A Go-to-Market Checklist for Data-Driven Founders

If you're building something great but struggling to get it in front of the right people, you don’t have a product problem. You have a GTM problem.

And if you're a founder who loves dashboards, metrics, and customer data? Even better. A go-to-market strategy is just a data model waiting to be tested — one with far-reaching implications for marketing, sales, product, and growth.

This is your go-to-market marketing plan checklist. No jargon, no generic advice. Just the steps you actually need to launch with confidence (and traction).

Step 1: Clarify the Real Problem You Solve

Before you talk channels or budget, get uncomfortably clear on this:

• What is the high-stakes pain your product solves?
• Why now? (Is it new regulation, new behaviour, or a broken status quo?)
• Who feels that pain most acutely, and who owns the problem inside the business?

This helps you avoid “solution-first” messaging and gets you closer to problem-market fit.

Step 2: Define Your ICP by Observable Traits

Forget vague personas. Think filters:

• Firmographics: industry, size, funding stage, revenue
• Technographics: tools used (e.g. Salesforce, Stripe, HubSpot)
• Job roles: who owns the problem you're solving?
• Buying triggers: hiring a Head of Ops, switching CRMs, launching in the UK

The tighter your audience, the lower your CAC, especially for paid media.

Step 3: Design Your Entry Point

Not every ICP is ready to buy. So instead of leading with a product demo, lead with value:

• Webinars with original insight (not product walk-throughs)
• 1-pagers on solving niche industry challenges
• ROI calculators or interactive tools
• Paid social ads driving to high-intent landing pages with gated value

B2B buyers need a reason to engage that isn't "Book a demo."

Step 4: Prioritise Channels by Signal Strength

Paid vs organic isn’t the question. It’s: where can you test and learn the fastest?

• Google Search: high intent, low noise. Start here for bottom-of-funnel.
• LinkedIn Ads: for outbound demand capture (especially if targeting job titles)
• PR & Content: for building credibility and share of voice
• Partnerships: borrow trust and accelerate credibility

Tip: don’t treat content and ads as separate. Let your paid campaigns validate which messaging lands, then bake that into your content.

Step 5: Build Your Stack (But Keep It Light)

You don’t need an enterprise stack from day one. You need visibility:

• GA4 + Google Tag Manager
• LinkedIn and Google Ads properly connected to HubSpot/Salesforce
• Heatmaps or session recordings (e.g. Hotjar)
• Basic lead scoring or deal tracking

Track what matters: who’s engaging, who’s converting, and who’s moving down funnel.

Step 6: Create Feedback Loops with Sales and Customer Success

Your best source of GTM insight isn’t in your Google Ads dashboard. It’s in your sales calls and onboarding interviews.

• What objections are you hearing most often?
• Which industries are ghosting after demo?
• Are converted clients asking for different features than expected?

Marketing should feed this insight back into targeting, creative and messaging weekly.

Step 7: Budget for Iteration, Not Perfection

Founders often ask: "How much should I spend?"

Start small, but budget to learn:

• £3-5k/month across paid search + LinkedIn can give you real signal fast
• Prioritise 3–5 tests (messaging, audience, offer)
• Double down on what works, but don’t try to optimise a flat strategy

You’re not just buying leads. You’re buying learning.

Final Thought: GTM is a Motion, Not a Moment

The best go-to-market strategies aren’t locked in Notion. They’re dynamic. Evolving. Ruthlessly curious.

Founders who win are the ones who treat GTM as a constant cycle of:

• Hypothesis
• Test
• Learn
• Adjust

This is where data-driven founders thrive.

Need a GTM partner who can actually help you launch with traction?

We’re a specialist ppc agency building SaaS and fintech digital marketing strategies rooted in insight not hunches.

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