| name | go-to-market-playbooks |
| description | Master product launches, positioning, messaging, and GTM strategies. Use when planning launches, entering markets, or positioning products. |
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
1. Product-Led Growth (PLG)
Model: Product drives acquisition, conversion, expansion
Funnel:
Free Signup → Activation → Expansion → Paid → Advocacy
Characteristics:
- Self-serve onboarding
- Freemium or free trial
- Virality built-in
- Low-touch sales
Examples: Slack, Dropbox, Notion, Figma
When to Use:
- Low price point (<$100/month)
- Easy to understand product
- Quick time-to-value
- Network effects
Playbook:
- Frictionless Signup: Email-only, no credit card
- Aha Moment Fast: <5 minutes to value
- Viral Loops: Invites, sharing, collaboration
- Usage-Based Limits: Paywall at usage threshold
- Self-Serve Upgrade: One-click payment
2. Sales-Led Growth
Model: Sales team drives revenue
Funnel:
Lead → MQL → SQL → Demo → Proposal → Close
Characteristics:
- High price point ($10K+ annually)
- Complex product
- Custom implementation
- Relationship-driven
Examples: Salesforce, SAP, enterprise software
When to Use:
- Complex sales cycle
- High contract values
- Custom solutions
- Long sales cycles (3-12 months)
Playbook:
- Lead Generation: Events, content, partnerships
- Qualification: BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline)
- Demo: Customized to pain points
- Proof of Concept: Pilot/trial with champion
- Procurement: Legal, security, contracts
- Onboarding: CSM-led implementation
3. Community-Led Growth
Model: Community drives adoption and revenue
Funnel:
Awareness → Community Join → Engagement → Conversion → Advocacy
Examples: GitHub, HashiCorp, Figma, Discord
When to Use:
- Developer tools
- Open-source foundation
- Network effects
- Passion-driven users
Playbook:
- Build in Public: Share roadmap, engage users
- Developer Advocates: Evangelize, educate
- Events: Conferences, meetups, webinars
- Content: Tutorials, docs, blog posts
- Open Source → Enterprise: Freemium model
4. Partner-Led Growth
Model: Partners drive distribution
Examples: Shopify apps, Salesforce AppExchange, AWS Marketplace
When to Use:
- Complement existing platforms
- Need distribution
- Ecosystem play
Playbook:
- Integration: Deep platform integration
- Marketplace Listing: Optimize for discovery
- Co-Marketing: Partner webinars, content
- Revenue Share: Align incentives
- Partner Enablement: Training, support
Positioning Framework (April Dunford)
The 5 Components
1. Competitive Alternatives
What do customers use today if not your product?
2. Unique Attributes
What do you have that alternatives don't?
3. Value (Benefits)
What value do those unique attributes enable?
4. Target Customer
Who cares most about that value?
5. Market Category
What context makes the value obvious?
Positioning Process
Step 1: List Competitive Alternatives
Alternatives for Project Management Tool:
- Asana, Monday.com, Linear
- Spreadsheets
- Email + meetings
- Do nothing
Step 2: Identify Unique Attributes
What we have that they don't:
- AI-powered task prioritization
- Real-time async collaboration
- Built-in analytics dashboard
Step 3: Map Attributes to Value
AI prioritization → Save 5 hours/week on planning
Async collaboration → Works across timezones
Analytics → Measure team productivity
Step 4: Find Best-Fit Customer
Who cares most?
