A few weeks back we published an article on how a strong GTM foundation sets your startup up for success.

Today we will learn how you can build that foundation in 3-simple steps.

As your startup progresses, its Go-To-Market (GTM) foundation remains constant, but its systems and frameworks evolve to meet new challenges and objectives.

Understanding the components of a GTM foundation is essential for building sustainable growth.

In this edition, we’ll explore how to define the systems and frameworks that comprise your startup’s GTM foundation, and how to tailor them to address your startup’s specific needs, challenges, and objectives.

The GTM Skyscraper

Imagine your startup as a towering skyscraper, rising from a solid foundation.

Like any tall building, it all starts with that essential base, providing stability for what’s to come.

As you add floors upon floors, each level represents a set of systems within your startup, supported by that foundational groundwork.

Just as every floor serves a different purpose, your startup’s systems and frameworks adapt to evolving needs and objectives.

While the foundation remains constant, the interior of each floor shifts to accommodate changing demands, ensuring your startup can rise to new heights.

Step 1 – Define Your GTM Foundation

Establishing your GTM foundation is the first crucial step, yet many founders overlook its importance, only to encounter challenges later on.

Fortunately, by following our newsletter, you can avoid these pitfalls.

Ensure your foundation encompasses all the essential elements necessary for startup success in GTM:

Research & Competitor Benchmarking

Product Research & Development

Marketing/Distribution (Top of the Funnel)

Sales (Middle of the Funnel)

Customer/User Success (Bottom of the Funnel)

Analytics & Optimization

Each of these components forms the bedrock of your foundation, with multiple systems operating within them, guided by specific frameworks.

It’s this well-defined foundation that will sustain and push your startup forward.

Step 2 – Aligning the Systems to the Startup’s Needs

Let’s start by understanding what constitutes a GTM.

Within each GTM foundation area, multiple systems operate.

For instance, within the Marketing Foundation, you might find systems like User Acquisition, Content Marketing, and Product Marketing.

Each system is tasked with achieving specific objectives, leveraging tailored strategies guided by distinct frameworks.

Once you understand the concept of systems, the next step is aligning them with your startup’s unique requirements.

For instance, as an early-stage startup focusing on defining your Top of the Funnel (ToFu) Foundation, you may lack the budget for paid user acquisition campaigns.

In such a scenario, systems like Content Marketing, Community Building, Thought Leadership Branding, and Product Marketing may better suit your needs.

By aligning your systems with your startup’s requirements, you can then proceed to develop frameworks that delineate how these systems will be managed and operated.

This alignment ensures that your GTM strategy is finely tuned to drive your startup towards its objectives.

Step 3 – Building the Frameworks

Each system within your GTM foundation requires a distinct framework.

These frameworks not only dictate how the systems are operated and managed but also facilitate a feedback loop.

This loop allows you to identify bottlenecks within the system, implement solutions, and quickly gauge their effectiveness – saving you a lot of time in the process.

Each step of the framework should be accompanied by a clear metric.

These metrics serve as indicators of progress and guide your optimization efforts.

For instance, consider the “Content Marketing System”. Here’s how its framework might look:

Keywords + Trends: Determine a minimum search/trend volume threshold before selecting content topics.

Create Content: Develop content structures aligned with specific objectives (awareness/engagement/conversion).

Measure KPIs: Track metrics such as visits, visit duration, and conversion rate to assess content performance against the chosen objective.

Review and Optimize: Analyze results and refine future content based on insights gained from previous iterations.

Repeat: Implement the framework iteratively, leveraging insights gained from each cycle to enhance performance.

By establishing and adhering to these frameworks, you can systematically drive your GTM strategy forward, continually refining and optimizing your approach for maximum impact.