Building Gtm System

Phase 10: Building a Post-Launch GTM System

You are executing Phase 10 of the GTM Strategist methodology. The launch is behind you. This phase shifts from one-time execution to building repeatable, scalable systems. The goal: turn what worked into a machine that runs without heroics.

Before You Start

1. Read my-gtm-context.md at the project root. If critical fields (Product/Service, Target Market, Business Model, Traction & Evidence) are empty, ask the user to fill them in before proceeding.

2. Check outputs/ for prior phase deliverables. This phase builds directly on:

   • outputs/09-launch-plan.md (launch execution plan and results)
   • outputs/08-channel-strategy.md (communication engine and funnel)
   • outputs/06-positioning-statement.md (positioning and messaging)
   • outputs/05-pricing-model.md (pricing strategy and business model)
   • outputs/03-icp-profile.md (validated ICP and personas)
   • outputs/01-90-day-plan.md (original goals for comparison)

   If Phase 9 outputs exist, reference them heavily — this phase is a direct continuation of launch. If earlier outputs are missing, ask which phases the user completed and work from what exists. Phase 10 is most valuable when you have real launch data to work with.

3. Work one task at a time. Present the deliverable, get feedback, then move to the next task. Don't dump all nine tasks at once.

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Task 1: Launch Retrospective

Duration: < 1 day | Output: outputs/10-launch-retrospective.md

The single most important thing you can do after launch is a structured retrospective while the experience is fresh. Most teams skip this, then repeat the same mistakes on the next launch. Don't be most teams.

What to do:

1. Gather the data. Help the user compile key launch metrics:

   • Awareness metrics — Reach, impressions, PR mentions, social engagement
   • Acquisition metrics — Website traffic, signups, demo requests, trial starts
   • Activation metrics — Users who completed onboarding, reached first value moment
   • Revenue metrics — Deals closed, revenue generated, pipeline created
   • Timeline adherence — What shipped on time vs. what slipped?

2. Run the retrospective framework. Structure the analysis around four questions:

   • What worked? — Specific tactics, channels, and messages that drove results. Quantify wherever possible.
   • What didn't work? — Things that underperformed expectations. Be honest — this is where the learning lives.
   • What surprised you? — Unexpected wins, unexpected failures, signals you didn't anticipate.
   • What would you do differently? — If you launched again tomorrow, what changes would you make?

3. Channel-by-channel breakdown. For each channel used during launch:

   • Traffic/leads generated
   • Conversion rate
   • Cost (time and money)
   • Quality of leads (did they convert downstream?)

4. Compare against original goals. Pull the 90-day goals from my-gtm-context.md or outputs/01-90-day-plan.md. Where did you hit, miss, or exceed targets?

5. Extract the top 5 learnings. Not vague observations — specific, actionable insights that will inform the next quarter.

The deliverable should include: A data summary, the four-question retrospective, channel breakdown, goal comparison, and prioritized learnings.

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Task 2: CRM Setup

Duration: 1-3 hours | Output: outputs/10-crm-setup.md

You don't need Salesforce. You need a system that tracks your pipeline so opportunities don't fall through the cracks. The best CRM is the one your team actually uses.

What to do:

1. Assess current state. Ask the user:

   • What are you using now? (Spreadsheet, HubSpot free, Pipedrive, nothing?)
   • How many active deals/leads at any given time?
   • How many people need access?
   • Budget for tools?

2. Recommend the right tool for the stage:

   • < 20 deals, solo founder — Spreadsheet or Notion board is fine
   • 20-100 deals, small team — HubSpot Free CRM or Pipedrive Starter
   • 100+ deals, growing team — HubSpot Starter or Pipedrive Professional
   • The key criterion: will the team actually use it? Sophistication is worthless without adoption.

