Marketing leadership, full-time or fractional
Senior ownership of your marketing function, from strategy and hiring to execution, as your Head of Marketing or Fractional CMO.
Head of Marketing · VP Marketing · Fractional CMO
Roberto Iriondo
Marketing leader for AI companies.
I have spent a decade in marketing for AI companies and research teams, starting as a front end engineer and marketing lead in Carnegie Mellon’s Machine Learning Department. I build marketing functions, launch products, and do the technical work myself, from the website to SEO and GEO.
Trusted by teams at GenBio AI, Cohere, Snorkel AI, MBZUAI, Carnegie Mellon, with collaborations across Google, NVIDIA, and Amazon Science.
{
"name": "Roberto Iriondo",
"role": "Marketing Leader",
"open_to": ["Head of Marketing", "VP Marketing", "Fractional CMO"],
"founded": "Towards AI (acq. 2022)",
"school": "ML@CMU, Carnegie Mellon University",
"based": "Remote-first, hybrid, can travel",
"strengths": ["launches", "website", "SEO/GEO", "technical content"],
"available": "now"
}
About
Marketing built for technical products
- Focus
- AI startups & tech companies
- Based
- Remote-first, hybrid, can travel
- Education
- Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University
Computer Science, CCAC - Founded
- Towards AI (acq. 2022)
I lead marketing for AI companies and tech teams, as Head of Marketing or Fractional CMO. My forte is website strategy and SEO, alongside launches, go-to-market, and technical content, and I do the technical work myself. I am looking for a full-time role, or one or two fractional engagements, with AI startups preparing to launch or established teams that need senior marketing leadership. I am remote-first, open to hybrid, and I can travel as needed.
At GenBio AI, I built the marketing function from zero as Fractional CMO, led all external communications through its launch at NeurIPS in December 2024, and hired and onboarded their Head of Marketing to run ongoing operations. I then advised GenBio AI on technical marketing through October 2026, owning website strategy, SEO and GEO, site code, and marketing analytics. I co-founded Towards AI in 2019. It was acquired in 2022, and I still advise its CEO on strategy and growth. Earlier, I advised the president's office at MBZUAI under President and Professor Eric Xing, helping launch initiatives including LLM360 and the Institute of Foundation Models. Before that, I was Head of Technical Content at Cohere and, earlier, at Snorkel AI. From 2018 to 2021, I was a front end engineer and marketing lead in the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University, under the direction of Professor Manuela Veloso.
Across that work, I have collaborated with Google, Amazon Science, NVIDIA, Lambda, Udacity, Determined AI, Gather AI, and others, helping them reach their goals and improve ROI through marketing built for technical products.
I also build AI agents and tools at Generative AI Lab, which keeps my technical skills sharp.
Why founders hire me
Most marketing leaders stop at strategy
The deck looks great, then execution stalls waiting on a developer, an SEO agency, and a data analyst. Technical founders need someone who closes that gap, not someone who widens it.
The full scope, plus the technical depth
Everything a marketing leader is expected to run gets covered: brand and positioning, go-to-market and launches, messaging and communications, content, demand and pipeline, analytics, and hiring or building the team that takes it forward.
The difference is what happens underneath. The work does not get handed off. Site code gets built and maintained. Technical SEO and GEO get implemented, not just recommended. Analytics gets wired to the pipeline. And the conversations happen directly with researchers and engineers, in their language, without a translation layer. That combination, senior marketing leadership plus the ability to ship the technical work itself, is the specialty.
Where the technical work goes deep
Technical marketing is the specialty, and it follows the same path every time, from the research a company is built on to where buyers actually find it:
- 01 ResearchUnderstand the science and the product deeply enough to earn trust.
- 02 ProductTurn it into positioning that holds up with a technical audience.
- 03 WebsiteBuild the site and the technical foundation that carries it.
- 04 SearchBe found in Google and AI assistants through technical SEO, GEO, and content.
- 05 AIShow up accurately inside AI answer engines through GEO.
What I do
A marketing leader who speaks engineer
Four ways I plug in, full-time or fractional, scoped to the stage you are at.
Go-to-market for AI launches
Positioning, messaging, and launch plans that get a new model, product, or company in front of the right buyers and press.
