Sales, which you are noting. Coming from being a developer to business development is not easy because you lack real-world experience in sales and marketing. The key components are who is your core customer? What pain point(s) are you solving for your core customer? Who are your competitors? What differentiates your product/service from competitors? Your product/ service has to have a purpose in the marketplace and your marketing must communicate the purpose and value to prospects. Indirect marketing pales in results compared to direct sales. I've built and led 3 successful sales teams and I have been first in national sales and entered the list at fifth. On a call I could quickly assess what your company offers, where it fits in today's market and what advantages you can take. Finally, no, a chief marketing officer would not face your dilemmas because a CMO would need experience and a successful track record to get hired.