Market Entry Strategies

I’ve been the first marketer at two companies now worth over $2 billion. If I did it again, here’s 9 things I’d do differently: 1️⃣ Start with brand as a scalable system Build a modular design system early with components you can combine instead of create. A Figma system, Canva templates, Google Slide layouts. Pair that with a messaging doc, your "copy-paste" bank of positioning, beliefs, and product language. It becomes a foundation for consistency and a knowledge base for AI. 2️⃣ Prioritize the 95%, not just the 5% LinkedIn & search ads worked early, but only because we caught the 5% already in market. The "demand capture" pool dries up fast. Invest early in "demand creation." Reach the 95% who aren’t ready yet, but will be. 3️⃣ Build in public People trust people more than companies. Let internal voices share what they’re building and learning. In the AI era, content is easy. Opinion & stories are valuable. 4️⃣ Know your customer so well the strategy writes itself I used to sit on every sales call and write every piece of copy. That proximity helped me hear what customers cared about, what words they used, where they hung out. Be close enough to "hear the music," and messaging & growth channels become obvious. 5️⃣ Start community early Create spaces where early customers can connect: Slack, Reddit, meetups, certification. It fuels your roadmap and scales support when customers can help each other. Even better if it creates user-generated content that is indexable/shareable. 6️⃣ Create the problem Don’t build the whole funnel on day one. If you don’t have traffic, don’t worry about conversion. Solve the problem you actually have. Let the next one emerge or you'll be building and rebuilding as things inevitably change. 7️⃣ Look bigger than you are Design clean & consistent. Logo small (bigger companies don't oversize their logo). Feature your biggest customers, your compliance certifications. Use big company channels but use them small (buy one billboard, get one great PR story, speak on one well-known podcast). Make big company content but do it small (like a single high production video). 8️⃣ Build lightweight systems You don’t need full-blown infrastructure. A Notion board or copy-paste doc can carry you farther than you think. Build systems for speed, not scale. 9️⃣ Protect your focus Get used to working with an infinite backlog. I used to start each day with a sticky note on my laptop of my 3 to 5 most important tasks. You weren’t hired to do everything, you were hired to make impact. If you've done this - what would you add?

If you’re building a company or trying to figure out how to grow it fast, this is for you. Today, we’re breaking down 7 GTM motions (with 28 guides) from top companies. And we've brought expert Maja Voje to help. Here’s your roadmap to mastering Go-to-Market: — 𝗔 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗢-𝗧𝗢-𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 When it comes to Go-to-Market (GTM), it’s all about the right combination of motions. From driving virality to closing enterprise deals, each motion is a tool that you can leverage to unlock growth. And while it may seem like a mystery, every successful GTM strategy shares key elements you can master: → What works at scale → Knowing where to focus → Scaling your team right — 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘: 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬'𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗦 We analyzed 12 of the hottest tech companies and found 3 common patterns: 1. PLG is taking over ↳ 80% of top companies now use (PLG) as their primary or a major supporting motion. ↳ Even enterprise giants like Salesforce are embracing it. 2. Multi-channel is essential ↳ No company relies on just one motion. ↳ On average, these companies use at least 3 channels to support growth. 3. ABM and Outbound are king for enterprise ↳ In high-ticket sales, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and targeted outbound motions dominate. ↳ This is how five and six-figure deals get done. 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 → Start simple If you’re selling to consumers, lean on PLG, community, and partnerships early. → For SMBs Combine inbound and outbound motions for awareness and relationship-building. → For Enterprises Focus on ABM and outbound, with inbound as a support. — 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘.𝗢𝗡𝗘: 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗭𝗘 1. Talk to your customers ↳ Find out how your buyers made their last purchasing decision, including the channels they used and decision drivers. ↳ Ask what content, demos, or touchpoints had the most impact on their decision. 2. Research your competition ↳ Use tools like SimilarWeb, SEMRush, and BuiltWith to analyze your competitors' traffic sources , GTM motions, and untapped opportunities. 3. Play on your strengths ↳ Assess the channels where your team already has proven skills and experience and double down on it first. 4. Select 2-3 GTM motions to test ↳ Prioritize the channels that align best with your product and target audience for the highest potential ROI. 5. Stick with them for 1-3 months ↳ Track progress consistently, making data-driven adjustments without switching strategies too quickly and iterate on what works. — 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗢: 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗬 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 If you want to master all 7 motions — with detailed breakdowns, examples, swipe files, and the tools to execute them — the breakdown is in the comments 👇.

