Go To Market Planning

B2B SaaS revenue growth rates have slowed by over 50% in the past 2 years. And CAC Payback periods have skyrocketed by nearly 100% in the same period. These two effects combined put massive pressure on core financial metrics, business profitability, and enterprise value. The root cause of this is Go-To-Market Bloat (GTM Bloat) where B2B companies invest significant money in Sales & Marketing and do not get the appropriate return on investment. Sales & Marketing is by far the largest expense on a B2B company P&L - on average 40%-60% of total revenue; and 2-3X more than they spend on Product Development, Engineering, and R&D combined. GTM Bloat occurs across the entire go-to-market, including People, Programs, Process, and Technology. (1) People - Too many headcount on each GTM team, caused by outdated financial planning models, in addition to the overspecialization of roles on GTM teams (SDR, MDR, Solutions Consultant, AE, Onboarding Manager, CSM, AM, etc.). Or 90-person Marketing team that should be 35 people. Average sales quota attainment of ~40% is another clear indicator of headcount bloat. (2) Programs - This mostly happens in the Marketing budget. B2B companies dramatically overspend on large scale events and digital performance marketing - up to 15% of total revenue - and do not get anywhere close to an appropriate measurable ROI on these significant expenses. (3) Processes - Teams, meetings, reporting cadences to support programs that don’t work. SDRs to follow up with “leads” and get a meeting less than 1% of the time. Inefficient processes create significant bloat especially when operated at scale. (4) Technology - Buying an ABM tool for $200k per year and barely using it. So much bloated headcount increases license & seat costs for all SaaS subscriptions by 2-3X. Too many $100k+/year point solutions used by 1 department or team and not integrated or essential to the full GTM. __ Solving GTM Bloat is the #1 opportunity in a B2B company today to increase enterprise value. This is now a CEO, CFO, and Board Level issue. Eliminating GTM expenses that do not provide appropriate ROI could increase EBITDA by 20% or more. Restructuring the existing investments in GTM to deliver the appropriate effectiveness could increase growth rates by up to 2X (e.g. from 18% to 36% YoY). Or more than likely, the solution is a mix of both of these - eliminating low ROI expenses to improve EBITDA and doubling down on strategies that are already working to create breakthroughs in growth rate. #gtm #gotomarket #finance #b2b #sales *Benchmarks on public SaaS growth rates and CAC payback periods ℅ David Spitz and BenchSights. Shoutout to David for some of the best work in the industry connecting GTM with Business Financial metrics based on actual data (not surveys or inaccurate aggregated data). **At Passetto, we see similar, yet more amplified trends in our standardized analyses of CRM & Financial Metrics of private middle-market B2B companies

I’ve been the first marketer at two companies now worth over $2 billion. If I did it again, here’s 9 things I’d do differently: 1️⃣ Start with brand as a scalable system Build a modular design system early with components you can combine instead of create. A Figma system, Canva templates, Google Slide layouts. Pair that with a messaging doc, your "copy-paste" bank of positioning, beliefs, and product language. It becomes a foundation for consistency and a knowledge base for AI. 2️⃣ Prioritize the 95%, not just the 5% LinkedIn & search ads worked early, but only because we caught the 5% already in market. The "demand capture" pool dries up fast. Invest early in "demand creation." Reach the 95% who aren’t ready yet, but will be. 3️⃣ Build in public People trust people more than companies. Let internal voices share what they’re building and learning. In the AI era, content is easy. Opinion & stories are valuable. 4️⃣ Know your customer so well the strategy writes itself I used to sit on every sales call and write every piece of copy. That proximity helped me hear what customers cared about, what words they used, where they hung out. Be close enough to "hear the music," and messaging & growth channels become obvious. 5️⃣ Start community early Create spaces where early customers can connect: Slack, Reddit, meetups, certification. It fuels your roadmap and scales support when customers can help each other. Even better if it creates user-generated content that is indexable/shareable. 6️⃣ Create the problem Don’t build the whole funnel on day one. If you don’t have traffic, don’t worry about conversion. Solve the problem you actually have. Let the next one emerge or you'll be building and rebuilding as things inevitably change. 7️⃣ Look bigger than you are Design clean & consistent. Logo small (bigger companies don't oversize their logo). Feature your biggest customers, your compliance certifications. Use big company channels but use them small (buy one billboard, get one great PR story, speak on one well-known podcast). Make big company content but do it small (like a single high production video). 8️⃣ Build lightweight systems You don’t need full-blown infrastructure. A Notion board or copy-paste doc can carry you farther than you think. Build systems for speed, not scale. 9️⃣ Protect your focus Get used to working with an infinite backlog. I used to start each day with a sticky note on my laptop of my 3 to 5 most important tasks. You weren’t hired to do everything, you were hired to make impact. If you've done this - what would you add?

