/go-to-market-playbooks

name: go-to-market-playbooks
description: "GTM strategies, product positioning, messaging, and launch planning. Use when planning a product launch, entering a new market, positioning a product, or developing go-to-market strategy. Trigger on: 'plan my launch', 'GTM strategy', 'how do I position this', 'market entry plan'."

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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)

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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**: