---
name: go-to-market-strategy
description: |
  Comprehensive go-to-market strategy and launch execution skill. Use when planning a product launch, feature announcement, market entry, or release strategy. Activates for: go to market, GTM, product launch, launch strategy, launch plan, launch execution, launch marketing, GTM playbook, launch readiness, technical launch, beta launch, early access, waitlist, Product Hunt, feature release, announcement, how do I launch this, launch checklist, we're about to ship, market entry, startup GTM, PLG vs sales-led, GTM motion, launch marketing pack, press outreach, developer product launch.
---

# Go-to-Market Strategy

End-to-end GTM playbook: motion selection, positioning, channel strategy, phased launch execution, launch marketing, and technical product launches.

---

## Core Philosophy

**A launch is a campaign, not an event.** Build momentum before launch, peak at launch, sustain after. The best companies don't launch once — they launch again and again.

---

## GTM Motion Selection

| Motion | Best For | Key Lever |
|--------|----------|-----------|
| **PLG** | SMB, developers, low ACV (<$5K) | Free → paid conversion |
| **PLG + Sales-Assist** | Mid-market, $5K-$25K ACV | PQL → SQL routing |
| **Sales-Led** | Enterprise, complex product, >$25K ACV | Relationship, champion |
| **Community-Led** | Developer tools, OSS | Community adoption |
| **Partner-Led** | Geographic expansion, enterprise | Partner incentives |

**Quick decision:**
```
ACV < $5K and self-serve possible? → PLG
Buyer technical? → Developer/community-led
Everything else? → Sales-led
```

---

## 5-Phase GTM Strategy

### Phase 1: Market Positioning

Define ICP, positioning, and messaging using the `marketing-strategy` skill before executing launch phases.

Validate: target customer defined, differentiation identified, tested with 5+ customers.

### Phase 2: Messaging & Content

**Message hierarchy:**
1. **Headline** — Core benefit in 5-10 words
2. **Sub-headline** — How it works or who it's for
3. **3 Key Benefits** — Feature → benefit
4. **Social Proof** — Testimonials, logos, metrics
5. **CTA** — Clear next step

**Content to create:** Launch blog post · Product demo video (2-3 min) · Landing page · Email announcement · 5-10 social posts

### Phase 3: Channel Strategy (ORB)

**Owned** (highest ROI — build these first): Email list · Blog/SEO · Branded community

**Rented** (speed, not stability): Twitter/X · LinkedIn · YouTube · Reddit — use to drive to owned

**Borrowed** (shortcut to audiences): Guest posts · Podcast interviews · Influencer partnerships · Co-marketing

*Strategy: Use rented/borrowed to drive traffic, capture into owned.*

### Phase 4: Launch Timeline

**6-Week Launch Timeline:**
- **Week -6:** Finalize messaging, create content, set metrics
- **Week -4:** Build waitlist, draft emails, reach out to press/influencers
- **Week -2:** Tease on social, send "coming soon" emails, final QA
- **Week 0 (Launch Day):** Publish landing page + blog, post to Product Hunt 12:01 AM PT, send launch email, share on socials, monitor and respond
- **Week +1:** Share testimonials, post case studies, analyze metrics
- **Week +2:** Post-launch analysis, plan ongoing marketing

### Phase 5: Metrics & Success Criteria

Define BEFORE launch:
- **Awareness:** Website visitors, social impressions
- **Acquisition:** Signups, trial starts, purchases
- **Activation:** Users completing core action
- **Revenue:** MRR, conversion rate

---

## Multi-Phase Launch Approach

| Phase | Goal | Key Actions |
|-------|------|-------------|
| **Internal** | Validate functionality | Test with friendly users, fix major issues |
| **Alpha** | First external validation | Landing page, waitlist, invite individually |
| **Beta** | Scale early access + buzz | Work through waitlist, tease problems you solve |
| **Early Access** | Validate at scale | Leak details, usage data, PMF survey |
| **Full Launch** | Maximum visibility | Open signups, start charging, all channels live |

---

## Product Hunt Launch

**Before launch day:** Build relationships with supporters, optimize listing (tagline, visuals, demo video), engage in communities.

