go-to-market-strategy
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npx mdskill add manojbajaj95/claude-gtm-plugin/go-to-market-strategyRead bootstrap context before asking questions: `strategy/brand.md` for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; `about/me.md` for personal voice; `content/ideas.md` and `content/calendar.md` for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to `content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md`, and route durable learnings back to `strategy/brand.md`, `about/me.md`, or `content/ideas.md`.
SKILL.md
.github/skills/go-to-market-strategyView on GitHub ↗
--- name: go-to-market-strategy description: | Comprehensive go-to-market strategy and launch execution skill. Use when planning a product launch, feature announcement, market entry, or release strategy. Activates for: go to market, GTM, product launch, launch strategy, launch plan, launch execution, launch marketing, GTM playbook, launch readiness, technical launch, beta launch, early access, waitlist, Product Hunt, feature release, announcement, how do I launch this, launch checklist, we're about to ship, market entry, startup GTM, PLG vs sales-led, GTM motion, launch marketing pack, press outreach, developer product launch. --- # Go-to-Market Strategy ## Workspace Context Read bootstrap context before asking questions: `strategy/brand.md` for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; `about/me.md` for personal voice; `content/ideas.md` and `content/calendar.md` for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to `content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md`, and route durable learnings back to `strategy/brand.md`, `about/me.md`, or `content/ideas.md`. ## Operating Contract This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic. End-to-end GTM playbook: motion selection, positioning, channel strategy, phased launch execution, launch marketing, and technical product launches. --- ## Core Philosophy **A launch is a campaign, not an event.** Build momentum before launch, peak at launch, sustain after. The best companies don't launch once — they launch again and again. --- ## GTM Motion Selection | Motion | Best For | Key Lever | |--------|----------|-----------| | **PLG** | SMB, developers, low ACV (<$5K) | Free → paid conversion | | **PLG + Sales-Assist** | Mid-market, $5K-$25K ACV | PQL → SQL routing | | **Sales-Led** | Enterprise, complex product, >$25K ACV | Relationship, champion | | **Community-Led** | Developer tools, OSS | Community adoption | | **Partner-Led** | Geographic expansion, enterprise | Partner incentives | **Quick decision:** ``` ACV < $5K and self-serve possible? → PLG Buyer technical? → Developer/community-led Everything else? → Sales-led ``` --- ## 5-Phase GTM Strategy ### Phase 1: Market Positioning Define ICP, positioning, and messaging using the `marketing-strategy` skill before executing launch phases. Validate: target customer defined, differentiation identified, tested with 5+ customers. ### Phase 2: Messaging & Content **Message hierarchy:** 1. **Headline** — Core benefit in 5-10 words 2. **Sub-headline** — How it works or who it's for 3. **3 Key Benefits** — Feature → benefit 4. **Social Proof** — Testimonials, logos, metrics 5. **CTA** — Clear next step **Content to create:** Launch blog post · Product demo video (2-3 min) · Landing page · Email announcement · 5-10 social posts ### Phase 3: Channel Strategy (ORB) **Owned** (highest ROI — build these first): Email list · Blog/SEO · Branded community **Rented** (speed, not stability): Twitter/X · LinkedIn · YouTube · Reddit — use to drive to owned **Borrowed** (shortcut to audiences): Guest posts · Podcast interviews · Influencer partnerships · Co-marketing *Strategy: Use rented/borrowed to drive traffic, capture into owned.