How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
Why ‘The Global Market’ Is an Irresponsible Phrase•
How ICP and PMF End Up Killing Real Business•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
Go To Market: How to Bridge the Gap Between Market and Data•
Why So Many Startups Talk About GTM•
The Glass Slipper Is Not for Sale: Rethinking Retention, GTM, and the Myth of Early AI Magic•
How SaaS Services Raise Prices•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour•
The Era of the PM is Over, The Era of the Producer is Coming•
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Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour

Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour

9 min read

What is GTM? As the name suggests, after making a product/service well, how do you launch it into the market, generate revenue, reach customers, and make them use this product/service repeatedly?

1. How is it different from traditional Marketing? How is it different from traditional Sales?

  • Let's assume an F1 race is being held.
    • Marketing Team: Hypes up the atmosphere before the race, increases the number of spectators.
    • Sales Team: F1 Driver (The one running at the forefront).
    • GTM Team: Plans the flow/strategy of the entire race → When to change tires? How to change them? How many laps to run and how?
  • Japanese version
    • Marketing and Sales are tactics, and GTM is strategy.

2. How is it different from Product Owner/Product Manager?

  • It must be closely connected and proceed repeatedly with building product solutions and defining business models. → Market/Revenue/Users
  • PO → Product UX/UI, Development, Planning, Business, etc.
  • No matter how great and innovative a product is, it is difficult to settle in the market without a GTM strategy.

3. What is the goal of GTM?

  • Successful Market Launch: Successfully launching a product or service into the market.
  • Reaching Target Customers: Effectively reaching the defined target customers with the product.
  • Securing Competitive Advantage: Securing a competitive edge among competitors in the market.
  • Revenue Generation: Ultimately generating revenue for the business.

"If we build it, they will buy it" → That's a fantasy. Who will use it?

Side Project "If we build it, they will use it" → Friends/Family → Toxic Metrics (Noise) → Long-tail metrics appear... What is this?

GTM → The process of turning it into a concrete science of "If we do this, it will sell."

4. Finding PMF (Product-Market Fit)

  • A state where the product satisfies a strong demand in the market? → Is this all just gut feeling? Is it luck?
  • Ask, "How would you feel if you could no longer use our product starting tomorrow?" → If about 40% say "Not very disappointed," consider pivoting boldly.
  • Flattening Retention Curve: Stable retention rate is maintained when viewed over 8 weeks.
  • Organic (Our Customers): Linear increase in customers coming only through search or referrals without ads.
  • LTV (Customer Lifetime Value) > 3x CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
  • Activation Metric: Exchanging 2000+ messages with team members on Slack Ep9 | Tech•Business•Insight (@ep9.co) on Threads
  • Increased User Activity → Use our app more, use our app frequently, stay on our app longer.

5. Willing to Pay (How much will you buy ours for?)

  • Consumers prefer lower prices, sellers prefer higher prices.
    • The question of how much value the product provides to the customer.
      • Time saving
      • Increased productivity
      • Emotional pleasure/stability
      • Cost reduction
      • New experience/opportunity

→ How do we convert this into money?

ex) Housekeeping service: How much is domestic labor worth? How much value does the housework (cleaning, laundry, dishwashing, cooking, etc.) performed by 'mothers' in a patriarchal society have?

  • In Korea, it is implicitly thought to be around 15,000 KRW per hour.
  • Dissatisfaction with society or specific groups.
  • OPP: Optimal Price Point → This is 'reasonable'!
  • IPP: Indifference Price Point → What nonsense, who would pay this much?
    • Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter
  1. Too Cheap (Price so low that quality is doubted): At what monthly subscription fee would you think this product is so cheap that you would doubt its quality or performance?
  2. Cheap/Bargain (Price felt as cheap): At what monthly subscription fee would you consider this product a cheap and attractive deal?
  3. Expensive (Price felt as expensive): From what monthly subscription fee would you start to feel this product is expensive? (But still a price you might consider purchasing)
  4. Too Expensive (Price too expensive to purchase): At what monthly subscription fee would you consider this product too expensive to even consider purchasing?

6. So how do we do GTM?

PhaseKey QuestionKey Deliverable
1. Market Opportunity AnalysisIs the ocean we are diving into wide enough, and are there many fish to catch? Who are the sharks that threaten us?Market Analysis Report (TAM/SAM/SOM, Competitive Analysis, 5-Forces Model)
2. Target Customer DefinitionWho are the people who can't sleep without our product? What does their day look like?Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Buyer Persona, Customer Journey Map
3. Value Proposition DesignWhat is the customer's biggest Pain Point, and what Gain can we provide?Value Proposition Canvas, Key Value Proposition defined in one sentence
4. Positioning and MessagingIf we imprint ourselves in the customer's mind with a single word, what would it be?Positioning Map, Messaging Framework, Brand Voice & Tone Guide
5. Pricing and Revenue ModelWhat is the size of value the customer is willing to pay? How will we make money?Pricing Policy, Packaging Strategy, Revenue Forecast Model
6. Channel Strategy EstablishmentWhere do our customers mainly get information and buy things? How will we reach there?Channel Mix Strategy, Channel Roadmap by Funnel, Partnership Plan
7. Launch and ExecutionHow will we announce our appearance most dramatically? Is the internal team fully prepared?90-Day Launch Playbook, Internal R&R Definition, Initial Customer Acquisition Plan
8. Measurement and OptimizationWith what numbers can we prove we are winning? What do we need to change to do better?Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dashboard, Customer Feedback Loop, A/B Test Plan

