Go-to-Market is one of those mysterious terms which is elusive and confusing for a lot of startup founders. This is also a favorite topic for Investors. Go-to-Market is not an actual department or team, like sales or marketing, it's just a question HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET CUSTOMERS? The strategy itself, and that has always baffled startup founders.
Geoffrey Moore’s Session on Go-to-market — 17th Aug Igniter Silicon Valley
Whats your Go-to-market Strategy?
Every Investor I have met has asked me this question, and I would find myself mumbling words without really understanding them, trying to think of something smart to say on the spot. Not anymore. After the Geoffrey session, my Go-to-Market strategy is crystal clear. And if you have a similar question, listen to this Video (the audio quality is not that great) it will probably be the best hour you would spend for your startup.
Background story: A few years ago when I was ideating my startup and I read the book Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore. One thing that I learned was to THINK BIG. So when I recently was challenged in my Startup, for Sales, I went back to his book and also took the opportunity to invite the Author, Geoffrey Moore himself, to come and present on Sales and Go-to-market. And Boy was I blown away. The event was such an eye-opening experience. We had hundreds of startuppers from all around the Bay Area, who came to get a slice of Geoffrey Moore’s Wisdom.
House Full at Hackedojo for the Go-to-market Event. - photo by Hrishikesh Sathawane
We also asked the audience what are some of the challenges they are facing in the sales and Go-to-market journey and what they want to learn from Geoffrey. This list below will paint you a picture of what the audience was expecting from the Session.
What do you want to ask Geoffrey Moore about Sales and Go-to-market?
What are the typical sales and marketing phases that a new startup goes through and how does a founder prepare for these stages?
Consideration of the whole product-led adoption/ Growth?
The balance between building the product and marketing
Nuances around category disruption and go-to-market sales
Learn how to close deals
We hear about the numbers game in sales like calling 50 prospects a day. Even with automation, how do we get better so we don’t burden ourselves with this approach?
As someone who’s new to Technology Sales, what modern, actionable advice would you give to that person?
What changed in this downturn environment for demand generation and overcoming indecision?
How to sell any product?
How to do Marketing to SMBs
What would be the best way for me to pivot into tech?
All our Enterprise customers churned in 1 year. They all came through inbound and we had no prior sales experience. So we felt like people are in search of a solution like ours. But apparently, we are failing to cross the chasm. What signals should we rely on to decide if we should keep chasing or stop?
How to build a sales channel for foreign startups?
His Perspective on Product-Led Growth
What is the best way you have found to understand the customer?
“How to secure beachhead?”
Got to Market plan for a social commerce mobile app
“What are high-leverage options in go-to-market? For example Animated videos? CEO videos? Ads in trades?”
“How does his recommendation change for infrastructure startups”
“Apart from focusing on the sales pipeline, how can a very early-stage startup drive customer engagement to build relationships with strategic customers who can give input on product, and drive the product roadmap?”
“How to find and approach potential customers?”
“How are AI and Large Language Models (LLM) going to change the market?”
“As a solo founder who has to build the product and get started on user acquisition, what should be my priorities? Which goals should I set for myself in terms of GTM?”
“B2B SAAS GTM Strategies in the current market”
“How applicable is this to providing “Problem Solutions” as a Service”
“How do you see AI changing SaaS sales strategy over the next five years?”
“Are there particular insights and tactics when approaching historically technology laggards? For example, addressing physical real estate problems that have a higher “people and process” component, relative to technology. “
Big expectations and he covered everything and gave such a unique perspective on Go-to-Market that opened everyone’s eyes.
Geoffrey Moore — The Father of Go-To-Market photo by Deep S
For the uninitiated, Geoffrey Moore is an author (Crossing the Chasm), speaker, and advisor who splits his consulting time between start-up companies in the Wildcat Venture Partners portfolios and established high-tech enterprises, most recently including Salesforce, Microsoft, Autodesk, F5Networks, Gainsight, Google, and Splunk.
In his session, he started by giving an overview of what are the different kinds of customers you will face at different stages of your technology.
5 different kinds of customers
The idea here is EACH Of these customers you need to have a different playbook. The sooner you understand this the better your go-to-market strategy becomes.
His famous “Chasm” is somewhere between Early Market (Customer is Visionaries) and Bowling Alley (Customer is a General Manager). A lot of great technologies die because they don't get a foothold with actual customers, the general managers in the Bowling Alley. This according to him is the vertical customer. Like a Department Manager. He suggests focusing on a type of customer segment and being a LEADER in that department. And land and expand to other departments and by doing so Bowl each of the Duckpins/ departments.
Product — Market Fit Journey
Because up to the Early market phase, your customer is all over the place, and they also pull you in a different direction.
In the Early Market, you are making a PROJECT, but in Bowling Alley, you are creating a SOLUTION based on use cases. This was the amazing insight I needed for my startup.
Another great question asked by attendee, Deep S. (Founder/investor) was how do you know, where your startup is in this Journey. A unique insight came from Mr. Geoffrey, the best way to find out was THE BUDGET ALLOCATION.
If you selling a product for which there is already a budget allocated in a company then you are in the Bowling Alley. If the customer has to create a Budget for you (more challenging) then you are in the Early Market.
He also went ahead to show you how you can create your go-to-market Playbook/ strategy according to your technology stage.
Go-to-Market / Sales Playbook for Each Stage
The unique insight I got was at the beginning when your technology is not known your go-to-market strategy needs to focus on the CEO/EVP, people who are visionaries and responsible for DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. They are the only ones who can take RISK in your startup.
They are the only people who can CREATE THE BUDGET for your product. A manager cannot go to a CEO and say here we need this brand new technology because it could be RISKY. The manager is not a Risk taker, the CEO is.
In the NEXT STAGE when your product is replacing an existing technology like SLACK replace the old chat. There is no Rish the Solution is only getting updated or upgraded. A Manager can go and tell the CEO we need to update our Current technology to this new UPGRADED technology. The company is just REDIRECTING its Budget. No risk is involved. The Manager is the user so he can decide what's better for him and his team.
The following is the most dense slide and it covers EVERYTHING, ALL OF YOUR DEPARTMENT WILL NEED TO DO for every stage
Marketing, Solution Engineering, Sales, Implementation Support, and Customer Success
That’s It guys. I am still trying to understand the full scope of the last slide and how it impacts me and my startup.
I did hear amazing feedback from other folks on Linkedin who attended the event. Almost everyone asked me for Video.
Geoffrey Moore sharing wisdom on how to generate revenues at different stages of startup growth!! His book, “Crossing the Chasm” is an essential read for startup founders. Must read! — Deep S
I gained new insights from today’s presentation in addition to what is in the book. Mr. Moore talked about the importance of having different playbooks for different stages of the organization. He dug deeper into what this playbook means for Marketing, Solution Engineering, Sales, Implementation Support, and Customer Success teams. He also elaborated on how Delivery Model, Budget Status, Target Customer, Marketing, Positioning, Sales Org Type, and CSF changes at each stage. — Hrishikesh Sathawane
I also got a chance to meet our Teamcal Ai members, who volunteered to host the event. Here are some photos by me, Deep, and Hrishikesh.
VolunteersFirst Prize Winner — Crossing the Chasm BookSelfie — Hrishikesh with GeoffreyTeamcal Ai — Team membersOk Guys Think Big
