I’m very proud of the traction we’re seeing after only 3 months in the game. But here’s what you don’t see.
The countless emails that never get a reply. The number of pitches that get a swift “no.” The former colleagues and partners who put on that ghost costume long before Halloween.
Yep, this is the journey. And I love it. Building Field Vision has taught me that the role of a fractional CMO isn’t just about strategy — it’s about showing up consistently even when the results aren’t visible yet.
What nobody tells you about starting a business
Doing something new doesn’t start with applause. It starts alone. In the dark. Every founder knows this intellectually, but knowing it and living it are two very different things.
The early days of building Field Vision looked nothing like the highlight reel. It was rejection after rejection, stacked on top of the constant anxiety of wondering if you made the right call walking away from a safe corporate career at Amazon and Twitch to bet on yourself.
Why the dark part is the most important part
Here’s what I’ve learned: the dark period isn’t the obstacle. It’s the filter. Most people quit during this phase. They go back to the comfortable thing. They convince themselves the timing wasn’t right, or the market wasn’t ready, or they weren’t ready.
But when you’re proud of what you do, even in the dark, that’s when the lights turn on. Not because the struggle disappears — but because you stop needing external validation to keep going. This is when compound growth starts to accelerate — not because effort suddenly increases, but because months of consistent work finally reach critical mass.
The truth about entrepreneurial momentum
Momentum in business is real, but it’s misunderstood. People see traction and assume it appeared overnight. What they don’t see is the 6 months of quiet grinding that made the traction possible. The 50 emails that led to 3 conversations that led to 1 client that led to a referral that changed everything.
That’s how it actually works. Not a straight line. A slow build that suddenly looks fast.
What 3 months of building a fractional CMO firm taught me
Rejection is data, not failure. Every “no” teaches you something about your positioning, your pitch, or your market.
Your network will surprise you — in both directions. Some people you counted on will disappear. Others you barely knew will show up in ways you didn’t expect.
The work itself is the proof. Clients don’t hire your resume. They hire the clarity and confidence that only comes from doing the work.
Patience isn’t passive. It’s strategic. The founders who win aren’t the ones who move fastest. They’re the ones who keep showing up long enough for the compound returns to kick in. When we worked on Pandora’s shift to a lifestyle platform, we learned that transformation isn’t about making the biggest move first — it’s about sustainable decisions that compound over time.
This dark period also reminds me of what I learned starting a band in college — the journey is the real story, not the destination. What made those early shows memorable wasn’t the applause; it was the commitment to the process.
About Field Vision
Field Vision is a fractional CMO and growth marketing firm for digital media, entertainment, and creator economy startups (seed to Series D). Founded by David Hampian — former Global Head of Audience Development at Amazon and Senior Director of Global Integrated Marketing at Twitch — we help ambitious brands build scalable growth systems that turn audiences into customers.