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to GTM. Maja Voje and I studied 12 leading B2B SaaS companies. (including interviews with their teams) Here’s what we learned: 1. PLG is eating the world >80% of the companies in our study employ PLG in some fashion. Even enterprise companies like Snowflake and Salesforce are adding free trials & freemium. It’s the new normal. Why is this working for them? In 2024, the best marketing is often your product. Users rarely want to lock in a $500K+ contract without trying the product first. But you do need to layer on a strong product-led sales motion to make enterprise work. 2. Dominate one at first, then layer on many Every company we studied got one GTM motion massively right. And, in each case, they still use that GTM motion in some form today. But, they layer on other motions over time. The ideal way to layer is symbiotically: • ABM couples nicely with outbound • Inbound supports outbound • Partnerships amplify PLG For instance: Dropbox grew at first massively on referrals. Now, other channels are much more important. 3. ABM and Outbound are pillars of enterprise For 5- and 6-figure deals, it’s difficult to rely on inbound or PLG alone. The buyer is used to a different process. They want to be hand-held. This is where motions like ABM and outbound shine. That’s why you still see the Snowflake’s and Salesforce’s of the world focusing on them. They’re the bread and butter of enterprise. So… bringing it all together, here’s where to start based on your buyer. If you’re selling to consumers or prosumers: • Lean into PLG, community, and partnerships early on • Layer in paid marketing as you find product-market fit and have budget to scale If you're selling to SMBs: • Blend inbound and outbound motions to build awareness and relationships • Paid digital can accelerate pipeline generation as you dial in your ICP If you're selling to enterprises: • Focus on targeted ABM and partner ecosystems • Inbound is great for air cover, but outbound is crucial for landing large accounts If you have a complex or technical product: • Make sure you have developer docs, free tooling, and community support from day one • Don’t underrate channels like partnerships & paid digital; they can still be crucial support And above all: 1. Remember what works at one stage may not work another 2. Remember the law of diminishing returns 3. Be willing to pivot when necessary

Founders in Enterprise SaaS face a pivotal decision early: will you pave new paths as a category creator, or will you challenge established players with an innovative product? Category Creators are trailblazers developing new solutions for unaddressed problems or needs, thereby establishing a new market category. Category Challengers, on the other hand, enter a market with established players, aiming to offer superior products or value. Recognizing whether you're a category creator or a challenger is crucial, as it dictates very distinct go-to-market strategies. For category creators, early demand gen revolves around customer education. They must experiment to discover the best channels to connect with the target audience, and may find success with events, webinars, PR, and even analyst relations relatively early. Pricing requires careful iteration since there may not be established reference points. But the willingness to pay can be high if you solve a meaningful customer problem. With category creation, things can take a while to take off, and it’s crucial to stay lean and nimble in the early days. For category challengers, once a beachhead is established, speed becomes paramount. Category challengers can often see strong results early on from established channels such as SEO, paid search, outbound, and review sites. Innovative and efficient execution with these channels is key. Pricing structures may already be established, so the focus may be on providing better value or bundling. Sales dynamics for these modes can be very different. Category creators initially face longer sales cycles due to the lack of established budgets and prior purchase intent. Creating a wide top of the funnel, consultative selling, and broad evangelization within prospective organizations are paramount. For category creators, creating buyer urgency can be a major challenge. Qualification criteria may need to be adapted for the nuances of category creation. POCs and land-and-expand may be crucial, allowing customers to start small and see value before making a bigger investment. For category challengers, sales cycles can be shorter, thanks to established budgets and customer intent, but competition may lower win rates. Customers often have RFP processes. Lengthy POCs may not be needed. A clear understanding and articulation of differentiation, especially in unmet customer needs, is essential. Once traction is gained with a differentiated offering, incumbents will take note and may replicate your messaging, and eventually, features. Creating network and community effects, continuous innovation, and sharp execution can be key. Many startups find themselves on a spectrum between these two modes, requiring a blend of strategies. And after successful category creation, you may see more competition and formal buying processes as the market matures, necessitating a strategic pivot in product and GTM efforts. What are your experiences with this? #saas #gtm #startups