* ### Phase 4: Launch Timeline **6-Week Launch Timeline:** - **Week -6:** Finalize messaging, create content, set metrics - **Week -4:** Build waitlist, draft emails, reach out to press/influencers - **Week -2:** Tease on social, send "coming soon" emails, final QA - **Week 0 (Launch Day):** Publish landing page + blog, post to Product Hunt 12:01 AM PT, send launch email, share on socials, monitor and respond - **Week +1:** Share testimonials, post case studies, analyze metrics - **Week +2:** Post-launch analysis, plan ongoing marketing ### Phase 5: Metrics & Success Criteria Define BEFORE launch: - **Awareness:** Website visitors, social impressions - **Acquisition:** Signups, trial starts, purchases - **Activation:** Users completing core action - **Revenue:** MRR, conversion rate --- ## Multi-Phase Launch Approach | Phase | Goal | Key Actions | |-------|------|-------------| | **Internal** | Validate functionality | Test with friendly users, fix major issues | | **Alpha** | First external validation | Landing page, waitlist, invite individually | | **Beta** | Scale early access + buzz | Work through waitlist, tease problems you solve | | **Early Access** | Validate at scale | Leak details, usage data, PMF survey | | **Full Launch** | Maximum visibility | Open signups, start charging, all channels live | --- ## Product Hunt Launch **Before launch day:** Build relationships with supporters, optimize listing (tagline, visuals, demo video), engage in communities. **On launch day:** Treat as all-day event. Respond to every comment. Drive traffic back to site to capture signups. **After:** Follow up with all who engaged. Convert PH traffic into email signups. *Case study — Reform: studied successful launches, polished visuals, community engagement pre-launch → #1 Product of the Day.* --- ## Launch Marketing Pack For any major launch, produce these 7 deliverables: 1. **Context snapshot** — what's launching, who it's for, goal, date, constraints 2. **Launch Marketing Brief** — message, hook/sizzle, proof points, CTA, audience segments 3. **Launch Motion + Channel Plan** — sequencing, channel table, asset mapping 4. **PR Outreach Kit** — exclusive decision, target outlets, pitch + follow-up emails 5. **Asset + Internal Readiness Kit** — asset checklist, landing page outline, sales talk track, FAQ, objections 6. **Measurement + Experiment Plan** — metrics, instruments, experiments, what to double down on 7. **Risks / Open questions / Next steps** For launch marketing templates: see `references/TEMPLATES.md` For intake questions to gather launch inputs: see `references/INTAKE.md` For full workflow guidance: see `references/WORKFLOW.md` --- ## Technical Product Launches For developer tools, APIs, SDKs, and technical infrastructure: ### Launch Tiers | Tier | Type | Timeline | Investment | |------|------|----------|------------| | **1 — Major** | New product/GA | 12-16 weeks | High | | **2 — Standard** | New features/integrations | 6-8 weeks | Medium | | **3 — Minor** | Updates/patches | 2-4 weeks | Low | ### Developer-First Principles 1. **Documentation is non-negotiable** — Don't launch without a getting started guide + API reference + 3+ code samples 2. **Show, don't tell** — Actual code > marketing copy 3. **Interactive > passive** — Playground > demo video > screenshots 4. **Community-first** — Answer Stack Overflow, engage GitHub, respond on Hacker News ### Primary Developer Channels Dev docs · GitHub/GitLab · Developer blog · API changelog · Dev.to · Hacker News · Reddit · Discord/Slack · YouTube tutorials For tier framework details: see `references/launch_tiers.md` For developer metrics: see `references/metrics_frameworks.md` --- ## GTM Execution Checklist ### Pre-Launch - [ ] Landing page with clear value proposition and waitlist capture - [ ] Owned channels established (email list, blog) - [ ] 1-2 rented channels with profiles optimized - [ ] Borrowed channel opportunities identified - [ ] Launch assets created (screenshots, demo video, social posts) - [ ] Onboarding flow tested - [ ] Analytics and tracking live ### Launch Day - [ ] Announcement email sent - [ ] Blog post published - [ ] Social posts live - [ ] Product Hunt listing active (if using) - [ ] In-app announcement for existing users - [ ] Team ready to engage and respond ### Post-Launch - [ ] Onboarding email sequence active - [ ] Comparison pages published - [ ] Roundup email includes announcement - [ ] Feedback collected and triaged - [ ] Next launch moment planned --- ## Common GTM Mistakes - **Launching without audience** — Build email list first - **One-day launch, then silence** — Plan 30 days of post-launch activity - **Everything everywhere** — Pick 2-3 channels, do them well - **No success metrics** — Define goals before launch - **Features not benefits** — "You can achieve X" beats "We have feature X" - **Over-promising** — Ground claims in real evidence --- ## Related Skills - `sales-and-revenue-operations` — Sales team, RevOps, ICP - `pricing-strategy` — Pricing decisions - `marketing-strategy` — Product marketing, positioning, and competitive intelligence