go-to-market-planning

Purpose

A GTM plan answers:

1. Who is the beachhead? (first target segment — not everyone)
2. What is the core message? (what problem we solve, for whom, why now)
3. Where do we reach them? (channels)
4. When and how do we roll out? (phased launch timeline)
5. How will we know if launch succeeded? (launch-specific metrics)

This skill produces a GTM Canvas and a Rollout Plan.

---

When to Use This

• After PRD completion — input from ../prd-development/SKILL.md
• When competitive landscape is understood — input from ../competitive-analysis/SKILL.md
• When pricing is defined (or being defined in parallel) — ../pricing-monetization-strategy/SKILL.md
• Output feeds ../post-launch-retrospective/SKILL.md as the baseline for measuring launch success
• Internal communication of the launch plan references ../roadmap-communication/SKILL.md

When NOT to Use This

• For minor feature releases (no formal GTM needed — use a release note + in-app announcement)
• Before product-market fit is established (pre-PMF: validate first, launch broadly second)
• As a substitute for a positioning or messaging strategy — this operationalizes messaging; it doesn't create it from scratch

---

Step 1 — Define the Beachhead Segment (20 min)

The most common GTM mistake: trying to launch to everyone.

A beachhead is the smallest viable segment where you can win decisively, then expand from. Ask:

• Who has the pain most acutely?
• Who has the lowest switching cost or acquisition friction?
• Who, if they love us, will influence others?
• Who can we reach affordably through our existing channels?

Segment Prioritization Grid

Segment	Pain Intensity (1-5)	Reach Ease (1-5)	Strategic Value (1-5)	Score
[Segment A]
[Segment B]
[Segment C]

Score = sum of three dimensions. Launch to the top-scoring segment first.

---

Step 2 — Craft Core Messaging (30 min)

Messaging must answer: Why should [beachhead user] care, right now?

Message Framework

FOR: [Target user — be specific: job title, context, pain state]
WHO: [Problem they have]
OUR PRODUCT IS: [Category]
THAT: [Primary benefit / value delivered]
UNLIKE: [Status quo or key competitor]
WE: [Key differentiator — your "only we" from competitive-analysis]

Translate this into three message layers:

Layer	Purpose	Length	Where Used
Tagline	Instant recall	5-8 words	Ads, top of landing page
Elevator pitch	First conversation	2-3 sentences	Email subject, social copy
Full value prop	Informed decision	1-2 paragraphs	Landing page body, sales deck

Message Validation Checklist

• Does it speak to the problem before the solution?
• Is it free of jargon the user wouldn't naturally use?
• Does it make a specific, credible claim — not "the best" or "the most powerful"?
• Would the target user nod in recognition when they read it?

---

Step 3 — Select Launch Channels (20 min)

Match channels to where the beachhead segment actually lives and how they make buying/adoption decisions.

Channel Selection Matrix

Channel	Best For	Effort	Time to Impact
Existing user base (in-app, email)	Feature launches to current users	Low	Fast
Organic SEO / content	High-intent discovery	High	Slow (3-6 months)
Paid search / social	Demand capture / generation	Medium	Medium
Product-led (viral, PLG loops)	Consumer / bottom-up SaaS	Medium	Medium
Partnerships / integrations	Ecosystem reach	High	Medium
Community (Slack, Discord, Reddit)	Developer / niche audiences	Medium	Medium
Sales-assisted / SDR outreach	Enterprise / high-ACV	High	Slow
PR / media	Awareness at scale	Medium	Fast (but one-shot)
Events / conferences	Relationship + awareness	High	Slow

Output: Pick 2-3 primary channels and 1-2 supporting channels. Resist spreading across all of them.

---

Step 4 — Define the Rollout Phases (30 min)

A phased rollout reduces risk and creates a learning loop before full exposure.

Standard Three-Phase Rollout

Phase 1 — Beta (Internal / Invited)

• Who: Hand-picked users (existing power users, design partners, internal team)
• Goal: Catch critical bugs, validate core workflow, gather first testimonials
• Duration: 2-4 weeks
• Success gate before advancing: [Define specific criteria — e.g., "NPS > 40 from beta cohort", "zero P0 bugs for 5 business days"]

Phase 2 — Limited Launch (Controlled Expansion)

• Who: Waitlist, specific segment, or gated by invite / region / plan
• Goal: Validate acquisition funnel, activation rate, retention signal
• Duration: 2-4 weeks
• Success gate before advancing: [Define — e.g., "D7 retention ≥ 40%", "activation rate ≥ 60% within first session"]

Phase 3 — Full Launch

• Who: All eligible users / public availability
• Goal: Scale acquisition, drive awareness, collect social proof
• Duration: Ongoing
• Launch amplification: PR push, paid activation, community announcement