**On launch day:** Treat as all-day event. Respond to every comment. Drive traffic back to site to capture signups.

**After:** Follow up with all who engaged. Convert PH traffic into email signups.

*Case study — Reform: studied successful launches, polished visuals, community engagement pre-launch → #1 Product of the Day.*

---

## Launch Marketing Pack

For any major launch, produce these 7 deliverables:

1. **Context snapshot** — what's launching, who it's for, goal, date, constraints
2. **Launch Marketing Brief** — message, hook/sizzle, proof points, CTA, audience segments
3. **Launch Motion + Channel Plan** — sequencing, channel table, asset mapping
4. **PR Outreach Kit** — exclusive decision, target outlets, pitch + follow-up emails
5. **Asset + Internal Readiness Kit** — asset checklist, landing page outline, sales talk track, FAQ, objections
6. **Measurement + Experiment Plan** — metrics, instruments, experiments, what to double down on
7. **Risks / Open questions / Next steps**

For launch marketing templates: see `references/TEMPLATES.md`
For intake questions to gather launch inputs: see `references/INTAKE.md`
For full workflow guidance: see `references/WORKFLOW.md`

---

## Technical Product Launches

For developer tools, APIs, SDKs, and technical infrastructure:

### Launch Tiers

| Tier | Type | Timeline | Investment |
|------|------|----------|------------|
| **1 — Major** | New product/GA | 12-16 weeks | High |
| **2 — Standard** | New features/integrations | 6-8 weeks | Medium |
| **3 — Minor** | Updates/patches | 2-4 weeks | Low |

### Developer-First Principles

1. **Documentation is non-negotiable** — Don't launch without a getting started guide + API reference + 3+ code samples
2. **Show, don't tell** — Actual code > marketing copy
3. **Interactive > passive** — Playground > demo video > screenshots
4. **Community-first** — Answer Stack Overflow, engage GitHub, respond on Hacker News

### Primary Developer Channels

Dev docs · GitHub/GitLab · Developer blog · API changelog · Dev.to · Hacker News · Reddit · Discord/Slack · YouTube tutorials

For tier framework details: see `references/launch_tiers.md`
For developer metrics: see `references/metrics_frameworks.md`

---

## GTM Execution Checklist

### Pre-Launch
- [ ] Landing page with clear value proposition and waitlist capture
- [ ] Owned channels established (email list, blog)
- [ ] 1-2 rented channels with profiles optimized
- [ ] Borrowed channel opportunities identified
- [ ] Launch assets created (screenshots, demo video, social posts)
- [ ] Onboarding flow tested
- [ ] Analytics and tracking live

### Launch Day
- [ ] Announcement email sent
- [ ] Blog post published
- [ ] Social posts live
- [ ] Product Hunt listing active (if using)
- [ ] In-app announcement for existing users
- [ ] Team ready to engage and respond

### Post-Launch
- [ ] Onboarding email sequence active
- [ ] Comparison pages published
- [ ] Roundup email includes announcement
- [ ] Feedback collected and triaged
- [ ] Next launch moment planned

---

## Common GTM Mistakes

- **Launching without audience** — Build email list first
- **One-day launch, then silence** — Plan 30 days of post-launch activity
- **Everything everywhere** — Pick 2-3 channels, do them well
- **No success metrics** — Define goals before launch
- **Features not benefits** — "You can achieve X" beats "We have feature X"
- **Over-promising** — Ground claims in real evidence

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## Related Skills

- `sales-and-revenue-operations` — Sales team, RevOps, ICP
- `pricing-strategy` — Pricing decisions
- `marketing-strategy` — Product marketing, positioning, and competitive intelligence