"MarketingOps isn't just marketing—it's a product function," says Mike Rizzo, Community-led Founder & CEO at MarketingOps.com

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, host Jonathan Gandolf is joined by Mike Rizzo for a deep dive into the rising influence—and expanding responsibilities—of MarketingOps. From building community-led ecosystems to redefining what it means to "do more with less," Mike shares how MarketingOps professionals are uniquely positioned to own the go-to-market tech stack in today’s AI-driven landscape. They explore why MarketingOps can’t be reduced to just CRMs or automation platforms, how practitioners can move from order-takers to strategic leaders, and why learning to align with business goals is the real unlock for long-term growth.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why MarketingOps is evolving into a strategic function
• How AI is changing the expectations (and tools) in go-to-market roles
• What it takes to lead with clarity, alignment, and community

Resources:

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Explore AudiencePlus: https://audienceplus.com

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedrizzo/

Explore MarketingOps: https://www.MarketingOps.com

Check out MOps-Apalooza: https://mopsapalooza.com/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro 

(02:00) Building community-led growth

(04:38) Starting from a team of one

(07:00) MarketingOps in the age of AI

(13:00) From order-taker to strategic leader

(19:00) The GTM tech stack as a product

(24:00) Unpopular opinion: MarketingOps isn’t marketing