- Remote-first startups (20-100 people)
- Product/engineering teams
- Fast-paced, data-driven culture
Step 5: Choose Category
Options:
A. "Project Management" (crowded)
B. "AI Productivity Platform" (new category)
C. "Team Operating System" (abstract)
Choice: B - Differentiated, clear value
Positioning Statement Template
For [target customer]
Who [need/opportunity]
[Product] is a [category]
That [key benefit]
Unlike [alternative]
We [primary differentiation]
Example:
For remote product teams at fast-growing startups
Who struggle with async collaboration and context switching
Acme is an AI-native team productivity platform
That automates busywork so teams ship faster
Unlike Asana or Monday which are just task trackers
We combine planning, collaboration, and intelligence in one tool
Messaging Hierarchy
Structure
Level 1: Company Messaging
- Mission/vision
- Brand positioning
- Core values
Level 2: Product Messaging
- Product positioning
- Value propositions
- Key differentiators
Level 3: Feature Messaging
- Feature benefits
- Use cases
- Proof points
Messaging Formulas
Before-After-Bridge (BAB)
Before: [Current pain]
After: [Desired state]
Bridge: [How product gets them there]
Example:
Before: "Teams waste 10 hours/week in status meetings"
After: "Imagine if everyone knew what's happening without meetings"
Bridge: "Our AI generates status updates automatically from your work"
PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve)
Problem: [Identify pain]
Agitate: [Make it worse]
Solve: [Your solution]
Example:
Problem: "Your team is drowning in Slack messages"
Agitate: "You miss critical updates, decisions get lost, and new hires can't find context"
Solve: "Acme organizes all team knowledge automatically"
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 Timeline (Tier 1)
T-minus 8 weeks: Preparation
T-minus 6 weeks: Asset Creation
T-minus 4 weeks: Beta Program
T-minus 2 weeks: Enablement
T-minus 1 week: Final Prep
Launch Day
Post-Launch (Week 1-4)
Launch Channels
Owned:
- Website/landing page
- Blog
- Email list
- In-app notifications
- Social media
Earned:
- Press (TechCrunch, VentureBeat)
- Product Hunt
- Hacker News
- Industry publications
- Influencers
Paid:
- Google Ads
- Social ads (LinkedIn, Twitter)
- Retargeting
- Sponsored content
Partnerships:
- Co-marketing
- Integration announcements
- Channel partners
Market Entry Strategy
New Market Assessment
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
Example:
TAM: All project management users = $50B
SAM: Remote startups 20-100 people = $2B
SOM: 1% market share in 3 years = $20M
Market Entry Checklist:
Beachhead Strategy (Geoffrey Moore)
Concept: Dominate one narrow segment before expanding
Process:
- Identify Beachhead: Narrow, winnable segment
- Dominate: Become #1 in that segment
- Expand: Adjacent segments
Example:
- Facebook: Harvard → Ivy League → All colleges → Everyone
- Amazon: Books → Electronics → Everything
- Salesforce: Sales teams → All CRM → All cloud software
Competitive Strategy
Competitive Intel
What to Track:
- Product features and roadmap
- Pricing and packaging
- Marketing messages
- Customer reviews
- Funding and news
Sources:
- Competitor websites, blogs
- G2, Capterra reviews
- LinkedIn (hiring = roadmap hints)
- Earnings calls (public companies)
- Customer conversations
Battle Cards
Format:
# Competitor X
## Overview
- Company size, funding
- Target customers
- Key strengths
## When They Win
- [Scenario where they're strong]
## When We Win
- [Our advantages]
## Differentiation
- Feature comparison
- Positioning vs them
## Objection Handling
Q: "Why not use [Competitor]?"
A: "[Response emphasizing our unique value]"
## Proof Points
- Customer wins from competitor
- Case studies
Pricing & Packaging
Pricing Models
Freemium:
- Free tier + paid upgrade
- Examples: Slack, Dropbox, Notion
Free Trial:
- 14-30 day trial + paywall
- Examples: Netflix, SaaS tools
Usage-Based:
- Pay for what you use
- Examples: AWS, Stripe, Snowflake
Tiered:
- Good/Better/Best packages
- Examples: HubSpot, Salesforce
Per-Seat:
- Price per user
- Examples: Zoom, Asana
Packaging Strategy
3-Tier Model (Good-Better-Best):
Starter: $10/user/month
- Core features
- Email support
- Target: Small teams
Professional: $25/user/month
- All Starter features
- Advanced features
- Priority support
- Target: Growing teams
Enterprise: Custom pricing
- All Professional features
- Custom integrations
- Dedicated support
- SLA
- Target: Large organizations
Value Metric: What you charge for
- Per user (Slack)
- Per event (Segment)
- Per API call (Stripe)
- Storage (Dropbox)
Choose metric that scales with value delivered
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
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