Recently, I had the opportunity to share my learnings and insights from "Launching Products Globally" with an amazing audience at Plug and Play Tech Center with the presence of global audience including entrepreneurs from HKSTP - Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. Here are a few learnings and insights from the evening: 1) You need to "localize" your product & go-to-market strategy: This doesn't only mean just translating or localizing your product. It's a lot more than that. You need to localize your "go-to-market" motion as well. You may have product-market-fit (PMF) locally, in the first country/region you launched, but that doesn't mean you can take the same product and go-to-market strategy to launch in a new country/region. As an example at Fitbit, we learned how the French think about fitness (they count walking to a restaurant to get a glass of wine as their "fitness") is very different than how Americans define workout and fitness. So all our marketing and go-to-market strategies had to align with the way locals will see benefits in our products. 2) Having boots on the ground is essential for successful global expansion: You need to have boots on the ground who truly understand the nuances of how to go-to-market, how to sell, and how to deliver your value proposition to customers in different regions. There are a lot of nuances of how to do business locally that will take outsiders to any market a long time to learn. At Cleo, where we had global customers like Salesforce, Redbull, Pepsi, and Uber, we had to have local health Guides to deliver our services with an intimate understanding of customers needs and approaches in that region. 3) Understanding local, cultural, and social aspects is critical to a global expansion success: Even though at the surface things may seem similar in each region, there are a lot of nuances that make your go-to-market strategy and the way you deliver your services resonate with the local customers or not. At Teladoc, we've learned that people in different countries think about their mental health and how to get support for that "very differently" than each other. Huge thank you to my hosts Rahim Amidi, Dr. Yahya Tabesh, Amir Amidi, Ahmadreza Masrour, and Akvile Gustaite, and HKSTP leaders, Albert Wong & Pheona Kan, who are interested in continuing these conversations. It was awesome to meet great entrepreneurs and see old friends: Reza Moghtaderi Esfahani, Daniel Lo, Houman Homayoun, Wayne Chang, Golnaz (Naz) Moeini. #product #gotomarket #globallaunch #globalbusiness

Tariffs, while unpleasant, are just another challenge that business leaders face in the quest to guarantee the best possible performance of their companies. This weekend's #tariffs on Canada (25%, 10% on oil), Mexico (25%), and China (10%), while surprising to many business planners due to their targets, severity, immediate enforcement, and justifications, are no different. Work the problem: 🧠 Assess the immediate impact on your #costs, #profitability, and #pricing. If you haven't done so previously, engage in direct, honest, and transparent conversations with your teams, suppliers, and customers to develop a strategic response. Roll out the plan as quickly and efficiently as possible. 🗺️ Consider the medium-term and long-term implications of protectionist trade policies on your business and explore a comprehensive list of tariff mitigation strategies, including: •Strategic sourcing •Product exclusion requests •Country of origin adjustments •Value reduction/first sale tactics •Foreign trade zones and bonded warehouses •Special Harmonized Trade Schedule (HTS) provisions •Duty drawbacks 💡 Normalize a robust #risk assessment and planning process for your organization. Continuously evaluate diversification of suppliers and manufacturing locations. Conduct financial modeling of all inputs. Evaluate manufacturing process changes. Explore vertical integration and ways to eliminate intermediaries. Assess technology adoption and real time tracking of your supply chain. Don't be tariff-ied - you've got this! 💪

