Content for the content that carries it.
Not enough buyers enter the top of the funnel.
He builds campaigns that bring in leads who fit your ideal customer profile, books discovery calls and demos, and keeps buyers who are not ready yet engaged. ICP Intelligence sizes the market and describes the best fit accounts, and GTM Alpha scores which go to market motion should lead.
Buyers do not see the value of your product.
He checks product market fit and the launch plan before money goes into demand. PMF Scorecard and Launch Commander in CRAFT GTM give the first draft.
Deals move slowly and the sales cycle is long.
He helps the sales team engage buyers and close deals. Revenue Enablement has 12 tools for this, and the mutual action plan template shows the close plan step.
Why a fractional CMO
Experienced leadership
A young, keen team gets direction, avoids the usual mistakes and keeps its work tied to business goals.
Outcome driven
Marketing is judged by what it produces, not by how busy it looks.
Cost effective
You get senior marketing practice for much less than a full time CMO, at a stage when a full time hire is not an option.
Faster results
He brings tried and tested playbooks, so results are more predictable and less time is wasted. The 30 operator guides show those playbooks step by step.
Which do you need?
Fractional CMO, consultant, advisor or project: buyers use these words for different kinds of help. Each one maps to a Helix option.
- Advisor
Guidance and reviews of your team's plans and work. A few hours a week.
Mentor or Advisor, 6 to 10 hours a week.
- Part time or fractional CMO
A senior leader who owns the marketing plan, the team and the results. Ongoing, month by month.
- Consultant or project
A fixed scope, such as a GTM audit, positioning, a launch plan or a 90 day sprint. The length of the project.
Project work on a quote. Start with the free GTM Alpha EPIC audit. Guides: choosing the motion, positioning, launch plan.
- Interim CMO
A full time leader for a fixed period. Full time.
Helix works part time. The closest option is Fractional CMO, at 15 to 20 hours a week.
The three tiers are monthly engagements; project work is quoted for its scope. Book a call for a quote.
Project work for startups
The project sets the market boundary, the funnel plan, positioning and messaging. It runs the EPIC assessment to choose the channel mix, then puts the plan into action to build pipeline while you focus on your core work.
Project work for enterprises
Selling to enterprises needs different messages, plans and approaches, and credibility and mindshare matter most. The project builds account based marketing maps and content that work for that segment. The guide fintech selling to banks shows one enterprise sale worked through.
The three tiers
- 6 to 10 hours a week
Mentor or Advisor
India: from INR 2.49 lakh a month
US: from $3,100 a monthWho it fits, and what he does
Fits: Pre Series A startups with a young team and a low marketing budget. The jobs it suits: Buyers do not see the value of your product; you need a first 90 day plan.
He mentors the team from his own experience: points out blind spots, sets priorities, shares marketing playbooks and answers by email between sessions.
- 8 to 12 hours a week
Micro CMO
India: from INR 3.49 lakh a month
US: from $4,100 a monthWho it fits, and what he does
Fits: Series A companies with annual revenue of at least $1M and a strong marketing team. The jobs it suits: Brand stories do not land; not enough buyers enter the top of the funnel.
He trains and guides the team: runs workshops, sets 90 day sprints, defines the team's goals and measures, and keeps the work on track.
- 15 to 20 hours a week
Fractional CMO
India: from INR 4.49 lakh a month
US: from $5,250 a monthWho it fits, and what he does
Fits: Series A companies with annual revenue of at least $2M and a team that needs leadership. The jobs it suits: Deals move slowly and the sales cycle is long; the team needs a marketing leader, not only a guide.
He is the chief architect who turns the leadership's vision into campaigns: leads the execution, reports metrics to the leadership, defines goals and measures, and helps HR hire.
Prices start from these amounts each month. INR bills carry GST at 18% on top. Travel and software tools are billed at actual cost.
Working together
How he works
Pipeline first
Sales pipeline is the first priority, and every part of the plan is aimed at growing it.
Go to market before launch
Positioning, messaging and the go to market plan are done before a product or service launches.
Efficiency through technology
His own tools automate the first drafts, so a lean team moves fast and marketing spend earns a return.
