Founding Growth Marketer
About AthenaHQ
AthenaHQ is the leading platform for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), helping brands optimize their visibility across AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude.
Founded by former Google Search PM and backed by the creator of Google Image Search, Y Combinator, and angels from DeepMind, Anthropic, and OpenAI.
We're working with brands like Coinbase, SoFi, Twilio to win in the new era of AI-powered search.
We treat distribution like an engineering problem: building systems, running experiments, and compounding results over time.
The Role
We're hiring our Founding Growth Marketer to build the engine that takes AthenaHQ to $10M+ ARR.
This is not a "run the blog and manage some paid spend" role. You'll own the entire growth function, working directly with the CEO and founding team to architect a repeatable, scalable revenue system. You will be responsible for both the fuel (the content, messaging, and creative that reaches our audience) and the engine (the channels, systems, and processes that distribute it and convert it into pipeline).
What You'll Do
Run Growth Experiments
Design and execute experiments to increase lead generation across channels
Test hypotheses, measure results, and report findings to the team
Double down on what works and build compounding growth loops
We won't judge you on failed experiments. We value curiosity and grit. Show us what you've got.
Build Systems
Architect end-to-end systems that make growth repeatable, not ad hoc
Own the marketing-to-sales-to-CSM handoff: build seamless flows so contacts move through our pipeline without friction
Set up and manage the tools, automations, and analytics infrastructure that power our growth engine
You should have a high learning curve and be comfortable picking up new platforms from scratch
Take Ownership
We operate on a high-agency basis. If you see an opportunity or a problem, you take action instead of waiting for permission.
Own results and entire areas of the company, not just tasks. At an early-stage startup, your scope expands as fast as you do.
Be AI-Native
You've built an end-to-end project in Claude Code (or similar) that you're comfortable demo'ing
You use AI tools daily to move faster, think more clearly, and multiply your output
Be a power user of the AthenaHQ platform itself, providing daily product feedback to our product team
What We're Looking For
No specific background or years of experience required. We care about your ability to do the job.
Strong critical thinking. You form your own hypotheses about markets and channels, you don't blindly follow playbooks.
Systems-oriented mindset. You think in loops, leverage, and compounding, not one-off campaigns.
Comfort with ambiguity. You can figure out what to do when nobody has told you what to do.
Bias toward action. You ship, measure, learn, and iterate quickly.
Clear communication. You can articulate what you're doing, why, and what you've learned.
Why AthenaHQ
Category-defining company. GEO/AEO is one of the biggest shifts in digital marketing in a decade. You'll be at the center of it.
Real traction. We're not pre-product. We have paying Fortune 500 customers and strong revenue growth.
YC-backed. W25 batch, with top-tier investors behind us.
Direct access to leadership. You'll work side-by-side with the CEO and founding team every day.
Outsized impact. The growth systems you build here will directly determine the trajectory of the company.
Details
Location: In-person at our San Francisco office, 5 days a week
Reports to: CEO
AthenaHQ is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members.