"Your GTM Isn’t a Strategy—It’s a System" a $7M CEO asked me: "what’s the best go-to-market strategy for our stage of growth?" my response? "you don’t need a strategy. you need a system." most companies treat gtm like a series of disconnected tactics— 📌 launch a new outbound sequence 📌 tweak paid ads to drive pipeline 📌 invest in brand, content, or demand gen but the best b2b companies don’t run tactics. they run GTM systems. GTM is not a one-time initiative—it’s an operating system. if your growth is dependent on heroic sales reps or one-off marketing plays, you don’t have a system—you have a patchwork of tactics. if your sales and marketing teams operate in silos, you don’t have a system—you have a misalignment problem. if you’re adding pipeline but not improving efficiency, you don’t have a system—you have a leaky funnel. when GTM is a system, it runs on predictable inputs and scalable outputs. what does a gtm system look like? 1️⃣ predictable demand generation → how do we consistently create pipeline? ✅ content, brand, paid, outbound all work together (not separately) ✅ marketing & sales agree on icp, lead quality, and follow-up timing ✅ metrics track revenue impact, not just MQLa 🚀 example: Snowflake → multi-channel demand engine that created urgency around data cloud migration. Gong → blended inbound, outbound, and category creation to dominate sales tech. 2️⃣ seamless pipeline conversion → how do we ensure pipeline turns into revenue? ✅ sales process is mapped to buyer journey (not internal quotas) ✅ deal velocity, conversion rates, and forecast accuracy are measured weekly ✅ marketing doesn’t just generate leads—it owns pipeline acceleration 🚀 example: HubSpot → inbound marketing aligned with a structured sales handoff for faster close rates. Stripe → self-serve and sales-led motions work together to maximize growth. 3️⃣ revenue retention & expansion → how do we grow customers beyond their first purchase? ✅ net revenue retention (nrr) > new arr focus ✅ cs and sales align on customer expansion playbooks ✅ partnerships, integrations, and upsells create ongoing growth 🚀 example: Datadog → started with monitoring, expanded into full observability & security. Shopify → moved from a website builder into a full commerce ecosystem with payments, banking, and financing. final thoughts 📌 if your gtm motion isn’t predictable, scalable, and repeatable, you don’t have a system—you have tactics. 📌 if your teams operate in silos, you don’t have a system—you have friction. 📌 if you can’t measure efficiency, you don’t have a system—you have guesswork. GTM isn’t about launching a strategy. it’s about building a system. so i’ll ask you: is your gtm running on tactics, or are you building a system? let’s discuss 👇 love, sangram p.s. follow Sangram Vajre to learn how to fix your broken GTM with GTM O.S. #gotomarket #gtm #growth #b2b #sales #marketing

