The short answer
Before hiring, learn the market language, best channels, strongest customer pain, and first conversion path. Then hire someone who can improve and scale that motion.
Answer
When should a startup hire a growth marketer?
A startup should hire a growth marketer when it has enough customer signal, product clarity, and budget for a skilled operator to scale experiments, not when the founder still has no idea who buys or why.
How Wally helps
Wally helps founders create the research, campaigns, landing pages, and daily growth history that make the first growth hire more productive.