Growth decision tools
Fractional CMO Cost Calculator
Built the growth engine that took cnvrg.io to its acquisition by Intel.
Compare a full-time hire, fractional engagement and agency on explicit cost and capacity. The calculator shows when each could fit the requirement you actually have.
Leadership cost comparison
A neutral6/12month comparison of editable costs, capacity and productive-time assumptions for a full-time CMO or head of growth, a fractional operator and an agency, plus the customers and leads each option needs to pay back.
Compare costs and capacity using your assumptions, not market salary benchmarks.
How this is calculated
Full-time monthly run-rate = (base pay + bonus) × (1 + burden) ÷ 12 + annualized equity ÷ 12Fractional monthly run-rate = retainer; agency monthly run-rate = retainer + internal coordinationCustomers per month to cover an option = its monthly run-rate ÷ gross profit per new customerLeads per month to cover it = customers per month ÷ lead-to-customer rate
Set your assumptions
Leadership cost comparison
Illustrative sampleCost, hours and assumed productive time are separate; the cheapest option may not fit the scope.
Monetary amounts use USD; no exchange-rate conversion. Display values are rounded to two decimals. CSV exports retain returned numeric values.
Run-rate budget/valuation including stated noncash equity, not cash paid before a start date.
- Required weekly capacity
- 30 hours/week
Run-rate budgets and planning-window cash, not equivalent scope
| Model | 6month run-rate budget | 12month run-rate budget | 6month cash after start | 12month cash after start | Hours/week | Capable after weeks | Productive hours in12months | Meets stated hours? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 155,000 | 280,000 | 113,333.33 | 238,333.33 | 40 | 13 | 1,560 | Yes, hours only |
| Fractional | 49,000 | 97,000 | 45,000 | 93,000 | 16 | 3.25 | 780 | No |
| Agency | 59,000 | 113,000 | 50,000 | 104,000 | 20 | 8.67 | 866.67 | No |
Annual/full-period reconciliation
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Full-time base + bonus | 200,000 |
| Annual payroll/benefits | 50,000 |
| Annualized noncash equity | 0 |
| Full-time recruiting + onboarding once | 30,000 |
| Fractional transition once | 1,000 |
| Agency internal coordination/year | 36,000 |
| Agency setup once | 5,000 |
Assumptions and limits
Assumptions used
- Editable scenario inputs; not measured outcomes or benchmarks.
- All amounts inUSD; no regional market compensation data. Run-rate budgets charge6/12contract months; planning-window cash excludes months before the assumed start. One-time costs assumed incurred within the planning window.
- 52weeks/year; productive time starts after delay+ramp, while cash cost starts after delay. Equity is shown in run-rate valuation, excluded from planning cash.
What this does not establish
- No guarantee of business results.
- Hours do not prove expertise, accountability, available start dates or identical delivery scope. No model always wins.
Calculations and pasted-evidence analysis run in this browser. Saving is optional.
Keep the work. Control the sharing.
JSON files include your inputs. CSV and copied briefs include results that may be sensitive. A copied tool link opens this tool without your inputs or result; a link with inputs carries them in the part after # only.
The lowest retainer does not settle the leadership decision
A founder evaluating marketing leadership needs to compare ownership, available time and the work that must get done. A full-time leader, fractional operator and specialist agency provide different capacity. Keep the cost comparison separate from the scope decision; a cheaper option can leave an expensive responsibility uncovered.
Method and assumptions
Full-time cost includes salary, bonus, payroll or benefits burden, recruitment and onboarding assumptions. Fractional and agency scenarios include monthly retainers, setup or transition costs and any internal coordination cost. Calculate six- and twelve-month totals using the same currency and period. Editable examples are assumptions, not salary research or a quote from me.
Leads needed to pay back each option
Add your gross profit per new customer and your lead-to-customer rate, and the calculator shows how many new customers and leads a month each option needs to cover its monthly run-rate: run-rate ÷ gross profit per customer, then ÷ the lead-to-customer rate. This is the breakeven method Grow and Convert published for content ROI, applied to leadership cost. Your numbers only; nothing here is a quote or a benchmark.
An illustrative example
Consider a business with a full-time leadership requirement and a capable candidate whose total annual cost is lower than a high-retainer fractional arrangement. In that case the employee can win the cost comparison as well as the capacity assessment. A smaller scoped requirement can favor a fractional engagement, but the calculator should not make that choice automatically.
Turn the result into a useful next step
Write down which decisions the leader must own, how much weekly capacity is needed, and which specialists already exist in your business. Compare the cash totals, then review the uncovered work. I personally deliver fractional marketing leadership; I can also tell you when hiring internally makes more sense.
What the result can establish
The result excludes costs you do not enter and cannot verify local employment obligations, compensation benchmarks, candidate quality or time to impact. An agency retainer and an individual leader’s time are not equivalent units of delivery.
Questions before you use the result
Are the example costs market benchmarks?
No. They are editable illustrative inputs. Use your own offers, compensation research and financial assumptions for a decision.
How many leads do I need to pay back a fractional CMO?
Add your gross profit per new customer and your lead-to-customer rate under payback economics. The calculator divides each option’s monthly run-rate by the gross profit per customer, then by the lead-to-customer rate, and shows the customers and leads a month each option needs. The numbers are yours; nothing is a quote or a benchmark.
Will the calculator always recommend fractional?
No. It compares entered costs and identifies scope trade-offs. Full-time leadership may be less expensive or better suited to the required capacity.
Can I compare currencies?
Choose one currency for a scenario. The tool formats values; it does not retrieve exchange rates or convert a salary between countries.
Does the fractional input quote your fee?
No. It is your modeling assumption. I scope an engagement personally around the work, responsibility and capacity required.
Will I be asked for my email before I can use the cost comparison?
No email needed. The cost comparison works without a gate, and contacting me about an engagement is an optional next step you can skip.
Who delivers the consulting work?
I deliver it myself. In a fractional engagement I personally lead and do the agreed work. You retain your own responsibilities and approve access, and the scope is agreed between you and me.
Connect the decision to action
Work with me on the next decision
I personally review the business problem, agree the scope with you and deliver the work. Bring the questions the tool helped you identify.