Rollout Plan Template

## Launch Phases

| Phase | Start | End | Audience | Goal | Success Gate |
|-------|-------|-----|---------|------|-------------|
| Beta | [Date] | [Date] | [Who] | [Goal] | [Criteria] |
| Limited | [Date] | [Date] | [Who] | [Goal] | [Criteria] |
| Full | [Date] | — | All | Scale | [Criteria] |

## Pre-Launch Checklist (2 weeks before Full Launch)
- [ ] Onboarding flow tested end-to-end
- [ ] Support docs / FAQ published
- [ ] Pricing page live and accurate
- [ ] Analytics / tracking instrumented and verified
- [ ] CRM / sales team briefed
- [ ] Legal / compliance sign-off
- [ ] Rollback plan documented

## Launch Day Checklist
- [ ] Feature flags enabled / deployment confirmed
- [ ] Announcement emails / in-app messages queued
- [ ] Social posts scheduled
- [ ] PR embargo lifted (if applicable)
- [ ] On-call rotation active
- [ ] Real-time dashboard open and being monitored

---

Step 5 — Define Launch Success Metrics (20 min)

Launch metrics are different from product health metrics. They measure the quality of the launch itself, not just the product.

Metric Categories

Category	Metric Type	Example
Awareness	Reach the beachhead segment	Unique visitors to launch page, PR impressions
Acquisition	Convert interest to signup/install	Signup rate, trial starts, install count
Activation	First meaningful use	% who complete core action in first session
Retention (early signal)	Come back	D7 / D30 retention, week-2 return rate
Revenue (if applicable)	Paid conversion	Trial-to-paid %, MRR added in launch period
Qualitative	Sentiment	NPS from beta cohort, support ticket themes

Pick 1 primary launch metric + 3-5 secondary metrics. The primary metric is the one you'll use to call the launch a success or not.

---

GTM Canvas Output

## GTM Canvas: [Product / Feature Name]

**Launch Date (Target):** [Date]

### 1. Beachhead Segment
[Specific description — job title, context, pain state]

### 2. Core Message
- Tagline: [5-8 words]
- Elevator pitch: [2-3 sentences]
- Full value prop: [1-2 paragraphs]
- "Only we" differentiator: [From competitive-analysis]

### 3. Channels
- Primary: [Channel 1], [Channel 2]
- Supporting: [Channel 3]

### 4. Pricing at Launch
- Entry tier: [Name + price]
- Model: [Freemium / trial / paid-only]
- [See ../pricing-monetization-strategy/SKILL.md for full pricing rationale]

### 5. Rollout Phases
[Table from Step 4]

### 6. Launch Success Metrics
- Primary metric: [Metric + target]
- Secondary metrics: [List]
- Guardrail metrics: [What should NOT get worse]

### 7. Internal Stakeholders
- PM owner: [Name]
- Marketing DRI: [Name]
- Engineering lead: [Name]
- Sales/CS lead: [Name]

### 8. Open Questions
- [Question + owner + due date]

---

What Claude Does / What You Do

Claude	You
Builds beachhead segment scoring grid and channel selection matrix	Validates segment choice with actual customer knowledge
Drafts message framework (tagline, elevator pitch, full value prop)	Tests messaging with target customers before launch
Generates phased rollout template with success gates	Confirms timeline feasibility with engineering and marketing
Writes pre-launch and launch-day checklists	Coordinates cross-functional execution (ops, sales, support)
Defines launch success metrics separated from product health metrics	Owns the post-launch retrospective and metric tracking

Standalone Inputs

If no PRD or prior research exists, provide:

• One-sentence product description and target segment
• Top 1-2 competitors (for differentiation messaging)
• Rough target launch date and rollout constraints

Common GTM Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Symptom	Fix
Launching to everyone at once	No beachhead; diluted message; unclear which segment to optimize for	Define the narrowest viable segment; expand deliberately
"Launch" = flipping the feature flag	No messaging, no channels, no metrics — product ships but no one knows	Treat every meaningful launch as a campaign with an owner and a plan
Big bang launch with no beta	First real feedback comes from thousands of users at once	Always run a beta gate, even a small one (10-20 users)
Launch metrics = product metrics	Team declares launch success because DAU went up marginally	Separate launch KPIs (acquisition, activation) from steady-state KPIs
Messaging written by the PM alone	Copy is technical, feature-focused, not user-outcome-focused	Involve a marketer or conduct message testing before launch
No rollback plan	Launch goes wrong; team scrambles to decide what to do	Write the rollback plan before launch day — decision-making under pressure is hard

Related Skills

• ../prd-development/SKILL.md — PRD completion is the primary input for GTM planning
• ../competitive-analysis/SKILL.md — "Only We" statement and differentiators feed GTM core messaging
• ../pricing-monetization-strategy/SKILL.md — pricing tier and entry point are required GTM Canvas inputs
• ../roadmap-communication/SKILL.md — communicating the launch plan internally to stakeholders
• ../post-launch-retrospective/SKILL.md — receives the GTM success metrics as retrospective baseline