| name | go-to-market-playbooks |
| description | GTM strategies, product positioning, messaging, and launch planning. Use when planning a product launch, entering a new market, positioning a product, or developing go-to-market strategy. Trigger on: 'plan my launch', 'GTM strategy', 'how do I position this', 'market entry plan'. |
Go-to-Market Playbooks
Overview
Comprehensive guide to go-to-market (GTM) strategies, product positioning, launch planning, and market entry tactics.
When to Use This Skill
Auto-loaded by agents:
launch-planner - For GTM strategies, positioning, and distribution playbooks
Use when you need:
- Planning product launches
- Positioning new products
- Entering new markets
- Rebranding or repositioning
- Competitive differentiation
GTM Strategy Types
Four core GTM motions. Pick based on product complexity, price point, and distribution model.
| Motion | Model | Best For | Examples |
|---|
| Product-Led (PLG) | Product drives acquisition, conversion, expansion | Low price (<$100/mo), quick time-to-value, network effects | Slack, Dropbox, Notion, Figma |
| Sales-Led | Sales team drives revenue | High contract values ($10K+), complex sales cycles | Salesforce, SAP |
| Community-Led | Community drives adoption | Developer tools, open-source, passion-driven users | GitHub, HashiCorp, Discord |
| Partner-Led | Partners drive distribution | Platform complements, ecosystem plays | Shopify apps, AWS Marketplace |
Deep dive: See references/gtm-strategy-types-guide.md for full playbooks, funnels, and step-by-step tactics for each motion.
Positioning
Use April Dunford's 5-component framework:
- Competitive Alternatives - What customers use today
- Unique Attributes - What you have that alternatives don't
- Value - What those attributes enable
- Target Customer - Who cares most about that value
- Market Category - What context makes the value obvious
Positioning Statement Template:
For [target customer]
Who [need/opportunity]
[Product] is a [category]
That [key benefit]
Unlike [alternative]
We [primary differentiation]
Deep dive: See assets/positioning-statement-template.md for the full 5-step positioning process with worked examples.
Messaging
Three-level messaging hierarchy:
- Level 1: Company messaging (mission, brand, values)
- Level 2: Product messaging (positioning, value props, differentiators)
- Level 3: Feature messaging (benefits, use cases, proof points)
Key formulas:
- Before-After-Bridge (BAB): Pain -> desired state -> how product bridges the gap
- PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve): Identify pain -> make it worse -> your solution
Deep dive: See assets/messaging-formulas-template.md for full formulas with examples.
Launch Strategy
Launch Tiers
Tier 1: Major Launch - New product, major rebranding, strategic pivot. Full PR, events, marketing.
Tier 2: Feature Launch - Significant new capability. Blog post, email, social, targeted outreach.
Tier 3: Improvement - Bug fixes, small features. Release notes, changelog.
Launch Channels
| Channel Type | Examples |
|---|
| Owned | Website, blog, email list, in-app, social media |
| Earned | Press (TechCrunch), Product Hunt, Hacker News, influencers |
| Paid | Google Ads, LinkedIn/Twitter ads, retargeting, sponsored content |
| Partnerships | Co-marketing, integration announcements, channel partners |
Deep dive: See assets/launch-timeline-template.md for a Tier 1 launch checklist from T-8 weeks through post-launch.
Market Entry Strategy
TAM/SAM/SOM
TAM (Total Addressable Market): Everyone who could use product
SAM (Serviceable Available Market): Segment you can reach
SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): Realistic target
Beachhead Strategy (Geoffrey Moore)
Dominate one narrow segment before expanding.
- Identify Beachhead: Narrow, winnable segment
- Dominate: Become #1 in that segment
- Expand: Adjacent segments
Examples: Facebook (Harvard -> Ivy League -> all colleges -> everyone), Amazon (books -> electronics -> everything)
Market Entry Checklist
Competitive Strategy
Competitive Intel
What to Track: Product features/roadmap, pricing, marketing messages, customer reviews, funding/news
Sources: Competitor websites/blogs, G2/Capterra reviews, LinkedIn (hiring = roadmap hints), earnings calls, customer conversations
Battle Cards
For each competitor, document:
- Overview (size, funding, target customers, strengths)
- When they win vs. when we win
- Feature comparison and positioning
- Objection handling scripts
- Proof points (customer wins, case studies)
Pricing & Packaging
Five core pricing models: Freemium, Free Trial, Usage-Based, Tiered, Per-Seat.
Pick a value metric that scales with customer value (per user, per event, per API call, storage).
Deep dive: See references/pricing-packaging-guide.md for pricing model details and 3-tier packaging strategy.
GTM Playbook Summary
Choose GTM Motion:
Low-touch, self-serve -> PLG
High-touch, complex sale -> Sales-Led
Developer product -> Community-Led
Platform complement -> Partner-Led
Then:
1. Position (find differentiation)
2. Message (communicate value)
3. Launch (create awareness)
4. Optimize (iterate and scale)
Key Success Factors:
- Clear positioning
- Focused beachhead
- Aligned team
- Measured results
Troubleshooting
"I don't know which GTM motion to pick": Start with PLG if your product has quick time-to-value and low price point. Default to sales-led for complex products with high contract values. Use the decision tree in the GTM Playbook Summary above.
"My positioning feels generic": You likely skipped step 1 (Competitive Alternatives). Start by listing what customers actually use today, then identify what you do that those alternatives cannot.
"Launch got no traction": Most common causes: wrong channel for audience, launched without a waitlist/audience, or messaging didn't communicate value clearly. Review launch tier -- you may have under-invested for the launch type.
Resources
Books:
- "Obviously Awesome" - April Dunford (positioning)
- "Crossing the Chasm" - Geoffrey Moore (market entry)
- "Product-Led Growth" - Wes Bush (PLG strategy)
- "The Mom Test" - Rob Fitzpatrick (customer discovery)
Frameworks:
- April Dunford positioning canvas
- Jobs-to-be-Done framework
- Lean Canvas (market fit)
Tools:
- Competitors: Crayon, Klue
- Launches: Product Hunt, BetaList
- Analytics: Mixpanel, Segment
Deep Dive Files