I recently spoke with an early-stage AI app founder who was desperate to hire sales reps because he dreaded founder-led sales. This is one of the most common failure modes I see with technical founders—and it significantly impedes the path to product-market fit. Here's how to think about the right order of operations in early sales motions: Phase 1: Prototype & Validation In the earliest stage, the feedback loop between customer conversations and product roadmap must be extraordinarily tight—making founder-led sales absolutely non-negotiable. This phase is critical because you're identifying your true ideal customer profile (ICP) and learning how to effectively communicate your product story and address common objections. As you accumulate hundreds of demo repetitions (while refining your product based on feedback), you gradually assemble a winning process. Phase 2: Founder-led Sales Scale-Up Your mission here is to create the sales playbook that will guide future reps. You need sufficient pattern recognition to understand which messages resonate with which personas. I recall meeting Desmond Lim, CEO of Workstream, several years ago (not an Emergence portfolio company, but I deeply admire what they've built). He showed me the remarkable 60-page playbook he crafted documenting their entire sales process—before hiring a single AE. Every nuance. Every objection. Everything a new rep would need to succeed. While perhaps extreme, this perfectly illustrates the principle: scaling go-to-market requires mastering your ideal sales motion before delegating it. Phase 3: Hiring Initial Sales Reps Most founders default to sequential hiring—start with one rep, evaluate results, then proceed. However, we recommend hiring 2-3 sales reps with diverse backgrounds simultaneously, enabling you to effectively A/B test different profiles. Regardless of approach, ensure these early hires are "renaissance reps" with rapid iteration capabilities rather than purely "coin-operated" sellers. Mark Leslie has a great foundational article on the Sales Learning Curve provides excellent guidance. I'll link it below. So embrace the early sales work, even when it feels uncomfortable. It's fundamental to building a foundation for lasting success.

Yes, every startup is a beautiful, unique snowflake, but here is how I'd approach the stages of marketing for most orgs. Marketing is about building a layered, connected ecosystem where each channel supports and amplifies the others. Here’s how I think about the foundational sequence of channels to create a scalable, efficient, and impactful marketing strategy: 1️⃣ Start with Paid Search & Organic Content Why: Paid search (Google Ads) captures high-intent, in-market traffic—people actively searching for solutions you offer. -Shorter sales cycle and amazing fuel for all your other efforts. Organic content (e.g., thought leadership videos) builds trust and authority over time, setting the foundation for long-term success. This style of content (TL Videos) also makes great ads and improves the impact of other channels like LinkedIn, Meta, and Programmatic. 2️⃣ Activate LinkedIn Ads (start with retargeting) Why: LinkedIn is unparalleled for B2B targeting. You can layer on company size, job titles, and industries to reach decision-makers directly. Impact: Use LinkedIn to qualify and convert paid search traffic (or traffic from any source), leveraging retargeting frameworks to make your entire ecosystem more efficient. Doing LinkedIn ads before you have paid search, organic content, and SEO is going to result in a very expensive experiment. 3️⃣ Enhance with Website Visitor Identification Why: You don’t need to wait for prospects to fill out forms. Identify companies and individuals visiting your site, enrich the data, and turn anonymous traffic into leads. (I recommend DemandSense - ask me for free trial form.) Impact: Get more value from existing marketing efforts and create "nearbound" flows. 4️⃣ Launch Nurture + Outreach Campaigns Why: Most B2B sales cycles require consistent, personalized touchpoints. Combine LinkedIn and email to warm up leads and build trust over time. Impact: A well-orchestrated nurture sequence ensures no lead slips through the cracks, while outreach activates high-potential accounts. 5️⃣ Expand with Meta + Programmatic Ads Why: Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and programmatic platforms extend your reach, ensuring your message follows your audience wherever they go. Impact: Create omnipresence and retarget warm audiences from LinkedIn and search, converting them faster and more efficiently. Why the Sequence Matters? Each channel is more than a standalone tactic—it’s a building block in a larger framework. The foundation of paid search and organic content ensures you have an engine for consistent visibility. Then, LinkedIn ads and website visitor IDs provide a direct path to your ideal buyers. Finally, nurturing and omnichannel expansion amplify and accelerate conversions. This approach creates a flywheel effect where channels complement each other, increasing overall efficiency and ROI. What do you think?

