Planning Gtm Launch

Planning GTM Launch

Overview

Creates a comprehensive go-to-market (GTM) plan covering market context, positioning, launch phases, enablement, and success criteria. Ensures products land, not just launch.

When to Use

• Approved charter ready for launch planning
• New product or major feature shipping
• Entering a new market segment
• Repositioning existing product
• Pre-sales kickoff planning

Core Pattern

Step 1: Understand the Launch

Ask user:

• "What product/feature are we launching?"
• "What charter or PRD does this map to?"
• "Who is the target customer/segment?"
• "When is target launch date?"

Read related charter/PRD if exists.

Step 2: Market Context

Analyze:

• TAM/SAM/SOM: Total/Serviceable/Obtainable Addressable Market

  • If data unavailable, state "Unknown - need market research"
  • If available, cite source (e.g., analyst report, internal data)

• Competitive landscape:

  • Who are direct competitors?
  • How do we differentiate?
  • What's our unique advantage?

• Customer segments/ICP:

  • Who is the ideal customer?
  • What pain points do they have?
  • Why will they buy?

Step 3: Positioning & Messaging

Define:

• Value proposition: Core value in 1 sentence
• Differentiation: Why us vs competition (3 key differentiators)
• Messaging framework: Key messages per audience
  • For customers: [Message]
  • For sales: [Message]
  • For partners: [Message]
  • For press/analysts: [Message]

Step 4: Launch Plan

Create phased plan:

Pre-launch (before launch date):

• Activities: Beta, docs, training, collateral
• Channels: Internal comms, partner previews
• Owner: Who drives each workstream
• Success metric: Readiness criteria

Launch (launch week):

• Activities: Announcement, events, campaigns
• Channels: Email, social, PR, events
• Owner: Who executes
• Success metric: Launch day KPIs

Post-launch (after launch):

• Activities: Iterate based on feedback, scale adoption
• Channels: CS outreach, webinars, case studies
• Owner: Who owns follow-up
• Success metric: Adoption/revenue KPIs

Step 5: Enablement Checklist

Required deliverables:

• Sales training (what to pitch, objection handling)
• CS runbook (how to support, troubleshooting)
• Demo environment (working prototype/sandbox)
• Collateral (pitch deck, one-pager, video)
• Pricing/packaging (tiers, discounts, terms)
• Legal/compliance (contracts, terms, privacy)

Step 6: Success Criteria

Define metrics:

• Leading indicators: Early signals (signups, demos, trials)
• Lagging indicators: Business outcomes (revenue, retention, NPS)

Step 7: Generate Output

Write to outputs/gtm/gtm-[initiative]-YYYY-MM-DD.md:

---
generated: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
skill: planning-gtm-launch
initiative: [Product/Feature name]
sources:
  - outputs/roadmap/Q1-2026-charters.md (modified: YYYY-MM-DD)
  - (market data provided by user or "Unknown")
downstream:
  - (launch execution tracked separately)
---

# GTM Plan: [Initiative]

## Initiative Context
**What:** [Product/feature name]
**Target launch:** [Date]
**Charter/PRD:** [Link to source document]

## Market Context

### TAM/SAM/SOM
- **TAM (Total Addressable Market):** [Size] - [Source or "Unknown"]
- **SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market):** [Size] - [Source or "Unknown"]
- **SOM (Obtainable Market):** [Target in Year 1] - [Source or "Estimate"]

### Competitive Landscape
| Competitor | Strength | Our Differentiation |
|------------|----------|---------------------|
| [Competitor 1] | [What they do well] | [How we're better/different] |
| [Competitor 2] | [What they do well] | [How we're better/different] |

### Customer Segments (ICP)

**Primary segment:**
- **Who:** [Description]
- **Pain points:** [Top 3 problems they have]
- **Why they'll buy:** [Value they get]
- **Evidence:** [VOC, customer interviews, or "Assumption"]

**Secondary segment:**
- **Who:** [Description]
- **Pain points:** [Top 3 problems]
- **Why they'll buy:** [Value]

## Positioning

### Value Proposition
[One sentence: What we do, for whom, that delivers what value]

### Differentiation (Why Us)
1. **[Differentiator 1]:** [Why this matters to customers]
2. **[Differentiator 2]:** [Why this matters to customers]
3. **[Differentiator 3]:** [Why this matters to customers]

### Messaging Framework

| Audience | Key Message | Supporting Points |
|----------|-------------|-------------------|
| **Customers** | [What they need to hear] | [3 supporting points] |
| **Sales** | [How to pitch] | [3 supporting points] |
| **Partners** | [Partnership value] | [3 supporting points] |
| **Press/Analysts** | [Industry narrative] | [3 supporting points] |

