An interview with Tom Fountain, CTO of enterprise data infrastructure company Pneuron.
The Enterprisers Project (TEP): Getting IT and marketing aligned isn't always easy. How does that work at Pneuron?
Fountain: At Pneuron, marketing, pre-sales and product management all report to me. We feel that an intimate connection between our core value propositions, competitive product positioning and strategic platform road-map is critical to delivering the maximum ROI possible against the resources we invest in these areas.
TEP: Is there anything Pneuron's marketing team does to create a better relationship?
Fountain: The joint review of product management and marketing road-maps is a great way to ensure the synchronization required between the groups is constantly checked. Further, marketing is always looking for ways to leverage the technology team for external interviews or panel participation in order to promote exposure of those key value creators. There are opportunities for more engagement with the IT department around developing marketing themes given how intimately the technology team knows the strengths and key application areas of the core platform.
TEP: You came from positions at some very large companies; now you're in a start-up. How does the outlook for IT-marketing relations differ from a large company to a small one?
Fountain: There is a tremendous opportunity for large enterprises to adopt some small company behaviors. Much is being made about how CMOs are starting to spend significant dollars on technology and information services. By tapping the expertise within the technology team, CMOs have a free source of expertise at their fingertips to help optimize their spending.
On the other hand, small companies could readily adopt some of the planning and process strengths found in large companies. It doesn't need to become a hefty overhead component. In fact, if done well, such planning and process techniques can actually save smaller companies both time and money.
TEP: What are the biggest mistakes you see CTO/CIOs and CMOs make when it comes to working together?
Fountain: The biggest mistake I see revolves around the perception that these two roles, along with their organizations, somehow have very different agendas. The core of every organization should be aligned in order to make the firm more competitive, resourceful and effective. The respective contributions from each organization may be different, but they must critically align and complement one another. When IT sees themselves as enablers supporting the marketing agenda and marketing sees themselves as value creators enabled by IT, this alignment pays major dividends. When these groups think they are acting alone, or for different purposes, this is when problems crop up.
TEP: What advice would you pass along to other tech leaders about how to work most effectively with marketing?
Fountain: First and foremost, take the time to learn about the other person's business. Not only will this teach you something new about your company or another function, but your counterparts will greatly appreciate the honest effort on your part to better comprehend what is important and the challenges in their lives. This is especially critical for CIOs who often get painted with labels like 'cost center', 'runs tech', or is 'internally focused'. You will obtain significantly better credibility and trust when others know you have invested time into learning their business.
Read, "Technology-driven marketing departments need their CIOs."
Tom Fountain is the chief technology officer of Pneuron Corp. In this role,Fountain provides leadership of product strategy and positioning in the enterprise market and works closely with customers to develop innovative solutions to their most pressing and complex business needs.
Tom Fountain joined Pneuron in late 2012 as the company was accelerating its entry into the enterprise market, and brings more than 20 years’ of experience in large multi-national companies, industries and roles. Tom combines more than 10 years in senior CIO leadership roles with proven expertise at improving business through programs which integrate information technology, organizational development and process improvement techniques.
