A couple of very experienced pros run one of the best out-sourced marketing operations in the Valley, or almost anywhere, for that matter. Mindpik is the name, and one of them has just written an excellent - and very entertaining - book on technology marketing. I've recently finished reading it; besides being full of actual useful advice, it's also full of real-world examples. Buy it; read it; give copies to your friends.
While you're waiting for Amazon to deliver your copy, this article on Mindpik's site sums up the case for outsourcing marketing activities. Small start-ups often have a vision of their market, maybe even a strategy of how to reach it, but there is a lot of block-and-tackle work associated with getting there. It's interesting that start-ups who are outsourcing darn near everything else (as they often should) are oddly resistant to the idea of outside marketing resources. Consider it; it does not mean surrendering either control or direction. It just means having the well-staffed marketing department you wish you could afford.
