Ron C

I'm writing a piece on the early-stage marketing spend founders only recognize as a mistake in hindsight. Not the vague "we didn't know our audience yet" stuff. I'm after the specific ad campaign, agency retainer, SEO package, influencer deal, trade show, tool subscription, or branding project that felt like the responsible growth move at the time and turned out to be a waste, a distraction, or an outright setback. I'd like to hear from founders and small business owners who've been running a company for at least two years and controlled the marketing budget themselves. Please answer: 1. What did you spend on, roughly how much, and why did it seem like the right call then? 2. When did you realize it wasn't working, and what did it actually cost you beyond the invoice (time, momentum, a wrong pivot)? 3. What would you put that same budget toward if you were starting over today? Bonus if your answer involves a channel or vendor that everyone told you was non-negotiable for a new business, or a spend that looked good on a dashboard while the business went nowhere.