Many GTM problems are scope problems wearing creative hats. Choose the most cost‑effective channel that fits your values, the segments where you’re credible, and a reason to say yes now. Everything else goes to backlog.
Two tests:
– Can a new teammate explain the motion in two minutes?
– Can we instrument it in a week?
Focus is how you learn faster than competitors. Not cleverness—cycles.
Write a one‑pager you can actually use: mission, the three outcomes that matter this quarter, weekly cadences, and “stop doing” items. Re‑read Monday morning. If it doesn’t change your week, trim it until it does.
Basic planning math: Leads × SQO% × Win% × ASP = New ARR PQLs × Sales‑assist rate × Win% × ASP = Product‑led ARR Sanity check: NDR × Starting ARR + New ARR = Ending ARR (ignoring one‑offs). If targets don’t reconcile, fix assumptions before fixing people.
Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) asks “who is our best-fit buyer?” Product–Market Fit (PMF) asks “does this product consistently create value for them?” ICP is a targeting constraint. PMF is an evidence threshold. Sequence matters: tighten ICP to reduce noise, then evaluate PMF with behavior, not opinions.
A quick positioning test: can your nearest competitor say it truthfully? If yes, it’s not positioning. Anchor on a customer outcome, a constraint you embrace, and a proof you can show on a single slide.
I treat sales cadences like a habit stack. Pick the channel that matches how buyers actually change state. Add supporting touches that do one job each. Fewer steps, better reasons. Instrumentation keeps you honest: – If a touch doesn’t do its job: books a next step, surfaces an outcome, flushes a blocker—rewrite it or kill…
Good growth isn’t a relay with dropped batons. It’s a single spine. Connect product signals to PQL creation, define when a human is the right tool, and give Success a cadence to pull drifting users back to first value. A few guardrails: – Every transition should be observable and auditable. If a human is needed,…