GTM Strategy

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

Purpose

Define how the product reaches its target users—the channels, messaging, timing, and coordination required for a successful launch.

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