gtm-sprint

name	gtm-sprint
description	Time-boxed go-to-market sprint that sequences customer validation, positioning, launch, and distribution over 7-21 days. Use when validating market demand, launching an MVP, or running a structured GTM push.
user-invokable	true
argument-hint	plan | status | gate-check

GTM Sprint

Reference

• ID: S-GRO-09
• Category: Growth
• Inputs: company.config.yaml, ICP artifact (or triggers creation), objective description
• Outputs: GTM Sprint Plan artifact + GTM Sprint Report artifact -> artifacts/growth/
• Used by: Growth Agent
• Tool scripts: ./tools/artifact/validate.sh

Purpose

Orchestrates a time-boxed go-to-market sprint that sequences validation, commitment, launch, and distribution into a structured daily cadence with quantified decision gates. Unlike /ship (which builds software) or /prototype (which proves technical feasibility), /gtm-sprint validates market demand and builds distribution — no code required.

Inspired by the 100x GTM Playbook methodology: validate with interviews, secure commitments (LOIs), build launch assets, activate distribution channels, and measure traction — all within a fixed sprint window.

When to Use

• Pre-product validation: "Do people actually want this?"
• MVP launch: "We built it, now how do we get users?"
• New market entry: "We're expanding to a new segment"
• Repositioning: "Our current positioning isn't working"
• Any time the user says: "go to market", "GTM", "launch plan", "validate market", "find customers"

When NOT to Use

• Building software features -> use /ship
• Technical proof-of-concept -> use /prototype
• Single-channel optimization -> use /channel-playbook directly
• Post-launch growth optimization -> use individual growth skills directly

Modes

Mode: plan (default)

Generates a personalized GTM Sprint Plan with daily tasks, decision gates, and skill sequencing.

Mode: status

Reviews progress against the active GTM Sprint Plan — checks completed tasks, gate metrics, and recommends adjustments.

Mode: gate-check

Evaluates a specific decision gate and recommends corrective action if thresholds are not met.

Procedure

Phase 0: Context & Configuration

1. Load Context

   • Read company.config.yaml for company name, stage, product description
   • Check artifacts/product/ for existing ICP artifact
   • Check artifacts/decision-memos/ for existing CONV- artifacts (interview count)
   • Check artifacts/growth/ for existing positioning, landing page, channel playbooks

2. Sprint Configuration

   Ask the user for (with smart defaults):

   Parameter	Default	Options
   Sprint duration	14 days	7 / 14 / 21 days
   Start date	Today	Any date
   Objective	From product description	Custom
   Target LOIs	5	3-10
   Target interviews	20	10-30
   Target wait-list	50	25-200

   Stage-aware defaults:

   • idea: 14 days, 20 interviews, 5 LOIs, 50 wait-list
   • mvp: 7 days (validation done), 10 interviews, 3 LOIs, 100 wait-list
   • growth: 7 days (repositioning sprint), 15 interviews, 5 LOIs, 200 wait-list

3. ICP Check

   • If no ICP artifact exists: inform the user — "No ICP found. The sprint will begin with ICP definition (Day 0). Run /icp-positioning now, or we'll include it in the sprint plan."
   • If ICP exists but is draft: note it needs validation through interviews

Phase 1: Generate Sprint Plan (Mode: plan)

4. Build Daily Task Schedule

   Generate a day-by-day plan adapted to the sprint duration. For a 14-day sprint:

   Week 1: Validate & Commit (Days 0-6)

   Day 0 — Prep: Lock ICP & Outreach

   • Finalize ICP criteria (role, company size, budget, current workaround)
   • Build prospect list (100 targets) — use LinkedIn, communities, competitor reviews
   • Book 15+ discovery calls for Days 1-2
   • Skill: icp-positioning (if no ICP exists)
   • Skill: customer-conversations prep cold-outreach
   • Output: ICP artifact (draft or updated), prospect list

