mattgierhart/prd-v09-gtm-strategy

GTM Strategy

Position in workflow: v0.8 Monitoring Setup → v0.9 GTM Strategy → v0.9 Launch Metrics

Consumes

This skill requires prior work from v0.2-v0.8:

• PER-* persona entries (from v0.4 Persona Definition) — Target audience definition; messaging and channel selection must match persona behaviors and preferences
• CFD-* customer feedback entries (from v0.1-v0.2 value hypotheses and competitive analysis) — Evidence-based value propositions; messaging must anchor in validated CFD- evidence, not speculation
• BR-* business rules and product type (from v0.2-v0.3 Commercial Model) — Product type (Clone/Unbundle/Undercut/Slice/Innovation) determines channel strategy and positioning narrative
• DEP-* deployment criteria (from v0.8 Release Planning) — Release readiness gates inform launch timing and go/no-go decision window
• MON-* monitoring setup (from v0.8 Monitoring Setup) — Baseline metrics and dashboards to track during launch; MON- thresholds inform launch day response triggers

This skill assumes v0.8 Monitoring Setup is complete and DEP- release criteria are met.

Produces

This skill creates/updates:

• GTM-* entries (launch campaign specifications, type-based) — Messaging, channel strategy, launch timeline, task assignments, creative assets with explicit links to personas, evidence, and product positioning
• Launch campaign roadmap — Pre-launch, launch day, and post-launch phases with dependencies and milestones
• Channel-to-persona matrix — Validation showing each channel reaches target PER- personas and messaging matches PER- values

All GTM- entries are campaign specifications, not confidence-based. They are:

• Evidence-grounded (messaging anchors in CFD- value hypotheses)
• Persona-targeted (channel selection based on PER- behaviors)
• Executable (every GTM- has owner, timeline, deliverable)
• Measurable (GTM- channels trace to KPI- metrics for launch)
• Coordinated (timeline shows dependencies; tasks assigned)

Example GTM- entries:

GTM-001: Primary Value Proposition
Type: Messaging
Owner: Product Marketing
Status: Ready

Audience: PER-001 (Startup Founder), PER-002 (Team Lead)
Format: Value Prop
Message: "Ship faster with AI that understands your codebase. Context-aware coding assistance that reduces debugging time by 40%."
Supporting Evidence: CFD-010 (40% time savings validated in 5 user interviews), CFD-025 (competitive analysis shows context awareness as key differentiator)
Where Used: GTM-005 (Landing Page Hero), GTM-010 (Product Hunt), GTM-002 (Email Campaign)

Linked IDs: PER-001, PER-002, CFD-010, CFD-025, KPI-101/102/103

---

GTM-002: Product Hunt Launch
Type: Channel
Owner: Growth Team
Status: Planned

Channel: Product Hunt
Audience Fit: PER-001 (Startup Founder) + PER-002 (Team Lead) — both frequent PH for tools; developer-focused community
Strategy:
  - Launch on Tuesday 12:01 AM PT (optimal PH timing)
  - Engage with comments first 24 hours
  - Share founder story (GTM-003)
  - Demo video showing AI in action
Content Plan:
  - Tagline: GTM-001 (Primary Value Prop)
  - Maker comment: GTM-003 (Founder Story)
  - Demo video: GTM-006 (Product Demo)
Success Metric: Top 5 product of the day, 500+ upvotes, 100+ engaged comments

Linked IDs: PER-001, PER-002, GTM-001, GTM-003, GTM-006, KPI-101 (traffic), KPI-102 (conversions)

---

GTM-003: Launch Week Timeline
Type: Timeline
Owner: Launch Coordinator
Status: Planned

Phase: Launch Week

Day -7 (Pre-launch):
  - [ ] Email list teaser (GTM-004)
  - [ ] Social media hints across GTM channels
  - [ ] PR outreach to tech media
  - [ ] Staging environment verification

Day -1 (Final):
  - [ ] All GTM assets approved
  - [ ] MON- dashboards live and verified
  - [ ] Team roles + escalation paths confirmed
  - [ ] Support team briefed (CFD- processing workflow ready)

Day 0 (Launch):
  - [ ] Product Hunt live at 12:01 AM PT (GTM-002)
  - [ ] Social media posts scheduled (GTM channels)
  - [ ] Email to waitlist with GTM-001 messaging
  - [ ] Monitor KPI-101 (reach), KPI-102 (acquisition), MON- dashboards

Day 1-3:
  - [ ] Respond to all PH comments and support tickets
  - [ ] Share early wins (feedback testimonials)
  - [ ] Watch KPI-103 (activation) — adjust onboarding if needed

Day 4-7:
  - [ ] Analyze KPI- metrics vs targets
  - [ ] Publish case study from early adopter (CFD-)
  - [ ] Plan rapid iteration based on KPI- signals

Dependencies: DEP-002 (release criteria met), MON-005 (dashboards ready), GTM-assets ready
Milestones: 1000 signups (Day 3), 40%+ activation (Day 7), First paying customer (Day 14)

Linked IDs: DEP-001/002/003, MON-005, KPI-101/102/103, GTM-001/002/004/005/006

Core Concept: Launch as Campaign

A launch is not "making the product available." It is a coordinated campaign that creates awareness, drives activation, and captures feedback. Every touchpoint should move users toward value.