## Launch Plan

### Pre-Launch Phase
**Timeline:** [Start date] - [Launch date]

| Activity | Owner | Deliverable | Success Criterion | Status |
|----------|-------|-------------|-------------------|--------|
| Beta program | [Name] | 10 beta customers | Feedback collected | Pending |
| Sales training | [Name] | Training deck + session | Team certified | Pending |
| Collateral | [Name] | Deck, one-pager, video | Approved by leadership | Pending |
| Docs | [Name] | User guides, API docs | Published | Pending |

**Channels:** Internal comms, partner previews, beta customer access

### Launch Phase
**Timeline:** [Launch week dates]

| Activity | Owner | Channel | Success Metric | Status |
|----------|-------|---------|----------------|--------|
| Announcement | [Name] | Email, blog, social | 10K impressions | Pending |
| Launch event | [Name] | Webinar | 500 attendees | Pending |
| Press release | [Name] | PR wire | 5 media pickups | Pending |

**Channels:** Email blast, social media, PR, customer events

### Post-Launch Phase
**Timeline:** [First 30/60/90 days]

| Activity | Owner | Channel | Success Metric | Status |
|----------|-------|---------|----------------|--------|
| Customer feedback | [Name] | CS outreach | 20 interviews | Pending |
| Case studies | [Name] | Marketing | 3 published | Pending |
| Iteration sprint | [Name] | Product team | Ship fixes | Pending |

**Channels:** CS outreach, webinars, case studies, community

## Enablement Checklist

- [ ] **Sales training completed** - [Date or TBD]
- [ ] **CS runbook created** - [Date or TBD]
- [ ] **Demo environment ready** - [Date or TBD]
- [ ] **Collateral available** - Deck: [Y/N], One-pager: [Y/N], Video: [Y/N]
- [ ] **Pricing/packaging finalized** - [Y/N]
- [ ] **Legal/compliance approved** - [Y/N]

## Success Criteria

### Leading Indicators (Early Signals)
| Metric | Target | Timeframe | Source |
|--------|--------|-----------|--------|
| [Signups] | [N] | Week 1 | [Analytics tool] |
| [Demos booked] | [N] | Month 1 | [CRM] |
| [Trials started] | [N] | Month 1 | [Product analytics] |

### Lagging Indicators (Business Outcomes)
| Metric | Target | Timeframe | Source |
|--------|--------|-----------|--------|
| [Revenue] | $[N] | Quarter 1 | [Finance dashboard] |
| [Customers] | [N] | Quarter 1 | [CRM] |
| [Retention] | [%] | Quarter 2 | [Product analytics] |

## Risks & Mitigation

| Risk | Impact | Probability | Mitigation |
|------|--------|-------------|------------|
| [Competitive response] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [How to counter] |
| [Enablement delays] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Backup plan] |
| [Low adoption] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Demand gen plan] |

## Unknowns / Open Questions

- [What market data is missing?]
- [What enablement needs are unclear?]
- [What success metrics need definition?]

## Sources Used
- [file paths or "Market data from [source]"]
- [customer research source]

## Claims Ledger
| Claim | Type | Source |
|-------|------|--------|
| [Market size $X] | Evidence/Unknown | [Analyst report or "Need research"] |
| [Customers have pain Y] | Evidence | [VOC:line or customer interviews] |
| [Competitor weakness Z] | Evidence/Assumption | [Competitive analysis or "Observed in market"] |
| [Revenue target $A] | Evidence | [Charter:line or OKRs] |

Step 8: Copy to History & Update Tracker

• Copy to history/planning-gtm-launch/gtm-[initiative]-YYYY-MM-DD.md
• Update alerts/stale-outputs.md

Quick Reference

GTM Phases Timeline

Common GTM Mistakes

• Skipping pre-launch: Launching before sales/CS ready
• No differentiation: Generic "better, faster" positioning
• Ignoring competition: Assuming we have no competitors
• Metrics missing: No way to know if launch succeeded
• One-and-done: Launching then moving on (no follow-up)

Verification Checklist

• Market context documented (TAM/SAM/SOM)
• Competitive differentiation clear
• ICP defined with evidence
• Value prop crisp (1 sentence)
• Messaging per audience defined
• Launch phases mapped (pre/during/post)
• Enablement checklist complete
• Success metrics defined (leading + lagging)
• Risks identified with mitigation
• Metadata header complete
• Copied to history, tracker updated

Evidence Tracking