It's easy to get caught up and use as a crutch a ready-built diagram that you download from a vendor presentation or see at a conference. It becomes intoxicating to see someone on stage talking about their own transformation, the 10x of the leads, the awards--and it can also make you feel like you must be doing something wrong or you're missing the boat.
But it's just as important to remember that what worked for one company or how they built their stack or their process doesn't have to be yours. Sure, there are best practices and tried and true things that leaders do really well--and you'd be foolish to "zig" instead of "zag" just to be different.
However, don't be afraid of trusting your own instincts or realizing and appreciating that your path is your path, your product is your product, and your team is your team (also your technology stack is your technology stack). If you have some hybrid inbound waterfall type process that works for you, then don't just ditch it to conform with what all the analysts are saying--stand behind it. If your company just excels at outbound and your reps are great prospectors, then see what you can do to continue to fuel them. Who cares if you don't win a martech award? Who cares if you're not featured in a blog or in a vendor case study? The key is to do what's right for you.
I'd suggest you check out one of our other posts about lean marketing. The idea is fairly simple: outsource almost everything so that you have agility and flexibility in your budget. Your team should focus on optimizing campaigns, and outsourcing traditional marketing functions like content can help your team build demand faster.
I can roll my eyes all the way around my face when you show me all the "rules" you are breaking. But it doesn't matter if it works for you and your company. So don't just inherently snap to what other people are doing--find your own path and own it, and make it work for you. And see how much fun you have at those conferences when you hear the case studies being recited and you know you're doing better than their "best in class" approach.