Fractional CMO — River (Pre-Launch Water Conservation Hardware) - Contract to Hire

Fractional CMO — River (Pre-Launch Water Conservation Hardware) -Role: Part-Time Chief Marketing Officer -Company: Water Timer (Product: River®) -Start: ASAP -Time Commitment: 2–8 hours/week (flex to 15–20+ during launch sprints) -Location: Remote (strong preference for US time zones) The Opportunity River is building the product that will make water awareness effortless for millions of people. Think "Nest for water"—a sleek shower monitor that makes conservation simple, measurable, and even enjoyable. We're pre-Kickstarter and intentionally building demand before launch. This is a rare chance to own growth strategy from zero to crowdfunding success for a mass-consumer hardware product. Post-Kickstarter, we’ll scale River through mass e-commerce (DTC + Amazon), expand into hospitality deployments with hotels and multi-property groups, and then pursue retail and utility partnerships once the product and unit economics are proven at scale. Why this moment matters: We’re at the perfect inflection point—render-ready product, a clear target market, and runway to build demand the right way. We have not yet activated our socials and are intentiallt waiting until we have a solid plan in place. We already have 200 pieces of content ready to ship across different formats, angles, and audiences, and we’ll soon add real product photos and in-shower footage as prototypes come in. We also have a US-based video production partner lined up to produce our Kickstarter hero video, plus ~80 high-quality product photos and a full set of short-form video assets—so you’ll be building on a strong creative foundation while shaping the entire go-to-market from scratch. Our marketing DNA: We bias toward modern direct-response and compounding content systems. If your instincts align with operators like Chase Chappell, Alex Hormozi, and Matt Gray—strong hooks, clear offers, high testing velocity, ruthless clarity—this will feel natural. I'm the Founder/Creative Director. I need a part-time CMO to own strategy, KPIs, and execution leadership while I focus on product and creative direction. What Success Looks Like (First 60–90 Days) -Waitlist growth: 2,000+ qualified subscribers within 60 days, cleanly segmented (Home vs Business + angle attribution). -Proven acquisition system: Repeatable paid campaigns acquiring signups at sustainable CAC with identifiable winning angles. -Landing performance: Build and optimize a multi-landing-page testing system (segment + angle variants). Goal: reach 15–25%+ waitlist conversion on at least one winning page from paid traffic, while improving lead quality and lowering CAC through continuous iteration. -Experiment velocity: Weekly creative and landing page tests with clear signal on what works. -Clean tracking: Pixels, UTMs, events, and a weekly KPI dashboard that makes decisions obvious. -Operating rhythm: Predictable weekly cadence—ship lists, reviews, iteration loops, and accountability across content, ads, CRO, and lifecycle. What You'll Own Strategy + Execution Leadership -Own River's growth strategy from now through Kickstarter launch and beyond. Translate strategy into weekly execution plans with clear priorities, owners, and measurable outcomes. Drive accountability on numbers, shipping speed, and iteration quality. Team Assembly + Operating System -We already have a strong base content engine in place: a full-time video editor, a social media and community manager, and a street interviewer, plus a permanent content studio where Felipe (the founder) can consistently film founder-led videos and product storytelling. Help build a lean, high-output marketing team (5–8 roles by end of quarter): -Growth (paid + CRO + tracking) -Lifecycle (email + segmentation) -Creative ops (producer/coordinator) -Performance creative (ad design + editing) Your responsibility: Role design, hiring specifications, screening, paid trials, onboarding, and weekly output standards. Create the operating system—ship lists, KPI scorecards, testing plans, reporting rhythms. Timeline: 2–3 critical hires in first 30 days, scaling to 5–8 by quarter-end. Growth Execution -Launch and manage continuous paid testing (Meta, Google, TikTok). Build a multi-landing-page testing system: -Separate pages by segment (Home vs Business) and angle (cost savings, time savings, family/kids, eco-conscious). Continuously test and improve. -Own the conversion loop: messaging, structure, offers, angle validation. -Own lifecycle basics: welcome sequences, segmentation, nurture flows, referral mechanics. -Define and track core KPIs: CAC per signup, landing conversion rate, CTR, CPM, CPC, email engagement, segment performance. Creative Strategy (Partnership with Felipe) -Define what to test: angles, hooks, formats, proof points, objection handling. -Build tight feedback loops with editors and designers so creative quality compounds weekly. Paid Trial Period -We'll start with a 2–4 week paid trial to ensure strong mutual fit. Trial deliverables: -Structuring general marketing strategy and roadmap -Tracking implemented and validated (pixels, UTMs, key events) -Initial creative and paid tests live (enough volume for signal) -First set of landing pages launched (segment + angle variants) with CRO loop active -Weekly operating rhythm established (ship list + KPI reports + iteration loop) -30–60 day hiring plan delivered (roles, specs, outreach strategy, trial structure) If the trial succeeds, we transition to ongoing hourly engagement with a 90-day initial commitment. You're the Right Fit If You... -Have shipped real results. Consumer growth campaigns and paid social experiments that actually converted (not just brand awareness work). -Understand pre-launch demand building. Kickstarter mechanics, hardware waitlists, or pre-order funnels for physical products. -Lead lean, high-output teams. You build tight feedback loops, move fast with imperfect assets, and improve every week. -Own the numbers. Direct, organized, data-driven, and comfortable with accountability. -Move fast. You don't need perfect briefs or big teams to make progress. This Won't Work If You... Prefer large teams and long planning cycles. Need polished assets before you'll test anything. Treat accountability and metrics as someone else's problem. Or only want high-level consulting without hands-on execution. Tools We Currently Use (Open to new tools) -Landing pages: Carrd (starting point), flexible on others -Store: Shopify -Waitlist: GetWaitlist + UTM/hidden field tagging -Email/lifecycle: Kit (ConvertKit) -Ads: Meta, Google, TikTok -Scheduling: Buffer -Assets: Google Drive -Security: Bitwarden Compensation -Negotiable -Hours: 4–12 hours/week initially, scaling to 15–20 during focused sprints or launch windows -Billing: Weekly via Upwork with clear time tracking and scope alignment -Growth path: As River scales and performance is proven, hours can increase incrementally (potential for 20–30 hrs/week post-Kickstarter) How We'll Work Together -Weekly planning call (45–60 min) Mid-week async check-in (15 min) Weekly KPI report + ship list Direct access to me for creative direction and priority alignment To Apply Send: 1. Your availability: hours/week, time zone, earliest start date 2. 2–3 case studies: waitlist builds, paid acquisition experiments, or conversion lifts—include specific metrics 3. One quick take: What's the first growth angle or tactic you'd test for River? (30 seconds of thinking, no essay needed). Felipe Ospina Founder, Water Timer (River®) Apply tot his job