About
Simon Sothcott.
Founder of Zebra North. Fractional CMO who installs revenue architecture for ambitious B2B businesses — not a junior team, not a strategy deck.
Fifteen years across strategy and execution — installing growth systems that sales and the board can actually use.
The problem most companies don't see
Most businesses believe they have a marketing problem.
They usually don't.
They have:
- A positioning problem
- A funnel architecture problem
- A lifecycle problem
- A measurement problem
- Or a focus problem
Symptoms appear as rising acquisition costs, inconsistent pipeline, marketing and sales misalignment, reporting that lacks commercial clarity, and busy teams without predictable outcomes.
The issue is rarely effort. It is structure. Zebra North installs that structure.
Before
- Marketing is reactive
- Paid spend increases before conversion improves
- Reporting is activity-led, not revenue-led
- Sales questions lead quality
- Founders rely on instinct more than forecasting
After
- Positioning is clear
- Funnel stages are defined
- Conversion is measurable
- CAC and payback are understood
- Marketing and sales operate in alignment
- Growth feels controlled, not chaotic
Why fractional
Not every company needs a full-time CMO.
But many need senior commercial leadership.
Provides
- Executive-level thinking
- Commercial accountability
- Structured prioritisation
- Revenue forecasting clarity
- Embedded systems design
Without
- The cost of a full-time hire
- The risk of premature executive scaling
- Long-term lock-in before clarity exists
Designed for businesses ready to grow — but not ready to expand headcount blindly.
How I work
Inside the business, not alongside it.
- Working directly with founders
- Sitting in commercial conversations
- Aligning with sales leadership
- Reviewing reporting personally
- Challenging channel decisions
- Installing systems hands-on
This is not advisory theatre. It is operator-led execution. Comfortable in the boardroom, inside CRM architecture, inside ad accounts, and inside forecasting models.
Strategic clarity meets technical fluency.
Many fractional CMOs are strategic. Few are technical and commercially analytical. Zebra North is built on that combination.
Best suited for
- B2B SaaS companies
- Tech-enabled service businesses
- Founder-led organisations scaling beyond intuition
- Companies generating revenue but lacking predictability
- Leadership teams ready for structural clarity
Typically £1m–£20m revenue. Existing traction. Growing acquisition costs. Pipeline inconsistency. Internal marketing without senior direction.
Not designed for
- Pre-revenue startups
- Social media-only support
- Short-term campaign execution
- Pure branding projects
- Growth experimentation without structure
This is long-term revenue architecture.
If that sounds like you, start with a call.
Limited number of companies at any one time. The strongest outcomes happen when leadership is aligned and growth is treated as deliberate design, not urgency.
Related
The work, in more detail.
Fractional CMO
Embedded senior marketing leadership without full-time headcount.
Read moreWays of working
Project, Growth Partner, or Fractional CMO — pick the level of involvement.
Read moreHubSpot consultant
Turn HubSpot into the revenue system it was supposed to be.
Read moreDemand generation consultant
Fill the system with qualified pipeline once it can measure properly.
Read moreFAQ
Common questions.
Who actually does the work?
Simon. There is no junior delivery team behind the proposal. Specialist production — design, development, content — is brought in only when needed, managed directly, with full transparency.
How is a fractional CMO different from an agency?
Agencies sell activity and implementation hours. Zebra North installs senior commercial leadership inside the business: positioning, funnel architecture, measurement, and the systems that make growth predictable. Operator-led execution, not outsourced campaigns.
Who is this for — and who is it not for?
Best for B2B SaaS and tech-enabled service businesses, typically £1m–£20m revenue, with traction but without predictable pipeline. Not for pre-revenue startups, social-only support, short-term campaign execution, or pure branding projects.
How do engagements start?
With a call. You do not need to pick a package first. Describe the problem; the shape of the work follows from scope and whether anyone internally owns marketing. Many relationships start as a project and grow into Growth Partner or Fractional CMO work.
Do you only work with SaaS companies?
No. B2B SaaS is a core fit, but the same revenue architecture applies to tech-enabled service businesses and founder-led B2B companies scaling beyond intuition.
The outcome
From reactive marketing to structured growth.
From scattered activity to commercial clarity.
From intuition to forecasting confidence.