You know how every LinkedIn profile makes it look like we’ve all been crushing it since birth? Shipping campaigns, scaling funnels, driving pipeline, achieving enlightenment?
Yeah… this isn’t that.
This is the other resume. The one that doesn’t get screen-shared in webinars or turned into a polished portfolio. It’s a lovingly compiled list of all the things I got wrong.
I’ve racked up enough marketing mistakes. Some small, a few large ones, and some XL (which also happens to be my T-shirt size. Coincidence? Probably not.)
Some were tiny hiccups that cost me an hour. Some were forehead-slapping errors that cost a quarter. Others were just the slow burn kinds where you realize six months later that, wow, that was a terrible idea.
Here's to falling flat, dusting myself off, and documenting it to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Well, at least hoping.
Mistake #1: Website Launch
We were rushing against the clock for a product launch and pushed the new website live without full testing. On desktop, it looked fine. On mobile? Not so much. But we were at an event, and pressure won. We launched anyway.
We eventually decided to roll it back, realizing it would do more harm than good. Later, we built a proper testing checklist that included every browser and device known to mankind (yes, even Safari and Internet Explorer).
Mistake #2: Event Logistics
Two back-to-back hits here. First, we printed business cards for a major event in Singapore only to realize after reaching the event venue that the email ID had a typo.
Then the Wi-Fi bailed on us, and to my luck, I hadn’t downloaded one of the video that would play on-screen, so there I was, using international roaming data to pull a heavy file.
Cost of the mistake: ₹9,000 plus tax.
Emotional damage: priceless.
It taught me to triple-check every asset before flying out.
And yes, every video and deck now gets downloaded twice.
Mistake #3: Lead Gen Forms
You’d think once a form is live, it just works. But for months, our lead gen forms kept silently breaking. We’d only find out when someone told the founder they hadn’t heard back. Sigh.
Eventually, we automated a simple script that ran daily test submissions. If something broke, we’d know within 24 hours. One of the highest ROI things we ever set up back then.
Mistake #4: Google Ads Account
All of our performing campaigns came to a screeching halt because finance hadn’t verified the Google Ads account in time. We’d escalated it internally but missed the follow-up. When the account got paused, leads dipped, and we were helpless.
That week taught us two things: some things require multiple follow-ups. And it’s risky to rely too much on a few channels because when things change, your numbers go crashing.
Mistake #5: Selecting the CRM
We were evaluating a CRM (and HubSpot was my initial recommendation), but due to budget constraints, we went with the cheapest tool to save a few dollars. Usability matters. I wish I had built a stronger case and saved us months of painful migration.
Eventually, we moved to HubSpot anyway.
One more migration, but this one was worth it.
The Yes Man Syndrome: A Triple XL Classic
I call this death by a thousand yeses.
Yes to a campaign that needed three weeks but had to be launched in three days.
Yes to hitting targets that needed a village and maybe divine intervention.
Yes to a campaign launch scheduled exactly when I was on a long-overdue holiday.
Too scared to disappoint. Too wired to overachieve.
Too stubborn to admit I couldn’t stretch any thinner.
The worst part? I volunteered.
Still unlearning the guilt that comes with no.
Still learning to stand my ground and let it show.
*irshaad*
PS: Well, the list is quite long, but I prefer having a two-page resume.
