| name | gtm-advisor |
| description | Advises on go-to-market strategy, positioning, pricing, and customer research.
Use when: launching products, positioning against competitors, pricing decisions,
understanding customer needs, or conducting user research. Includes: Champion
Persona, Five Component Positioning, JTBD Interviews, Four Forces, Willingness
to Pay frameworks.
Sources: April Dunford, Bob Moesta, Madhavan Ramanujam.
|
GTM Advisor Skill
Help users with go-to-market strategy, positioning, pricing, and customer research.
When This Skill Activates
- "How do we position this?"
- "Pricing strategy"
- "Customer research"
- "Jobs to be done"
- "Product launch"
- "Who is our target customer?"
- "Why aren't customers buying?"
- "Competitive positioning"
Framework Selection Guide
| Situation | Use This Framework |
|---|
| B2B: Identifying who sells internally | Champion Persona |
| Market positioning | Five Component Positioning |
| Understanding why customers switch | JTBD Interviews |
| Analyzing buying psychology | Four Forces |
| Setting prices | Willingness to Pay Research |
Framework 1: Champion Persona (B2B)
Source: April Dunford - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: In B2B, your champion (internal seller) is as important as the end user. Understand who sells your product when you're not in the room.
Who is the Champion?
- The person inside the company who advocates for your solution
- May or may not be the end user
- Definitely not always the decision-maker
- The one who does the internal selling
Champion Characteristics to Identify
Demographics:
- Title/Role
- Department
- Seniority level
- Reporting structure
Motivations:
- What do they get if this succeeds?
- Career implications
- Pain they personally feel
- Recognition they'll receive
Constraints:
- Budget authority
- Political capital
- Technical knowledge
- Time availability
Building Champion Persona
Step 1: Identify Champion Patterns
Look at won deals:
- Who brought you in?
- Who pushed internally?
- What was their role?
Step 2: Understand Champion's Wins
- What does success look like for them?
- How does your product make them a hero?
- What recognition do they get?
Step 3: Map Champion's Selling Journey
- Who do they need to convince?
- What objections do they face?
- What proof do they need from you?
Step 4: Arm the Champion
Create materials that help them sell:
- ROI calculators
- Comparison charts
- Success stories from similar companies
- Executive summaries
Champion vs. User vs. Buyer
| Role | Description | What They Care About |
|---|
| Champion | Internal advocate | Looking good, solving their problem |
| User | Uses the product daily | Ease of use, features |
| Buyer | Signs the check | ROI, risk, vendor reputation |
Sometimes one person, often different people.
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Selling only to buyers (neglecting champion)
- Assuming user = champion
- Not giving champion ammunition
- Ignoring champion's personal motivations
Framework 2: Five Component Positioning
Source: April Dunford - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Positioning is not messaging—it's the context that makes your value obvious.
The Five Components (In Order)
1. Competitive Alternatives
What would customers do if you didn't exist?
- Not just direct competitors
- Include status quo (spreadsheets, manual processes)
- Include indirect alternatives
2. Unique Attributes
What do you have that alternatives don't?
- Features
- Capabilities
- Business model differences
- Service differences
3. Value
What value do those attributes deliver?
- Connect features to benefits
- Quantify where possible
- Focus on differentiated value
4. Target Customers
Who cares a lot about that value?
- Best-fit customer characteristics
- Not everyone—the people who value your differentiation most
5. Market Category
What market frame makes your value obvious?
- Category sets expectations
- May need to create new category
- Or position in existing category differently
Positioning Process
Step 1: Start with Competitive Alternatives
List everything customers would do instead:
- Direct competitors
- Indirect solutions
- Status quo / do nothing
Step 2: Identify Your Unique Attributes
For each alternative, what do you have that they don't?
Step 3: Map Attributes to Value
| Attribute | So What? (Value) |
|---|
| Real-time sync | Teams always aligned, no version confusion |
| AI-powered | 10x faster analysis |
Step 4: Identify Best-Fit Customers
Who values this differentiated value most?
- Company characteristics
- Situation characteristics
- Pain intensity
Step 5: Choose Market Category
What frame makes your value obvious?
Options:
- Existing category (if you win on known criteria)
- Sub-category (narrow the field)
- New category (if truly different)
Positioning Statement Template
For [target customers] who [have this problem], [product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternatives], we [key differentiator].
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Starting with category (should come last)
- Positioning for everyone (be specific)
- Feature focus without value translation
- Ignoring competitive alternatives
- Positioning on non-differentiated value
Framework 3: Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) Interviews
Source: Bob Moesta - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: People don't buy products, they hire them to make progress in their lives.
The JTBD Concept
- Customers have a "job" they need done
- They "hire" products to do that job
- Understanding the job reveals true competition and value
The Timeline Interview
The Goal: Reconstruct the journey from first thought to purchase.
Key Moments to Uncover:
-
First Thought
"When did you first think you might need something different?"
-
Passive Looking
"What did you notice before actively searching?"
-
Active Looking
"When did you start actively looking? What triggered that?"
-
Deciding
"What made you choose this specific option?"
-
Consuming
"What happened after you bought it?"
Interview Questions
Opening:
"Tell me about how you came to [buy/use] this product."
Timeline probes:
- "And then what happened?"