3. Define pipeline stages. Tailor to the user's sales process:

   • Map stages to actual buyer actions (not internal milestones)
   • Each stage should have a clear entry criteria and exit criteria
   • Example for SaaS B2B: Lead In > Qualified > Demo Scheduled > Demo Done > Proposal Sent > Negotiation > Closed Won / Closed Lost
   • Keep it under 7 stages — more stages means more friction

4. Define essential fields. Only what's needed now:

   • Contact: Name, email, company, source/channel
   • Deal: Value, stage, expected close date, next action, owner
   • Custom: 2-3 fields specific to the user's business (e.g., use case, company size, ICP fit score)
   • Rule: if a field won't be used to make a decision, don't create it

5. Set hygiene rules. Simple rules to keep data clean:

   • Deals without activity for X days get flagged
   • Stage must be updated after every customer interaction
   • Closed Lost requires a reason (dropdown, not free text)
   • Weekly 15-minute pipeline review ritual

The deliverable should include: Tool recommendation with rationale, pipeline stages with entry/exit criteria, field definitions, and hygiene rules.

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Task 3: (Re)define GTM Motions

Duration: 1-3 hours | Output: outputs/10-gtm-motions.md

A GTM motion is how you repeatably acquire customers. Most early-stage companies try everything — after launch, you have data to decide what actually works. This task forces that decision.

What to do:

1. Catalog every motion you've tried. Pull from launch data and prior outputs:

   • Inbound — Content, SEO, social media, community, referrals
   • Outbound — Cold email, LinkedIn outreach, cold calling, events
   • Product-led — Free trial, freemium, self-serve, viral features
   • Partner/channel — Resellers, integrations, co-marketing, affiliates
   • Paid — Paid ads, sponsorships, paid placements

2. Score each motion with data. For every motion attempted:

   • Volume — How many leads/users did it generate?
   • Conversion — What percentage converted to paying customers?
   • CAC — Cost to acquire a customer through this motion (include time)
   • Time to revenue — How long from first touch to closed deal?
   • Scalability — Can you 10x this motion, or does it cap out?
   • Team fit — Do you have the skills and resources to run this well?

3. Apply the 80/20 rule. Identify:

   • Double down (1-2 motions) — Highest ROI, best team fit, most scalable. These get 80% of resources.
   • Experiment (1-2 motions) — Promising signals but need more data. Allocate 20% of resources.
   • Cut (everything else) — Either didn't work or doesn't fit. Kill them cleanly.

4. Define the primary motion. For the #1 motion:

   • What does the full funnel look like?
   • What are the key metrics at each stage?
   • What resources are required to run it consistently?
   • What's the target cost per acquisition?

The deliverable should include: A scored motion catalog, the double-down/experiment/cut classification, and a detailed funnel definition for the primary motion.

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Task 4: GTM Roadmap

Duration: 1-3 days | Output: outputs/10-gtm-roadmap.md

The GTM roadmap translates your strategy into a sequenced quarterly plan. It aligns GTM initiatives with the product roadmap and resource reality.

What to do:

1. Define the planning horizon. Usually one quarter (90 days). Break into three monthly themes or milestones.

2. Gather inputs. Pull from completed outputs:

   • Launch retrospective learnings (Task 1)
   • Chosen GTM motions (Task 3)
   • Product roadmap (features coming that affect GTM)
   • Resource constraints (from my-gtm-context.md section 8)
   • 90-day goals (from my-gtm-context.md section 9)

3. List all candidate initiatives. Brainstorm 10-20 things you could do. Examples:

   • Launch a content marketing engine
   • Build an outbound sequence for a new segment
   • Set up a referral program
   • Optimize the signup-to-activation funnel
   • Expand to a new geography or vertical
   • Hire first sales rep / marketing hire

4. Prioritize using an Impact/Effort matrix. For each initiative:

   • Impact (1-5) — Expected revenue or growth impact
   • Effort (1-5) — Time, money, and complexity required
   • Dependencies — What needs to happen first?
   • Risk — What could go wrong?

5. Sequence into the roadmap. Create a monthly or bi-weekly timeline:

   • Month 1: Foundation (highest-impact, lowest-effort items + prerequisites)
   • Month 2: Build (core initiatives that need Month 1 foundations)
   • Month 3: Scale (amplify what's working, launch bigger bets)

6. Align with product. Map GTM milestones against product releases. GTM preparation should start 2-4 weeks before feature launches.

7. Define success metrics. Each month should have 2-3 measurable targets tied to the chosen GTM motions.

The deliverable should include: The prioritized initiative list, the Impact/Effort matrix, a monthly roadmap with milestones, product alignment notes, and success metrics.

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Task 5: Growth/GTM Sprints

Duration: Ongoing | Output: outputs/10-growth-sprints.md

Structured sprint cycles bring agile discipline to GTM execution. Instead of reactive firefighting, you run deliberate 2-week experiments with clear hypotheses and outcomes.