Technical content and thought leadership
Research blogs, docs, and developer-facing content that earns trust with technical audiences, written by someone who understands the work.
Search and AI visibility (SEO and GEO)
Technical SEO and generative engine optimization so buyers find your company in Google and in AI assistants like ChatGPT, and both describe it correctly. Measured in qualified leads, not just traffic.
Track record
A decade inside AI and research
The through line: marketing that holds up with technical audiences, at companies where credibility is the whole game.
Now & founded
- Towards AI Co-founder, 2019. Acquired 2022. Co-founder and advisor to the CEO.
- Generative AI Lab Builder. Where I build AI agents and tools to keep my skills sharp.
Led & advised
- GenBio AI Fractional CMO, 2024 to 2026, then technical marketing advisor through October 2026. Built marketing from zero through its launch at NeurIPS 2024.
- MBZUAI Advised the president's office under President and Professor Eric Xing's leadership. Helped launch LLM360 and the Institute of Foundation Models.
- Cohere Head of Technical Content, 2022 to 2023.
- Snorkel AI Head of Technical Content, 2021 to 2022.
- Carnegie Mellon University Machine Learning Department. Front end engineer and marketing lead, 2018 to 2021.
Collaborated
- Amazon Science
- NVIDIA
- Lambda
- Udacity
- Determined AI
- Gather AI
- and others
Selected work
Work in the wild
A few AI companies and teams I have helped launch, position, and grow.
GenBio AI
Launched at NeurIPS in December 2024, the world's largest AI research conference. I built and led its marketing and communications, website, and SEO.
genbio.ai
Towards AI
Co-founded in 2019, acquired in 2022. I advise the CEO on strategy and growth.
towardsai.com
LLM360
Helped launch this fully open-source LLM initiative under MBZUAI, from positioning to go-to-market.
llm360.ai
Institute of Foundation Models
Helped launch this foundation model research institute under MBZUAI.
ifm.ai
ML@CMU | Carnegie Mellon University
Front end engineer and marketing lead for the Machine Learning Department's research blog.
blog.ml.cmu.edu
Free tools
Tools I built and use every day
Free, no sign-up, and built to run fast on a phone.
Social preview debugger
See how a link looks on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Slack, WhatsApp and Google, what to fix, and what AI crawlers can read.
Open Graph and SEO
Link cleaner
Strip tracking from any link, unwrap redirect links, and build clean UTM links for your own campaigns.
Privacy and marketing
View source on mobile
Read the code behind a web page or a file on your phone, with line numbers and syntax highlighting.
Code viewer
Featured posts
Notes and thought leadership
Technical content and articles I have written or directed across AI research and industry.
Questions
Frequently asked
What kind of role are you looking for?
A full-time Head of Marketing or VP Marketing role at an AI company, or one or two fractional CMO engagements. I am available now, remote-first, open to hybrid, and I can travel.
What have you built at past companies?
At GenBio AI I built the marketing function from zero, led all external communications through its launch at NeurIPS in December 2024, and hired and onboarded their Head of Marketing. I co-founded Towards AI, one of the largest AI communities and publications, which was acquired in 2022. At MBZUAI I helped launch LLM360 and the Institute of Foundation Models, and I led technical content at Cohere and Snorkel AI.
How technical are you?
I started as a front end engineer in Carnegie Mellon's Machine Learning Department. I still write and maintain site code, set up analytics, fix technical SEO and GEO, and build AI agents and tools at Generative AI Lab, so I can work with researchers and engineers in their own terms.
Do you lead teams or work hands-on?
Both. I have built marketing functions, hired and onboarded a Head of Marketing, and run a publication with contributions from more than 2,000 authors at Towards AI. I still do hands-on work where it moves faster: the website, search, analytics, and launch content.
Are you available?
Yes, now. I am looking for a full-time Head of Marketing or VP Marketing role, or one or two fractional CMO engagements, with AI companies. Use the contact form to start the conversation.
What does a fractional CMO do for an AI company?
A fractional CMO leads marketing part-time, as part of your team. For an AI company that usually means positioning, launch plans, technical content, SEO and GEO, and the website. You get senior marketing leadership without the cost of a full-time executive.