   Day 1 — Pain Discovery: Mom-Test Interviews

   • Conduct 10+ Mom-Test interviews (15 min each)
   • Record key quotes and $$ impact of each pain point
   • Focus: current behavior, cost of status quo, workarounds tried
   • Skill: customer-conversations prep mom-test
   • Skill: customer-conversations debrief (after each call)
   • Output: 10+ CONV- artifacts

   Day 2 — Insights: Synthesize Pain Data

   • Conduct remaining interviews (target: 20 total)
   • Run feedback synthesis on all CONV- artifacts
   • Produce Pain Matrix: themes clustered by $$ impact + urgency
   • Rank themes, identify top 3 "hair-on-fire" problems
   • Skill: feedback-synthesizer (with pain-matrix output)
   • Output: Feedback report with Pain Matrix

   Day 3 — Refine: Sharpen MVP Scope

   • Map current workflow -> desired workflow for top pain
   • Update MVP scope based on Day 2 insights
   • Quantify time saved and cost saved per user
   • Draft value proposition: "We help X do Y, saving Z hours/week"
   • Skill: prd-writer or update existing PRD
   • Output: Updated PRD or mini-PRD (if pre-product)

   Day 4 — Commit: Secure Letters of Intent

   • Draft 1-page LOI template (problem, proposed solution, commitment level, timeline)
   • Re-contact top 5 prospects from interviews
   • Show prototype/mockup/demo and request commitment
   • Obtain verbal commitments or e-signatures
   • Output: LOI artifacts (target: 5 signed)

   Day 5 — Narrative: Go Public

   • Write 1-sentence mission statement
   • Write 2-paragraph vision statement
   • Craft positioning: "We help [X] do [Y] in [Z] seconds"
   • Publish first build-in-public post
   • Skill: positioning-messaging
   • Skill: channel-playbook (build-in-public arc)
   • Output: Positioning artifact, first public post draft

   Day 6 — Gate Check: Week 1 Review

   • Review metrics: interviews completed, LOIs signed, wait-list size
   • Decision Gate 1: Evaluate against thresholds (see Decision Gates below)
   • Adjust Week 2 plan based on gate results
   • Output: Week 1 status update

   Week 2: Launch & Grow (Days 7-13)

   Day 7 — Launch Pad: Landing Page

   • Build landing page with top 3 pain quotes above the fold
   • Embed email capture / wait-list form
   • Add Calendly or booking link for demos
   • Skill: landing-page-copy
   • Output: Landing page copy artifact (or deployed page)

   Day 8 — Lead Magnet: Field Report

   • Compile interview insights into a downloadable asset
   • Format: "Field Report" PDF, industry brief, or data snapshot
   • Gate the download behind email capture
   • Skill: content-engine (lead-magnet format)
   • Output: Lead magnet content artifact

   Day 9 — Distribution: Directory Blitz

   • Submit product to 15+ relevant directories
   • Craft directory-specific hooks using interview data
   • Skill: channel-playbook (directory-blitz template)
   • Output: Directory submission tracker

   Day 10 — Community: Engagement Strike

   • Join 3-5 Slack/Discord communities where ICP hangs out
   • Share one fresh insight chart from interview data
   • Offer free office-hours or AMA slot
   • Decision Gate 2: Check wait-list size against threshold
   • Skill: channel-playbook (community tactics)
   • Output: Community post drafts

   Day 11 — Competitor: Poaching Play

   • Identify 50-100 competitor reviewers (G2, Capterra, Reddit)
   • Send value-first outreach: "What's frustrating about [competitor]?"
   • Offer concierge migration or white-glove onboarding
   • Skill: channel-playbook (competitor-poaching template)
   • Output: Competitor outreach templates

   Day 12 — Demo Day: Show & Tell

   • Live demo to LOI signers and top prospects
   • Capture video testimonials (even 30-second clips)
   • Post build-in-public recap with traction metrics
   • Output: Demo script, testimonial clips, recap post draft

   Day 13 — Sprint Retrospective

   • Review all metrics vs. targets
   • Decide top 3 growth experiments for next 30 days
   • Publish internal retro + public "what's next" post
   • Skill: retrospective (or standalone retro)
   • Output: GTM Sprint Report artifact

