This page is for Penn Wharton Venture Lab founders looking for free GTM feedback from a B2B SaaS marketing operator with five startup VP of Marketing roles.

For Penn Venture Lab Founders

You built something through Penn Venture Lab with serious business instincts behind it. Now let's make sure the B2B marketing motion matches.

Free 30-60 minute GTM session for Penn Venture Lab founders. Honest feedback on your positioning, messaging, and early pipeline. No prep required. No pitch from me.

Request Your Free Session

Why this exists

I got help early. This is how I return it.

I have been VP of Marketing at five early-stage startups. Every one of them was built by people sharper than me on the technical side. What I could do that they couldn't, at least not yet, was take a complex product and turn it into a message that made a buyer say yes.

People gave me their time when I needed it most. That changed where I ended up. These sessions are how I build the bridge behind me.

The session is free because I think the right way to work with early-stage founders is to be useful before anything else. Some of those conversations turn into ongoing work. Most don't, and that's fine. The goal is that you leave with something you can act on that week.

If you're a Penn Venture Lab founder trying to figure out how to turn a strong business case into a repeatable pipeline, that's the conversation I want to have.

Who this is for

Built for the Penn Venture Lab founder profile

You have strong business and financial instincts but GTM execution still feels fuzzy Wharton founders tend to be excellent at strategy, unit economics, and investor framing. The challenge is often translating that analytical strength into a commercial story that converts buyers quickly.
You're building B2B software and your ICP is wider than it should be Penn founders often come out of the Venture Lab with a big market framing. Getting specific about who the first 10 customers should be, and why they buy now, is the most valuable thing you can do before you scale.
You're getting strong investor signals but customer traction is slower than expected A compelling investor deck and a compelling commercial story are not the same thing. This session is specifically about the latter.
You're pre-Series A or in VIP-X and want to sharpen your pipeline before your next round The commercial traction you build in the next six months will define your Series A narrative. This session helps you build the right motion now.

If you're a Penn Venture Lab founder and at least two of those land, this session was built for you.

What we cover

30-60 minutes. One problem. Real feedback. Really free.

Positioning and messagingWhy your current language isn't turning technical depth into buyer urgency, and what to change first.

ICP sharpnessWhether your ideal customer is actually buyable at your stage, or whether you're aimed at a segment that can't move fast enough to matter right now.

Early pipeline structureHow you're generating demand, where the drop-off is, and what a realistic first GTM motion looks like with what you actually have.

First marketing hireWhether you're ready to hire, what to look for, and how to avoid the hire that looks right on paper and sets you back six months.

Your specific questionBring the thing that's been sitting on your whiteboard for three weeks. That's usually where we start.

No prep required. No slides. No pitch deck. Just show up and we'll dig in.

The Penn ecosystem

A few companies with Penn roots

Penn and Wharton alumni have founded some of the most successful companies in consumer and enterprise. A few you'll know well.

Warby Parker

Founded by four Wharton MBA students through the Venture Initiation Program. Went public in 2021 and became the defining DTC company of its generation.

Wharton VIP

Rubrik

Data security and cloud management platform co-founded by Wharton alum Bipul Sinha. Raised $550M and went public in 2024 at a $5B+ valuation.

Wharton Alumni

CommonBond

Student loan refinancing platform founded by Wharton students. Raised $300M+ using the Penn network as its first distribution channel.

Wharton VIP

Attentive

SMS marketing automation platform co-founded by Penn alumni. Raised $863M and reached a $10B valuation as one of the fastest-growing martech companies.

Penn Alumni

About Tom

Five startups. Marketing Leadership.

Penn and Wharton produce a specific kind of founder: someone with strong analytical instincts, a clear business model, and often a sophisticated investor pitch before they have a repeatable commercial motion. The gap I see most often is between excellent strategy and the specific execution required to get the first 10 customers to sign. That's the conversation this session is for.

I've been VP of Marketing at five B2B SaaS startups, from pre-revenue through Series B. The job was always the same: take a technically strong product, figure out who actually needs to buy it, and build the smallest marketing motion that proves the thesis before you scale it.

I run a Portfolio CMO practice with a small number of Series A and B companies. The free sessions sit outside that. No sales agenda.

More about my background

What comes after

Most sessions end at the session.

The session stands on its own. You'll leave with feedback you can act on. No follow-up pitch, no invoice.

A small number of founders want to keep going after the session. Some are trying to hire their first marketing leader and want a thought partner through that process. Some are a few months from a Series A and need someone in the room while they build the GTM motion. For those conversations, I work as an advisor or a senior marketing leader embedded in the business on a part-time basis, without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

If that's relevant after we talk, I'll tell you what it looks like. If it's not, the session still stands. More on how I work with founders.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Is this really free for Penn Venture Lab founders? What's the catch?

Yes. Fully free. No invoice, no pitch at the end. I do a small number of these for founders in programs like the Penn Venture Lab because I get as much out of the conversations as the founders do. It keeps me sharp on what early-stage founders are actually dealing with. The only ask is a real question.

I'm in VIP-X or a Venture Lab cohort. Is this the right time for a GTM conversation?

Active program is the right time. The commercial decisions you make while you have structured support around you are the easiest to revise. This session helps you sharpen the ICP and pipeline story while you still have the Venture Lab's resources behind you.

How is this different from the mentorship Penn Venture Lab already provides?

The Venture Lab's mentors cover a wide range: fundraising, legal, product, operations. This session is specifically about GTM: your ICP, your positioning, and your first pipeline motion. I've been VP of Marketing at five startups. If the question is about how to sell what you've built, this is where you get depth.

I'm building in fintech, enterprise software, or another Wharton-heavy category. Is that your wheelhouse?

Yes. Fintech and enterprise B2B are where I've spent a significant part of my career. The Penn ecosystem tends to produce founders building in exactly those spaces. The commercial challenge in both is similar: long buying cycles, multiple stakeholders, and a need for a story that speaks to the economic buyer, not just the end user.

What's the difference between this session and ongoing advisory work after the Venture Lab?

The session is one conversation. You bring a problem, I give honest feedback, you leave with something concrete. Ongoing advisory work means I'm embedded part-time in the business: team meetings, GTM strategy over months, accountable to pipeline. The session is the starting point. Advisory is for founders who want to keep going.

I heard about this through Penn Venture Lab. What happens when I reach out?

Send one sentence on what you're building and one sentence on what you want to think through. I'll reply within 48 hours. The session is 30-60 minutes over video call. No deck, no prep.