GTM Components

| Component | Purpose | Output | |-----------|---------|--------| | Messaging | What we say | GTM- (value props, headlines) | | Channels | Where we say it | GTM- (channel strategy) | | Timing | When we launch | GTM- (timeline, phases) | | Coordination | Who does what | GTM- (RACI, tasks) |

Execution

1. Review target personas

   • Pull PER- from v0.4
   • Understand where they spend time
   • Know what messages resonate

2. Define core messaging

   • Value proposition (from CFD- value hypotheses)
   • Positioning (from BR- product type)
   • Key differentiators (from v0.2 competitive landscape)

3. Select launch channels

   • Match channels to personas
   • Prioritize by reach and conversion potential
   • Consider owned, earned, and paid media

4. Plan launch timeline

   • Pre-launch: Build anticipation
   • Launch day: Maximum impact
   • Post-launch: Sustain momentum

5. Assign ownership

   • Who creates content?
   • Who monitors channels?
   • Who handles support surge?

6. Create GTM- entries with full traceability

GTM- Output Template

GTM-XXX: [GTM Item Title]
Type: [Messaging | Channel | Timeline | Task | Asset]
Owner: [Person or team responsible]
Status: [Planned | In Progress | Ready | Live]

For Messaging Type:
  Audience: [PER-XXX targeted]
  Format: [Headline | Value Prop | Tagline | Elevator Pitch]
  Message: [The actual copy]
  Supporting Evidence: [CFD-XXX value hypothesis it's based on]
  Where Used: [GTM-YYY channels, assets]

For Channel Type:
  Channel: [Specific platform or medium]
  Audience Fit: [Why this channel reaches PER-XXX]
  Strategy: [How we'll use this channel]
  Content Plan: [What content goes here]
  Success Metric: [How we measure effectiveness]
  Linked Assets: [GTM-YYY assets for this channel]

For Timeline Type:
  Phase: [Pre-launch | Launch Day | Week 1 | Month 1]
  Date: [Specific date or relative timing]
  Activities: [What happens in this phase]
  Dependencies: [What must be ready]
  Milestones: [Key checkpoints]

For Task Type:
  Task: [What needs to be done]
  Owner: [Who is responsible]
  Due: [When it's due]
  Dependency: [What it depends on]
  Deliverable: [What's produced]

For Asset Type:
  Asset: [What this is — landing page, email, video]
  Purpose: [What it accomplishes]
  Channel: [GTM-YYY where it's used]
  Copy: [GTM-YYY messaging used]
  Status: [Draft | Review | Approved | Live]

Linked IDs: [PER-XXX, CFD-XXX, KPI-XXX related]

Example GTM- entries:

GTM-001: Primary Value Proposition
Type: Messaging
Owner: Product Marketing
Status: Ready

Audience: PER-001 (Startup Founder)
Format: Value Prop
Message: "Ship faster with AI that understands your codebase.
         Context-aware coding assistance that reduces debugging
         time by 40%."
Supporting Evidence: CFD-010 (time savings validated in interviews)
Where Used: GTM-005 (Landing Page), GTM-010 (Product Hunt)

Linked IDs: PER-001, CFD-010, KPI-001

GTM-002: Product Hunt Launch
Type: Channel
Owner: Growth Team
Status: Planned

Channel: Product Hunt
Audience Fit: PER-001 (Startup Founder) frequents PH for tools
Strategy:
  - Launch on Tuesday 12:01 AM PT
  - Engage with comments first 24 hours
  - Share maker story
  - Prepare demo video
Content Plan:
  - Tagline: GTM-001 (Primary Value Prop)
  - Maker comment: GTM-003 (Founder Story)
  - Demo video: GTM-006 (Product Demo)
Success Metric: Top 5 product of the day, 500+ upvotes

Linked IDs: PER-001, GTM-001, GTM-003, GTM-006, KPI-005

GTM-003: Launch Week Timeline
Type: Timeline
Owner: Launch Coordinator
Status: Planned

Phase: Launch Week

Day -7 (Pre-launch):
  - [ ] Email list teaser
  - [ ] Social media hints
  - [ ] Press outreach

