We surely want to give it a try with the right person. The main point that we are still not sure about is what kind of questions we should ask him to make sure that he is a good fit for this. If this was a developer position, I would know how to evaluate him, but I have no idea about what it takes to be a good marketer. I guess we will need to let him try and then see how it goes.
I was lucky enough to have been a mentor for a pre-accelerator start-up last year alongside someone who proved over a few months to be an effective marketeer and manager. That start-up foundered for all sorts of reasons but the marketing person is now a key part of the team for my current start-up.
I suppose I am saying - the only way to find out is to give them a try. If someone is genuinely enthusiastic about the product and has some positive ideas and the cultural fit feels right then why not?
I am not a people person and never been to that line (marketing, hiring) so it feels a bit different and new altogether. At some point, this has to be done, so why not now.