Help to hire and build process
He sets the team structure and the marketing plan, helps hire and assess people, and writes the playbooks the team runs.
His results at earlier roles are on the About page. See all 85 tools and skills.
Startups and growth companies
He works with Series A and B startups, mid sized IT and ITeS companies, and growing B2B companies without a full time CMO budget. A startup gets a senior marketing lead who sets the plan and the team, and a set of free tools the team can run every week.
Before you hire, you can start with the free tools: GTM Alpha scores which go to market motion to lead with, and ICP Intelligence sizes your market and describes your best fit customers.
Who with, and where
United States
He works with B2B companies in the United States remotely, over Zoom, Teams or Google Meet. Prices are in US dollars.
United Kingdom
He works with B2B companies in the United Kingdom remotely, over Zoom, Teams or Google Meet.
India
He is based in Bengaluru. His roles include VP Marketing at Happay, VP Global Performance Marketing at Locus, and Fractional CMO at FieldAssist. Prices are in INR, with GST on top.
Where Helix works
Helix GTM Consulting is based in Bengaluru, India. It serves India, the Middle East and Africa, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Western Europe, and works over Zoom, Teams or Google Meet.
The operator guides include playbooks for logistics tech, fintech and AI native SaaS, among others.
GTM Whisperer
Shashwat's newsletter on Substack, with AI go to market strategies for B2B SaaS and ITeS CXOs.
Questions and answers
What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works part time for a company and owns its marketing strategy, plan and team results, without a full time hire.
Is a fractional CMO the same as a marketing consultant?
Not quite. A fractional CMO owns the marketing plan, the team and the results on a monthly engagement. A marketing consultant usually works on a fixed scope, such as a GTM audit or positioning. Helix offers both: three fractional tiers, and project work on a quote.
What is the difference between a fractional and an interim CMO?
An interim CMO works full time for a fixed period. A fractional CMO works part time. Helix works part time only, and the closest option to an interim CMO is the Fractional CMO tier at 15 to 20 hours a week.
Can I hire Helix for a one off project?
Yes. Project work such as a GTM audit, positioning, a launch plan or a 90 day sprint is priced on a quote. The free GTM Alpha EPIC audit is a good starting point.
Is a marketing advisor enough for my stage?
The Mentor or Advisor tier fits pre Series A startups with a young team and a low marketing budget. Micro CMO fits Series A companies with annual revenue of at least $1M and a strong marketing team, and Fractional CMO fits those with at least $2M and a team that needs leadership.
Why hire a senior fractional CMO who uses AI instead of a younger AI native marketer?
Marketers early in their careers are often quick with AI tools but newer to pricing, sales cycles, board pressure and the calls that decide a quarter. Shashwat has 24+ years in B2B and 10+ years as a fractional leader, and he built 85 GTM tools and skills himself. The tools give the speed, and the experience decides what to do with the answers.
What does an AI native fractional CMO add?
Shashwat Ghosh built 85 free GTM tools and skills, 48 tools in 6 connectors and 37 skills in 9 plugins, and uses them inside the work, so each decision starts from a first draft built on your own numbers.
How much does a fractional CMO from Helix cost?
Mentor or Advisor, 6 to 10 hours a week, starts from INR 2.49 lakh or $3,100 a month. Micro CMO, 8 to 12 hours a week, starts from INR 3.49 lakh or $4,100. Fractional CMO, 15 to 20 hours a week, starts from INR 4.49 lakh or $5,250. INR bills carry GST at 18% on top.
Who is a fractional CMO for?
Series A and B startups, mid sized IT and ITeS companies, and growing B2B companies that need senior marketing leadership without a full time CMO budget.
Who checks the output of the tools?
Where a human check is needed on tool output, vetted specialist freelancers verify it.
Does Shashwat work with companies in the US, UK and India?
Yes. Helix GTM Consulting is based in Bengaluru and serves India, the Middle East and Africa, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Western Europe, over Zoom, Teams or Google Meet.
How do I start a fractional CMO engagement?
Book a 45 minute discovery call, ask for a GTM audit led by Shashwat, or ask for a custom quote on the Work with Shashwat page.