Your go-to-market strategy isn't failing. It doesn't exist. After looking at 50+ startup GTM plans this year, I've noticed something concerning: most founders confuse "doing marketing stuff" with having a strategy. Here are 3 signs you're operating without a real GTM strategy: 1. You're running "random acts of marketing" → LinkedIn ads one month → Content marketing the next → Then suddenly "trying" TikTok You're just throwing tactics at the wall. 2. You can't answer "Why this customer, why this solution, why now?" If your team members give different answers to these questions, you're missing core strategic alignment. 3. Your metrics are all over the place No clear north star. No defined success metrics. Just vibes. Here's your GTM Strategy Framework: 1. Customer Layer • Define your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) • Map their pain points • Document their buying journey • Identify their decision criteria 2. Solution Layer • Clear value proposition • Competitive differentiation • Pricing strategy • Product positioning 3. Execution Layer • Channel strategy • Marketing tactics • Sales process • Success metrics I know what you're thinking: "That seems like a lot. I'm not sure I have time for that. I'll just wing it." Good luck! The fastest way to waste resources is by running random tactics without strategy. Quick reality check: Recently, a startup founder walked me through their "GTM strategy" → It was just a list of marketing and sales tactics → $50K spent on random activities → Zero strategic framework → Zero measurable results Don't be that founder. Strategy before tactics. Frameworks before execution. Planning before spending. Question: What's the biggest GTM challenge you're facing right now? #B2BMarketing #StartupStrategy #GTMStrategy

This week's Founders Project episode features a conversation with serial entrepreneur Chen Amit, Co-Founder and CEO of Tipalti. Since its inception in 2010, Chen has led Tipalti to remarkable success, growing to over 1,000 employees, processing more than $43 billion in payments annually, and achieving a valuation of $8.3 billion. Tipalti is a finance automation suite focusing on removing the pains and risks for corporations as they pay suppliers. And if all of those achievements weren't enough, Tipalti continues to exhibit staggering 120% year-over-year growth. Let's dive into a few key insights from Chen on go-to-market: 1️) Founder Involvement: In the early days, founders play a critical role in the sales process. Their personal involvement is essential to fine-tune the message and understand the customers' sensitivities. It's all about nailing what drives your customers. 2️) Crafting the Playbook: Once you've honed your message and are ready to scale, build an initial playbook for your small team. This is where things start to take shape. 3️) Right Leaders for the Right Stage: Hiring is pivotal. Look for leaders who match the stage of your company. Chen emphasized that it's crucial to bring in leaders who are ambitious and scrappy, even if they might not be the long-term Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). 4️) Continuous Growth: Encourage and enable your sales team to grow. Invest in their training and development. Recognize when someone has reached their potential and be ready to hire the next person for the next stage. 5️) Timing of Transition: As a leader, the decision to step aside and delegate should come when you realize you're slowing down your team or blocking the company's growth. Recognize when it's time for you to shift from a hands-on role to an orchestrating function. The above is just a small portion of the valuable insights that Chen shared. Tune in to the full episode here: bit.ly/45UtC74

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. In #insurance, growth doesn’t come from hype—it comes from clarity. Before you spend on sales teams, channels, or partnerships, you need to nail the five pillars of your #GTM foundation: ✅ Who exactly is your ideal customer? ✅ What problem do you solve—and what outcome do you deliver? ✅ How will you reach buyers? ✅ How will you price and package your solution? ✅ What channels will you use? In Episode 3 of my new video series, “The InsurTech GTM Playbook,” I break down each pillar and share why getting them right early matters so much in this industry. And here’s the thing—this doesn’t just apply to #startups. Mature organizations often think they have these nailed, but the market shifts fast. Revisiting your 𝐆𝐓𝐌 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is just as important for them, too. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 — 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. #GTMstrategy #InsurTech #B2Bgrowth #InsuranceInnovation #StartupPlaybook #SalesLeadership