   Sprint Duration Variants

   7-Day Sprint (compressed):

   • Days 0-1: ICP + Interviews (combine Prep + Pain Discovery)
   • Day 2: Synthesize + Refine MVP
   • Day 3: LOIs + Positioning
   • Day 4: Landing Page + Lead Magnet
   • Day 5: Distribution Blitz + Community
   • Day 6: Demo Day + Retrospective
   • Gate Check: Day 3 (mid-sprint)

   21-Day Sprint (extended):

   • Week 1: Days 0-6 (same as 14-day)
   • Week 2: Days 7-13 (same as 14-day)
   • Week 3: Days 14-20 — Optimize & Scale
     • Day 14-15: A/B test landing page variants
     • Day 16-17: Double down on best-performing channel
     • Day 18: Pitch deck assembly
     • Day 19: Investor/partner outreach
     • Day 20: Sprint close + 30-day plan
   • Gate Check: Day 6, Day 13, Day 18

5. Adapt for Existing Progress

   Skip steps where artifacts already exist:

   • ICP artifact exists and is approved -> skip Day 0 ICP work
   • 10+ CONV- artifacts exist -> reduce Day 1-2 interview targets
   • Positioning artifact exists -> skip Day 5 positioning (just do build-in-public)
   • Landing page copy exists -> skip Day 7 copy work (focus on deployment)

Phase 2: Decision Gates

6. Define Quantified Gates

   Each gate has a metric, threshold, and corrective action:

   Gate	Day	Metric	Threshold	If Below
   Interview Volume	2	Completed interviews	>= 15 (of 20 target)	Extend Days 1-2 by 1-2 days, increase outreach volume
   Pain Clarity	3	Distinct pain themes with $$ quantification	>= 3 themes	Broaden interview scope to adjacent ICP segments
   LOI Commitment	6	Signed/verbal LOIs	>= 60% of target	Double interview volume in Week 2, revisit ICP criteria
   Wait-list Traction	10	Wait-list sign-ups	>= 50% of target	Rerun positioning, test different channels, check landing page conversion
   Distribution Reach	12	Directory submissions + community posts	>= 10 combined	Focus remaining days on single highest-ROI channel

   Gate Severity by Stage:

   • idea: All gates are advisory (warnings) — learning is the goal
   • mvp: LOI and Wait-list gates are enforced — market signal is critical
   • growth/scale: All gates enforced — must hit thresholds to continue

7. Gate Check Procedure (Mode: gate-check)

   When a gate is triggered:

   1. Count the relevant metric from artifacts (CONV- count, LOI count, etc.)
   2. Compare against threshold
   3. If PASS: congratulate, move to next phase
   4. If FAIL: present corrective action with specific steps
   5. Ask user: "Adjust the plan, override the gate, or pause the sprint?"

Phase 3: Sprint Artifacts

8. GTM Sprint Plan Artifact

   Save to artifacts/growth/GTM-SPRINT-{date}.md:

   ---
   id: GTM-SPRINT-{date}
   type: launch-brief
   title: "GTM Sprint Plan — {objective}"
   status: draft
   created: {date}
   author: Growth Agent
   sprint_duration: 14
   sprint_start: {date}
   sprint_end: {date+duration}
   target_interviews: 20
   target_lois: 5
   target_waitlist: 50
   ---
   

   Body contains the full daily task schedule with checkboxes.