1. Market Opportunity Analysis

  • How big is the pie (market), and is it realistic to take a slice?
  • TAM (Total Addressable Market) → SAM (Serviceable Available Market) → SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market)
    • Step-down estimation: What macro market viewers (consultants, finance) see → What actual market players (competitors/potential competitors/substitutes, etc.) see → How much can we take from here?
    • Porter’s 5 Forces (Potential competition, Supplier/Buyer power, Substitutes, Existing competition intensity)
    • Market Size Modeling Sheet (Specify assumptions/grounds)
    • Competitive Landscape Map (Direct vs. Indirect competitors, Niche areas)
    • Opportunity Score = Market Growth × Accessibility × Profitability

2. Target Customer Definition (Ideal Customer Profile)

  • One single fanatical fan → ICP Canvas, Persona construction
  • Customer Journey Map: Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → Post-Use
  • 1st validation with 10~15 interviews → Make actual persona detailed → What is the saddest product/service? A service no one uses. → Making even one person use it is a great achievement.
  • ‘Everyone’ target is the same as ‘No one’ target

3. Value Proposition Design

Be able to say “I will solve your Pain point like this” in one sentence.

  • Value Proposition Canvas

  • MoSCoW Prioritization (Must/Should/Could/Won’t)

  • Functional-Emotional-Symbolic

    • Functional Benefit:
      • Refers to practical advantages stemming from the basic functions and performance of the product or service. For example, the washing function of a washing machine, the function as a means of transportation for a car, information accessibility of a smartphone, etc.
    • Emotional Benefit:
      • Refers to the emotional satisfaction or pleasure felt while using the product or service. For example, the luxurious image felt from perfume, the active feeling from sneakers, the comfort felt from music, etc.
    • Self-Expressive Benefit:
      • Refers to revealing one's identity or values and conveying one's image to others by using the product or service. For example, expressing one's social status through luxury brand clothing, or showing a sense of belonging by wearing a specific sports team's uniform.

  • Target problems with high Pain intensity and high frequency first.

  • Purchase occurs when you write “Differential-Value (Customer Perceived)” not “Differentiation Point”.

4. Positioning & Messaging

Marketer/Branding Expert/Copywriter collaboration stage

5. Pricing & Monetization

  • Prove the formula Value ≥ Price ≥ Cost, and increase revenue predictability.
ModelFeatureWhen Suitable?
Value-Based PricingBased on $$ saved/created by customerB2B SaaS, Utility clear
Penetration PricingFast market share with low entry priceNetwork effect important
Freemium → PaidDifferentiate features/limitsStructure where usage equals revenue
Tiered SubscriptionGood-Better-BestDiverse customer base
Van WestendorpToo cheap or too expensiveWhen there are many competitors in the market
  • Floor-Ceiling Price Range: For products/services with expiration dates or seasonality
  • Ceiling: Price that should not be exceeded / Floor: The moment we receive below this, we go bust
  • If ‘Expensive’ feedback is less than 15-20%, there is room to raise the price.

6. Channel Strategy

  • Awareness: SEO, PR, SNS
  • Consideration: Webinar, Case Study
  • Purchase: Direct Sales, App Store, refer
  • Retention: Community, In-product Nudge

CAC, Conversion, Payback Period → Channel Economics Sheet

7. Launch & Execution

Image

  • What do I do? Should I promote it to my friends or family? → Shortcut to failure → Hope the company doesn't do too well.
TypeFeature
Soft LaunchRelease to a few Early Adopters → Fast iteration
Big-Bang LaunchMassive reveal with press/events
Launch SequenceTeasing → Beta Invite → Main Announcement → Follow-up Content

⇒ Product Hunt/Disquiet: Soft Launch

→ Service provided by Steam etc. in the game industry / Beta (or Alpha) service

Press Kit → Single Source of Truth (Create Guide/Code of Conduct)

8. Metrics & Optimization

Growth Marketer/Performance Marketer: Build an automatic feedback loop of Data → Insight → Action.

  1. Define North-Star Metric → Align team goals
  2. AARRR Funnel Dashboard
  3. A/B Testing Framework (Hypothesis → KPI → Run → Learn)
  4. Voice of Customer (VoC) Loop (NPS, CSAT, Interviews)

“Execution without strategy is noise, strategy without execution is fantasy” = Why GTM Strategy is needed

The video filmed afterwards explains why GTM strategy is needed in more detail, so I recommend watching it. https://www.youtube.com/live/s5-hC9rtZEs?si=293MlNDRoktCAxu9 https://www.youtube.com/live/ZA_mX2UhB04?si=rKGByLWGGPoDRg4H

Go To Market 101 in 1 Hour | Oswarld Boutique Firm