"Your GTM Isn’t a Strategy—It’s a System" a $7M CEO asked me: "what’s the best go-to-market strategy for our stage of growth?" my response? "you don’t need a strategy. you need a system." most companies treat gtm like a series of disconnected tactics— 📌 launch a new outbound sequence 📌 tweak paid ads to drive pipeline 📌 invest in brand, content, or demand gen but the best b2b companies don’t run tactics. they run GTM systems. GTM is not a one-time initiative—it’s an operating system. if your growth is dependent on heroic sales reps or one-off marketing plays, you don’t have a system—you have a patchwork of tactics. if your sales and marketing teams operate in silos, you don’t have a system—you have a misalignment problem. if you’re adding pipeline but not improving efficiency, you don’t have a system—you have a leaky funnel. when GTM is a system, it runs on predictable inputs and scalable outputs. what does a gtm system look like? 1️⃣ predictable demand generation → how do we consistently create pipeline? ✅ content, brand, paid, outbound all work together (not separately) ✅ marketing & sales agree on icp, lead quality, and follow-up timing ✅ metrics track revenue impact, not just MQLa 🚀 example: Snowflake → multi-channel demand engine that created urgency around data cloud migration. Gong → blended inbound, outbound, and category creation to dominate sales tech. 2️⃣ seamless pipeline conversion → how do we ensure pipeline turns into revenue? ✅ sales process is mapped to buyer journey (not internal quotas) ✅ deal velocity, conversion rates, and forecast accuracy are measured weekly ✅ marketing doesn’t just generate leads—it owns pipeline acceleration 🚀 example: HubSpot → inbound marketing aligned with a structured sales handoff for faster close rates. Stripe → self-serve and sales-led motions work together to maximize growth. 3️⃣ revenue retention & expansion → how do we grow customers beyond their first purchase? ✅ net revenue retention (nrr) > new arr focus ✅ cs and sales align on customer expansion playbooks ✅ partnerships, integrations, and upsells create ongoing growth 🚀 example: Datadog → started with monitoring, expanded into full observability & security. Shopify → moved from a website builder into a full commerce ecosystem with payments, banking, and financing. final thoughts 📌 if your gtm motion isn’t predictable, scalable, and repeatable, you don’t have a system—you have tactics. 📌 if your teams operate in silos, you don’t have a system—you have friction. 📌 if you can’t measure efficiency, you don’t have a system—you have guesswork. GTM isn’t about launching a strategy. it’s about building a system. so i’ll ask you: is your gtm running on tactics, or are you building a system? let’s discuss 👇 love, sangram p.s. follow Sangram Vajre to learn how to fix your broken GTM with GTM O.S. #gotomarket #gtm #growth #b2b #sales #marketing

Deep Dive #8 for “Some of My Learnings” Learning #8: Step 1: Prove product/market fit. Step 2: Create a repeatable opportunity creation motion. Step 3: Only after successfully completing Step 1 & Step 2, invest in scale. Prematurely investing in scale is the same as lighting money on fire. This formula applies to both startups and large companies. When you build a product from scratch, or as they say from Zero to One, there are one of two types of products you build. It’s either a product for an established market with established competitors or a product in a new category. Let’s start with established products and I can then highlight the extra work that needs to be done for a category creating product. So goal #1 that must be accomplished when you build a product from the ground-up is to get validation from the market that in fact the product you built solves an important problem, customers are willing to pay for it and what you deliver works as advertised and solves a real problem for a focused set of customers. The first 25 to 50 customers have to be acquired in very non-scalable ways. You must do things initially that don’t scale, so that you can eventually scale. The product leader in a big company or a CEO in a startup have to be intimately involved in selling and delivering the first few deals. Now, a V1 product, no matter how good, isn’t going to meet all the requirements of every customer segment or industry vertical. So it is crucial to understand exactly which customers will most benefit from the product and define that ideal customer profile (ICP). Most importantly, understand and communicate why you are different from incumbents. Not by 10% but by 10x. Once this is defined, you have to be maniacally focus on pursuing opportunities for ONLY that ICP. The reason for this is that you want to have repeatability in the sales model and not spend a whole lot of time trying to win deals where your probability of winning those deals is extremely low. The thing you want to avoid at all costs is a “slow no”. Now, as you keep enhancing the product, you can keep expanding your ICP. But staying focused on the initial ICP is great not just for sales but also adoption. So… Goal #1 is to validate an ideal customer for whom your product works as advertised. Goal #2 is to make sure that you build a repeatable opportunity creation motion with a defined ICP. Goal #3 once you succeed at #1 & #2, then and only then should you focus on scale. The mistake that many make is to not focus and try and chase and win all different types of use cases all at once, which have little repeatability amongst themselves. This lack of focus leads to low win rates and loss of confidence in the field. If you have to launch a new product category, it is even harder because of the investment needed to create a new category. So identify a large market but focus on serving a very small subset of that market to get started with in the early days.

Break into new markets without breaking your brand: The secret to successful international expansion. Are you planning to expand your plant medicine brand internationally? Many brands struggle when trying to enter new markets without proper planning. Expanding a brand, particularly if it is a cannabis brand, requires both a global vision and local adaptation. A one-size-fits-all approach won't work. Here are 3 key elements to consider: 1. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: Understand your target audience deeply. Customize your message and product offerings to fit local tastes while keeping your brand's global identity. 2. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Every market has different rules. Your strategy should not only comply with current regulations but also be flexible enough to adapt to future changes. 3. 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Your brand should be adaptable to incorporate new products or market entries without losing its core identity. This maintains recognition and consistency. Live events, brand extension products and localized influencer marketing are some effective strategies to introduce plant-based medicine brands including cannabis into new markets.

