👓 5 Proven Go-to-Market Frameworks You Need To Know

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses five frameworks from Maja Voje, a go-to-market strategy expert, that are relevant for product-led growth. The frameworks cover the beachhead strategy, the GTM power hour exercise, growth loops, and a launch plan example.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Beachhead Strategy

1. What is the beachhead strategy?

• The beachhead strategy involves focusing on a small, underserved market that has a strong need to solve its problems, and then building up from that initial segment to conquer the broader market.
• The key is to align efforts and resources into a single direction and stay laser-focused on winning "one beach at a time" to generate critical mass of traction and relevance.

2. How do you choose the right beachhead segment?

• The beachhead segment should be small enough to conquer in the next 3-18 months.
• Key questions to research include:
  • Is there a high pain point and willingness to solve the problem now?
  • Does the segment display sufficient willingness to pay?
  • Can you reach the segment's critical mass in the next 3-18 months?
  • Will the segment refer the solution to adjacent segments?

3. What is the difference between an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and an Early Customer Profile (ECP)?

• The ICP represents the ideal target audience, while the ECP represents a more realistic target audience for the early go-to-market efforts.
• Early customers often have a higher tolerance for risk, a burning need for solutions, and a drive to work with the company until the product matures.

[02] GTM Power Hour

1. What is the GTM Power Hour exercise?

• The GTM Power Hour is an exercise that helps companies formulate the go-to-market assumptions that need to be validated before finalizing the go-to-market strategy.
• It includes a set of 5 "Proofs" that need to be collected on the go-to-market journey:
  1. Proof of concept - product delivers value to test users
  2. Proof of monetization - ability to get 5-10 paying customers
  3. Proof of a scalable GTM motion - ability to sell to the next 100 customers predictably
  4. Proof of sustainable business model - ability to turn a profit and support growth
  5. Proof of market expansion - ability to win new markets

[03] Growth Loops

1. What are the 5 types of growth loops discussed in the article?

• Viral - product-related content or recommendations shared on other platforms attract new users
• Usage - users create and share content/assets that encourage others to try the product
• Collaboration - users invite colleagues to co-create and collaborate within the product
• User-Generated Content - users discover the product through indexed content and create more content
• Referral - users invite others to use the product in exchange for some capital

2. How do the different growth loop frameworks compare?

• The article notes that the Reforge framework identifies 3 top-level types of micro-loops (viral, content, paid) with various sub-types that can be connected for amplified growth impact through macro loops.
• While more complex, knowing all the frameworks can ultimately be beneficial in identifying effective growth loops for a startup.

[04] Launch Plan Example

1. What are the key elements of the launch plan example shared for Maja Voje's "100-Step Go-To-Market Checklist" product?

• The launch plan includes details like website and launch post copy, analytics screenshots, campaign structure, and selection of channels for scaling and launching the product.
• The underlying philosophy emphasizes "doing less to achieve more" and staying committed to the mission by only focusing on what is "mission critical".