go-to-market-playbooks

What this skill does

# 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

Four core GTM motions. Pick based on product complexity, price point, and distribution model.

| Motion                | Model                                             | Best For                                                   | Examples                      |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Product-Led (PLG)** | Product drives acquisition, conversion, expansion | Low price (<$100/mo), quick time-to-value, network effects | Slack, Dropbox, Notion, Figma |
| **Sales-Led**         | Sales team drives revenue                         | High contract values ($10K+), complex sales cycles         | Salesforce, SAP               |
| **Community-Led**     | Community drives adoption                         | Developer tools, open-source, passion-driven users         | GitHub, HashiCorp, Discord    |
| **Partner-Led**       | Partners drive distribution                       | Platform complements, ecosystem plays                      | Shopify apps, AWS Marketplace |

> **Deep dive**: See [references/gtm-strategy-types-guide.md](references/gtm-strategy-types-guide.md) for full playbooks, funnels, and step-by-step tactics for each motion.

---

## Positioning

Use April Dunford's 5-component framework:

1. **Competitive Alternatives** - What customers use today
2. **Unique Attributes** - What you have that alternatives don't
3. **Value** - What those attributes enable
4. **Target Customer** - Who cares most about that value
5. **Market Category** - What context makes the value obvious

**Positioning Statement Template**:

```
For [target customer]
Who [need/opportunity]
[Product] is a [category]
That [key benefit]
Unlike [alternative]
We [primary differentiation]
```

> **Deep dive**: See [assets/positioning-statement-template.md](assets/positioning-statement-template.md) for the full 5-step positioning process with worked examples.

---

## Messaging

Three-level messaging hierarchy:

- **Level 1**: Company messaging (mission, brand, values)
- **Level 2**: Product messaging (positioning, value props, differentiators)
- **Level 3**: Feature messaging (benefits, use cases, proof points)

Key formulas:

- **Before-After-Bridge (BAB)**: Pain -> desired state -> how product bridges the gap
- **PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve)**: Identify pain -> make it worse -> your solution

> **Deep dive**: See [assets/messaging-formulas-template.md](assets/messaging-formulas-template.md) for full formulas with examples.

---

## 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 Channels

| Channel Type     | Examples                                                         |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Owned**        | Website, blog, email list, in-app, social media                  |
| **Earned**       | Press (TechCrunch), Product Hunt, Hacker News, influencers       |
| **Paid**         | Google Ads, LinkedIn/Twitter ads, retargeting, sponsored content |
| **Partnerships** | Co-marketing, integration announcements, channel partners        |

> **Deep dive**: See [assets/launch-timeline-template.md](assets/launch-timeline-template.md) for a Tier 1 launch checklist from T-8 weeks through post-launch.

---

## Market Entry Strategy

### 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
```

### Beachhead Strategy (Geoffrey Moore)

Dominate one narrow segment before expanding.

1. **Identify Beachhead**: Narrow, winnable segment
2. **Dominate**: Become #1 in that segment
3. **Expand**: Adjacent segments

Examples: Facebook (Harvard -> Ivy League -> all colleges -> everyone), Amazon (books -> electronics -> everything)

### Market Entry Checklist

- [ ] Market size validation
- [ ] Competitive landscape
- [ ] Regulatory requirements
- [ ] Localization needs (language, currency, compliance)
- [ ] Distribution partners
- [ ] Pricing for market

---

## Competitive Strategy

### Competitive Intel

**What to Track**: Product features/roadmap, pricing, marketing messages, customer reviews, funding/news

**Sources**: Competitor websites/blogs, G2/Capterra reviews, LinkedIn (hiring = roadmap hints), earnings calls, customer conversations

### Battle Cards

For each competitor, document:

- Overview (size, funding, target customers, strengths)
- When they win vs. when we win
- Feature comparison and positioning
- Objection handling scripts
- Proof points (customer wins, case studies)

---

## Pricing & Packaging

Five core pricing models: Freemium, Free Trial, Usage-Based, Tiered, Per-Seat.

Pick a value metric that scales with customer value (per user, per event, per API call, storage).

> **Deep dive**: See [references/pricing-packaging-guide.md](references/pricing-packaging-guide.md) for pricing model details and 3-tier packaging strategy.

---

## 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
```

---

## Troubleshooting

**"I don't know which GTM motion to pick"**: Start with PLG if your product has quick time-to-value and low price point. Default to sales-led for complex products with high contract values. Use the decision tree in the GTM Playbook Summary above.

**"My positioning feels generic"**: You likely skipped step 1 (Competitive Alternatives). Start by listing what customers actually use today, then identify what you do that those alternatives cannot.

**"Launch got no traction"**: Most common causes: wrong channel for audience, launched without a waitlist/audience, or messaging didn't communicate value clearly. Review launch tier -- you may have under-invested for the launch type.

---

## 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

---

## Deep Dive Files

| File                                                                                 | Contents                                                    |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| [references/gtm-strategy-types-guide.md](references/gtm-strategy-types-guide.md)     | Full PLG, sales-led, community-led, partner-led playbooks   |
| [references/pricing-packaging-guide.md](references/pricing-packaging-guide.md)       | Pricing models,