Decoding Market Entry: How Startups Can Conquer New Markets 🌍 Hi everyone! Ankita here, diving into an exciting yet challenging phase for any startup—entering a new market. Whether it’s expanding to a different city, country, or even industry, breaking into untapped regions requires strategy, research, and execution. Let’s explore how startups can navigate this journey successfully. Why Market Entry Is a Game-Changer Expanding into new markets can unlock tremendous growth, diversify revenue streams, and boost your brand’s visibility. But the key lies in doing it right. Here’s a step-by-step guide for startups looking to make an impact: 🌟 Research, Research, Research Understanding the new market is the foundation of success. Study customer behavior, competitors, and cultural nuances to tailor your approach. Tip: Leverage local insights by partnering with agencies, conducting surveys, or collaborating with local experts. 🌟 Validate Your Product-Market Fit What works in one market might not work in another. Test and adapt your offerings to meet the unique needs of the new audience. Tip: Start with pilot projects to gather feedback before scaling. 🌟 Build Local Partnerships Partnering with local businesses can help you navigate regulatory challenges, gain credibility, and access existing networks. Tip: Look for mission-aligned partners who share your vision and can accelerate your market entry. 🌟 Localise Your Marketing Strategy Your messaging should resonate with the local audience. Consider language, culture, and regional trends when crafting your campaigns. Tip: Use localized content and platforms that your target market engages with the most. 🌟 Understand Legal and Regulatory Landscapes Every region comes with its own set of rules. Compliance is non-negotiable and can save you from costly pitfalls. Tip: Consult with local legal advisors to navigate taxes, permits, and other regulations seamlessly. 🌟 Focus on Building a Local Team A local team understands the market better and can help you connect authentically with customers and stakeholders. Tip: Hire people who embody your startup’s values but bring local expertise to the table. 🌟 Measure and Iterate Success in new markets isn’t guaranteed overnight. Continuously track your progress, learn from mistakes, and refine your strategies. Tip: Use KPIs like customer acquisition cost, churn rate, and revenue growth to assess your performance. 🌟Stepping into the Unknown with Confidence Entering a new market is a bold move, but it’s also an opportunity to redefine your growth trajectory. With the right planning and execution, startups can not just enter but thrive in untapped regions. 💬 What strategies have worked for you when entering new markets? Let’s exchange ideas and help each other conquer new frontiers! #StartupExpansion #DecodingMarketEntry #GoGlobal #StartupStrategy #GrowthHacks

The term 'GTM' is often misused in product marketing. Many confuse a Go-To-Market strategy with a product launch, but they are different. A product launch is a specific type of GTM strategy. It’s a process to introduce new features and products to the market to generate awareness, sales, and adoption. Typically owned by the PMM team, a successful product launch can be built into a repeatable motion. On the other hand, a GTM strategy is a comprehensive plan a business uses to reach its target market through selling products and services. It happens at the company level and requires alignment across marketing, product, sales, operations, and engineering to achieve business goals. Here is an example: If you're entering a new market to expand from one region to another, marketing promotions alone won't suffice. You need to understand the regional market and customer dynamics, create region-specific messaging and positioning, ensure product delivery can be met, comply with local laws, and localize pricing and marketing tactics. This process involves the entire organization, from the CEO to individual employees. I've been coaching many new PMM leads for growth-stage startups, and I've learned that the most successful PMM functions focus on holistic GTM strategies, not just individual product launches. A strong GTM focus drives impact across the entire business and enables PMMs to deliver transformational results. Check out the illustration below that maps out the differences and overlaps between GTM strategies and product launches. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences! #productmarketing #strategy #gtm #saas #coaching

While social media debates the aesthetics of Walmart's new minimalist logo, there's a deeper story of strategic transformation unfolding. The rebrand is just one piece of a sophisticated market positioning shift that's already showing impressive results. The retail giant is methodically reimagining its market position through several key initiatives: 🥤 Launch of their premium "bettergoods" line in 2024 - their most significant private label food launch in two decades 🏪 Store modernization featuring enhanced lighting and upscale visual merchandising 🤝 Strategic partnerships with celebrity brands and premium product lines (like W by Jake Paul - hi Woodie Hillyard) The numbers speak volumes: 75% of Walmart's recent food market share gains are coming from households earning $100,000+ annually. This isn't just a new logo - it's a masterclass in strategic market evolution. Thoughts on this retail transformation?