Who do you work with as a fractional CMO and technical marketing advisor?
AI startups getting ready to launch, and established AI and tech teams that need senior marketing leadership. I have worked with GenBio AI, Cohere, Snorkel AI, MBZUAI, Carnegie Mellon University, and Towards AI, and collaborated with Google, Amazon Science, NVIDIA, and Lambda.
What is a technical marketing advisor?
A marketer who understands the product and the research well enough to earn the trust of engineers and scientists. I advise on website strategy, SEO, GEO, technical content, and positioning, and I do much of the hands-on work myself, from site code to analytics.
What does a fractional CMO cost compared to a full-time hire?
Less than a full-time executive. You pay a monthly retainer or a fixed project fee instead of a salary, equity, and benefits. The exact cost depends on the scope and the time needed each month. I send a proposal after a short call.
Do you offer website strategy and SEO services?
Yes, they are my main focus. I plan the site structure, build and maintain the site code, fix technical SEO, set up analytics, and add GEO so the company shows up in search and in AI assistants.
What is GEO and why does it matter for AI companies?
GEO, or generative engine optimization, makes sure AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can find your company and describe it correctly. More buyers now research vendors this way, so GEO matters alongside traditional SEO.
Can a fractional CMO handle end-to-end marketing?
Yes. I can run marketing from strategy and brand through launches, content, and analytics. Most engagements focus on the parts that matter most at the company's current stage.
How do fractional CMO and technical marketing advisor engagements start?
With a short call to understand the goal, then a written proposal. Most start as a monthly retainer or a fixed project, such as a website or SEO audit. I work remote-first and can travel when needed.
Do you work with AI startups or only established AI companies?
Both. With startups I usually begin with positioning, the website, and SEO. With larger companies the work leans toward launches, GEO, and technical content at scale.
What makes a technical marketing advisor different from a regular marketing consultant?
Many consultants hand over a strategy and leave. I also do the work: I build the site, fix the SEO and GEO, and write or direct the technical content, so nothing waits on a developer or an agency.
What does a fractional CMO own on the website and SEO side?
The site structure, technical SEO, content plan, GEO, and analytics. I also fix crawl and indexing problems and keep the site code in good shape.
How does a fractional CMO approach a product launch or go-to-market?
Positioning comes first. Then I plan the launch across the website, search, content, and press, so the site and SEO are ready before launch day and GEO keeps the product visible in AI assistants afterward.
Can a technical marketing advisor help with developer marketing?
Yes. I write and direct technical content, documentation, and research blogs for engineers and researchers, and make sure that content can be found in search and in AI assistants.
How much time does a fractional CMO commit each month?
It depends on the work. Some companies need a few days a month for website, SEO, and GEO oversight. Others need more during a launch, up to a full-time commitment.
Do you help AI companies with generative engine optimization (GEO) specifically?
Yes. I check how a company appears in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, then improve the site's structure, content, and structured data so the company is described correctly.
What industries or company types fit your fractional CMO work best?
AI companies, AI startups, research teams, and other technical companies: teams with an expert audience, where credibility matters most.
Can you improve our existing SEO and website performance?
Yes, this is a common starting point. I run a technical SEO audit, fix site health and indexing, improve the site plan, and add GEO. It often turns into an ongoing engagement.
Do you replace an in-house marketing team or work alongside one?
Both. I can build a marketing function from zero or work alongside an existing team. At GenBio AI I built the function as Fractional CMO, hired and onboarded the Head of Marketing, and then advised the company on technical marketing.
What results should an AI company expect from a fractional CMO?
Buyers who find the company in Google and AI assistants, accurate answers when they ask about it, and content that brings in qualified leads. Each piece of work is tied to a goal you can measure.
How do you measure SEO, GEO, and marketing success?
Leads from the site come first. Then how the company shows up: in search for the terms buyers use, in what AI assistants say about it, and in qualified visits. I connect the website analytics to these so you can see what changed.
Get in touch
Hiring a marketing leader or a Fractional CMO? Let’s talk.
Tell me about the role, or where your marketing, website, SEO, or GEO is headed. I will reply with the fastest honest path to get there.