- "Tell me more about that"
- "What were you thinking at that moment?"
- "Who else was involved?"
Energy probes:
- "What pushed you to finally act?"
- "What were you worried about?"
- "What almost stopped you?"
What You're Listening For
Push of current situation (what's wrong now)
Pull of new solution (what's attractive)
Anxiety about new solution (what's scary)
Habit of current behavior (what's comfortable)
Conducting JTBD Interviews
Who to interview:
- Recent customers (bought in last 90 days)
- Churned customers
- Customers who almost bought but didn't
Interview setup:
- 45-60 minutes
- Record (with permission)
- Go deep on timeline
- Listen more than ask
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Asking what they want (they don't know)
- Skipping emotional dimensions
- Not going deep enough on timeline
- Interviewing the wrong people (not recent)
- Leading the witness
Framework 4: Four Forces of Demand
Source: Bob Moesta - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Two forces push toward change (Push + Pull), two forces resist change (Anxiety + Habit).
The Four Forces
Forces Driving Change:
1. Push (of current situation)
- What's wrong with what they have now?
- Pain, frustration, limitations
- "I can't keep doing it this way"
2. Pull (of new solution)
- What's attractive about the new thing?
- Vision of better future
- "That looks like it would solve my problem"
Forces Resisting Change:
3. Anxiety (about new solution)
- Fear of unknown
- Risk of switching
- "What if it doesn't work?"
- "What if I chose wrong?"
4. Habit (of current behavior)
- Comfort with status quo
- Switching costs
- "I know how this works"
- "It's good enough"
The Formula
Change happens when:
Push + Pull > Anxiety + Habit
No change when:
Anxiety + Habit > Push + Pull
Using the Four Forces
Step 1: Map Each Force
For your product/market:
| Force | Specific Examples |
|---|
| Push | [What's broken with status quo?] |
| Pull | [What's attractive about your solution?] |
| Anxiety | [What are they worried about?] |
| Habit | [What's keeping them with status quo?] |
Step 2: Identify Weak Forces
- If Push is weak: They don't feel enough pain
- If Pull is weak: Your value prop isn't compelling
- If Anxiety is high: You need to reduce risk
- If Habit is strong: You need to ease switching
Step 3: Address Each Force
Increase Push:
- Help them see the cost of status quo
- Quantify the pain
- Show competitive pressure
Increase Pull:
- Better articulate value
- Show outcomes, not features
- Use social proof
Reduce Anxiety:
- Money-back guarantees
- Free trials
- Customer references
- Clear implementation plan
Reduce Habit:
- Make switching easy
- Migration assistance
- Gradual transition options
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Only focusing on Pull (ignoring Push)
- Ignoring Anxiety and Habit
- Assuming features overcome Habit
- Not reducing switching costs
Framework 5: Willingness to Pay Research
Source: Madhavan Ramanujam - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Ask about willingness to pay BEFORE building, not after.
Why WTP Research Matters
- Price too high: No sales
- Price too low: Leave money on table
- Not knowing: Building wrong product
Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity
Ask four questions about your product:
- Too cheap (quality concern): "At what price would you begin to question quality?"
- Cheap (bargain): "At what price would this be a bargain?"
- Expensive (but would consider): "At what price does this start feeling expensive?"
- Too expensive (won't buy): "At what price is this too expensive to consider?"
Plot responses to find optimal price range.
Direct WTP Questions
Approach 1: Direct
"How much would you pay for [product with these features]?"
Approach 2: Comparison
"Compared to [alternative], would you pay more, less, or the same?"
Approach 3: Trade-off
"Would you rather have [Feature A at $X] or [Feature B at $Y]?"
Feature-Value Mapping
Step 1: List Features
All potential features/capabilities
Step 2: Categorize by Value
| Category | Description | Pricing Implication |
|---|
| Table stakes | Must have, expected | Include in base price |
| Differentiators | Drive preference | Price for value |
| Nice-to-haves | Not essential | Bundle or upsell |
| Not needed | Low value | Don't build |
Step 3: Price to Value
- Price differentiators aggressively
- Don't over-invest in table stakes
- Bundle nice-to-haves for upgrades
Running WTP Conversations
Setup:
- 30-45 minute conversations
- With target customers (not just anyone)
- Before building, not after
What to show:
- Concept or prototype
- Feature descriptions
- Value propositions
What to ask:
- WTP questions above
- What would make you pay more?
- What's not valuable?
- How does this compare to alternatives?
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Asking after building (too late to change)
- Taking answers literally (directional, not exact)
- Not segmenting responses (different WTP by segment)
- Pricing on cost, not value
How to Apply This Skill
-
Identify the GTM challenge
- Who to target → Champion Persona
- How to position → Five Component Positioning
- Why customers switch → JTBD Interviews
- Why customers don't buy → Four Forces
- How to price → Willingness to Pay
-
Walk through the relevant framework
-
Help create specific outputs
- Champion persona document
- Positioning statement
- Interview guide
- Four forces analysis
- Pricing research plan
-
Connect to related frameworks when appropriate
Related Skills
/strategy-advisor - For product strategy/growth-advisor - For growth tactics/decision-maker - For GTM decisions
Full SOPs (Deep Dives)
Positioning & Customer Research
Pricing
Sales
Developer Tools
Communication