9. GTM Sprint Report Artifact (end of sprint)

   Save to artifacts/growth/GTM-SPRINT-REPORT-{date}.md:

   ---
   id: GTM-SPRINT-REPORT-{date}
   type: launch-brief
   title: "GTM Sprint Report — {objective}"
   status: review
   created: {sprint_end_date}
   author: Growth Agent
   parent: GTM-SPRINT-{date}
   ---
   

   Body contains:

   • Metrics vs. Targets: interviews, LOIs, wait-list, directory submissions, community engagement
   • Top Learnings: 3-5 key insights from interviews
   • Pain Matrix Summary: top 3 validated pain points with $$ impact
   • Positioning Validation: what resonated, what didn't
   • Channel Performance: which channels drove most traction
   • Next 30 Days: top 3 growth experiments recommended
   • Decision: proceed to /ship, pivot positioning, expand ICP, or pause

Phase 4: Status Tracking (Mode: status)

10. Progress Dashboard

    When invoked with status:

    1. Find the most recent GTM-SPRINT- artifact in artifacts/growth/
    2. Calculate current sprint day based on sprint_start date
    3. Count completed metrics:
       • CONV- artifacts created since sprint start
       • LOI artifacts in artifacts/product/
       • Landing page / positioning artifacts created
       • Channel playbook artifacts created
    4. Present progress:

    ## GTM Sprint Status — Day {N} of {duration}
    
    ### Metrics
    | Metric | Target | Current | Status |
    |--------|--------|---------|--------|
    | Interviews | 20 | 12 | On track |
    | LOIs | 5 | 2 | At risk |
    | Wait-list | 50 | 8 | Behind |
    
    ### Today's Focus
    - [Day N tasks from the plan]
    
    ### Upcoming Gate
    - Gate: LOI Commitment (Day 6) — need 3 more LOIs in 2 days
    

LOI (Letter of Intent) Template

When creating LOI artifacts on Day 4, save to artifacts/product/LOI-{company}-{date}.md using this structure:

---
id: LOI-{company}-{date}
type: loi
title: "Letter of Intent — {Company Name}"
status: draft
created: {date}
author: {user}
parent: {icp-artifact-id}
---

LOI Body Template

## Letter of Intent

**From**: {Prospect Name}, {Role} at {Company}
**To**: {Your Company}
**Date**: {date}

### Problem Acknowledged
{1-2 sentences describing the pain point this prospect validated}

### Proposed Solution
{1-2 sentences describing what you plan to build/offer}

### Commitment Level
- [ ] Verbal interest
- [ ] Email confirmation
- [ ] Signed LOI
- [ ] Pilot agreement with timeline

### Terms (if applicable)
- **Pilot Duration**: {e.g., 30 days}
- **Pilot Scope**: {what they'll use}
- **Success Criteria**: {what "working" looks like for them}
- **Pricing Discussion**: {willingness-to-pay signal}

### Prospect Context
- **Company Size**: {employees / revenue range}
- **Current Workaround**: {how they solve this today}
- **$$ Impact**: {estimated cost of current pain per month/year}
- **ICP Fit**: Strong / Partial / Weak
- **Decision Timeline**: {when they need a solution}

### Next Steps
{Agreed follow-up actions}

Cross-References

• icp-positioning (S-PROD-01) — Day 0 ICP definition
• customer-conversations (S-PROD-08) — Days 1-2 interview prep/debrief, Mom-Test mode
• feedback-synthesizer (S-PROD-04) — Day 2 pain synthesis with Pain Matrix
• prd-writer (S-PROD-02) — Day 3 MVP refinement
• positioning-messaging (S-GRO-01) — Day 5 narrative and positioning
• landing-page-copy (S-GRO-02) — Day 7 launch page
• content-engine (S-GRO-07) — Day 8 lead magnet
• channel-playbook (S-GRO-04) — Days 9-11 distribution (directory blitz, community, competitor poaching)
• retrospective (S-ORG-14) — Day 13 sprint retro
• ship (S-ORG-08) — post-sprint graduation to full build flow

Quality Checklist

• Sprint duration is appropriate for company stage
• Daily tasks are specific and actionable
• Decision gates have quantified thresholds
• Existing artifacts are accounted for (no duplicate work)
• Skill sequencing follows dependency order
• LOI template is included for Day 4
• Sprint plan adapts to 7/14/21 day variants
• Sprint report captures metrics vs. targets
• Corrective actions are specific for each failed gate
• Artifact passes validation