What to do:

1. Explain the sprint framework. A GTM sprint has five parts:

   • Sprint planning (1 hour) — Pick 2-3 experiments from the backlog. Define hypothesis, success metric, and owner for each.
   • Execution (2 weeks) — Run the experiments. Track progress daily or every other day.
   • Measurement (end of sprint) — Did it work? Collect data against success metrics.
   • Retrospective (30 min) — What did we learn? What changes for next sprint?
   • Backlog grooming (30 min) — Re-prioritize the experiment backlog based on learnings.

2. Set up the sprint board. Help the user create a simple tracking system:

   • Backlog — All experiment ideas, roughly prioritized
   • This Sprint — 2-3 experiments in progress (never more than 3)
   • Done — Completed experiments with results
   • Tools: Notion board, Trello, Linear, or a spreadsheet

3. Create the experiment template. Each experiment needs:

   • Hypothesis — "If we [do X], then [metric Y] will [change by Z]"
   • Success metric — Specific, measurable, with a target number
   • Timeline — When will we know if it worked?
   • Resources needed — Who, what, how much?
   • Result — What actually happened (filled in after)
   • Learning — What did we learn regardless of outcome?

4. Seed the first sprint backlog. Using the GTM roadmap (Task 4) and retrospective learnings (Task 1), generate 8-12 experiment ideas. Prioritize by ICE score:

   • Impact (1-10) — If it works, how big is the effect?
   • Confidence (1-10) — How confident are you it will work?
   • Ease (1-10) — How easy is it to run?

5. Set the cadence. Recommend a sustainable rhythm:

   • 2-week sprints for most teams
   • Sprint planning: Monday morning of Week 1
   • Mid-sprint check: Friday of Week 1
   • Sprint review + retro: Friday of Week 2
   • Keep the meetings short — 30-60 minutes max

The deliverable should include: The sprint framework, a sprint board template, an experiment template, the initial backlog with ICE scores, and the recommended cadence.

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Task 6: CRO Experimentation Backlog

Duration: Ongoing | Output: outputs/10-cro-backlog.md

Conversion rate optimization turns more of your existing traffic into customers. It is the highest-leverage GTM activity because you improve results without increasing spend. This task creates a structured system for running CRO experiments.

What to do:

1. Map the current funnel with conversion rates. Work with the user to document every step from first visit to paying customer:

   • Visitor > Signup/Lead > Activated > Paying Customer > Retained
   • Capture the conversion rate at each step
   • Identify the biggest drop-off — that's where CRO has the most impact

2. Audit the biggest drop-off point. For the weakest stage:

   • What does the user experience at this step?
   • What are the likely friction points?
   • What data do you have (heatmaps, session recordings, user feedback)?
   • What have you already tried?

3. Generate experiment ideas. For each funnel stage, brainstorm 5-10 experiments:

   • Awareness > Visit — Headlines, ad copy, channel targeting
   • Visit > Signup — Landing page copy, CTA placement, social proof, form length
   • Signup > Activation — Onboarding flow, time-to-value, welcome emails
   • Activation > Payment — Pricing page, trial length, upgrade prompts, feature gating
   • Payment > Retention — Engagement loops, check-in emails, feature adoption

4. Prioritize the backlog. Use the PIE framework for each experiment:

   • Potential (1-10) — How much improvement is possible?
   • Importance (1-10) — How valuable is traffic to this page/step?
   • Ease (1-10) — How easy is it to implement and measure?
   • Average the three scores to rank experiments

5. Set up tracking. Recommend tools based on stage and budget:

   • Free: Google Analytics, Google Optimize (sunset — use alternatives), Hotjar free tier
   • Budget: PostHog, Mixpanel free tier, VWO starter
   • Key rule: Never run an experiment you can't measure. Define the metric before you run the test.

6. Establish the experimentation cadence. CRO experiments can run inside or alongside growth sprints:

   • 1-2 CRO experiments running at all times
   • Minimum 2 weeks per experiment (need statistical significance)
   • Document every result — even failures teach you something

The deliverable should include: The current funnel map with conversion rates, the prioritized experiment backlog with PIE scores, recommended tools, and the experimentation cadence.

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