In this edition of Wisdom From Wizards, I spoke with Eric Sheinkop, CEO at The Desire Company, about a question every tech CEO eventually faces: if you had to bet on one to win, would you choose superior marketing or a superior product?
Eric’s take is clear. While both have value, he puts his money on product. “If you’re talking about a win and winning one way or another, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll take a win. A win is a win,” he says. But when pressed on which type of win creates lasting impact, Eric explains why product edges out marketing.
For scaleups, especially in the early stages, marketing can generate momentum, visibility, and short-term conversions. But Eric emphasizes that this momentum stalls fast without substance behind it. “Superior marketing could spark debate, engagement, interest. It could accelerate sales. But it’s not sustainable without a superior product,” he says.
The product experience, he argues, is what creates loyalty, word of mouth, and advocacy. These are the deeper forms of growth that not only fuel revenue but create defensibility in competitive markets. “When people actually get your product in their hands or play with it or use it, that’s what’s going to carry your marketing to the next level.”
It’s a timely reminder for any CEO in the trenches of growth planning. If your product doesn’t deliver real value, no amount of demand gen will save you. And if it does deliver, your customers will help carry your message further than any campaign ever could.
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