Day -1:
  - [ ] Final staging verification
  - [ ] Launch assets approved
  - [ ] Team roles confirmed

Day 0 (Launch):
  - [ ] Product Hunt live at 12:01 AM PT
  - [ ] Social media posts scheduled
  - [ ] Email to waitlist
  - [ ] Monitor and engage

Day 1-3:
  - [ ] Respond to all feedback
  - [ ] Fix any critical issues
  - [ ] Share early wins

Day 4-7:
  - [ ] Publish case study
  - [ ] Analyze metrics
  - [ ] Plan iteration

Dependencies: DEP- release criteria met, MON- monitoring active
Milestones: 1000 signups (Day 3), First paying customer (Day 7)

Linked IDs: DEP-002, MON-005, KPI-001

GTM-004: Landing Page Hero Section
Type: Asset
Owner: Design + Marketing
Status: In Progress

Asset: Landing page hero section
Purpose: Convert visitors to signups
Channel: GTM-007 (Website), GTM-002 (Product Hunt referrals)
Copy: GTM-001 (Primary Value Prop)
Status: Review

Components:
  - Headline: "Ship faster with AI that understands your codebase"
  - Subhead: "Context-aware coding assistance that reduces
              debugging time by 40%"
  - CTA: "Start Free Trial" → /signup
  - Social proof: "Trusted by 500+ developers"
  - Demo video thumbnail: GTM-006

Linked IDs: GTM-001, GTM-006, SCR-001

Channel Selection Framework

Match channels to product type (from v0.2 BR-):

| Product Type | Primary Channels | Strategy | |--------------|------------------|----------| | Fast Follow | SEO, Paid, Aggregators | "We're the better [competitor]" | | Slice | Community, Integrations, Partnerships | "Best [thing] for [ecosystem]" | | Innovation | Content, PR, Events | "Here's why this matters" |

Channel Categories

| Category | Examples | Best For | |----------|----------|----------| | Owned | Website, Blog, Email, Product | Control message, build audience | | Earned | PR, Reviews, Word-of-mouth | Credibility, reach | | Paid | Ads, Sponsorships, Influencers | Scale, targeting | | Community | Forums, Discord, Twitter | Engagement, feedback |

Messaging Hierarchy

| Level | Purpose | Example | |-------|---------|---------| | Mission | Why we exist | "Make developers 10x more productive" | | Value Prop | What we offer | "AI that understands your codebase" | | Differentiator | Why us vs others | "Context-aware, not just autocomplete" | | Proof Point | Why believe us | "40% reduction in debugging time" | | CTA | What to do next | "Start your free trial" |

Launch Phases

| Phase | Duration | Focus | Success Metric | |-------|----------|-------|----------------| | Teaser | 2 weeks pre | Build anticipation | Waitlist signups | | Launch | Day 0-3 | Maximum impact | Traffic, signups | | Momentum | Week 1-4 | Sustain interest | Activation, feedback | | Steady State | Month 2+ | Optimize funnel | Conversion, retention |

Anti-Patterns

| Pattern | Signal | Fix | |---------|--------|-----| | Launch and leave | Big launch day, then silence | Plan 30 days of post-launch activity | | Everything everywhere | All channels, no focus | Pick 2-3 channels, do them well | | Features not benefits | "We have X, Y, Z" | "You can achieve X, Y, Z" | | No measurement | "The launch went well (I think)" | Define KPI- before launch | | Ignoring personas | Generic messaging for everyone | Tailor by PER- | | Over-promising | "Revolutionary AI" without proof | Ground in CFD- evidence |

Quality Gates

Before proceeding to Launch Metrics:

• [ ] Core messaging defined (GTM- Messaging type)
• [ ] Primary channels selected (GTM- Channel type)
• [ ] Launch timeline created (GTM- Timeline type)
• [ ] All tasks assigned owners (GTM- Task type)
• [ ] Key assets identified (GTM- Asset type)
• [ ] Messaging traces to CFD- evidence
• [ ] Channel selection matches PER- personas

Downstream Connections

| Consumer | What It Uses | Example | |----------|--------------|---------| | Launch Metrics | GTM- channels inform tracking | GTM-002 (PH) → KPI-005 (PH upvotes) | | Feedback Loop Setup | GTM- channels become feedback sources | GTM-002 comments → CFD-100 | | Content Creation | GTM- messaging guides content | GTM-001 → blog post theme | | Sales | GTM- messaging for outreach | GTM-001 → sales email template |

Detailed References

• Messaging framework examples: See references/messaging-examples.md
• GTM- entry template: See assets/gtm-template.md
• Channel evaluation guide: See references/channel-guide.md
• Launch timeline template: See references/timeline-template.md