What Is Go-To-Market (GTM), Really?
Go-To-Market (GTM) is one of the most widely used yet least clearly defined terms in business.
If you ask ten different people what GTM means, you’ll likely get ten different answers.
- "It’s how we launch a product."
- "It’s a sales strategy."
- "It’s a marketing playbook."
The problem? None of these definitions are wrong, but none of them fully capture the essence of GTM.
After more than 20 years working across brand, e-commerce, product, marketing, sales, and operations, I have found that GTM is not a one-time event or a single function’s responsibility.
GTM is the ongoing, cross-functional process that enables a company to bring value to market—efficiently, repeatedly, and at scale.
And the companies that master it do not just launch successfully. They scale successfully.
The Biggest Problem With GTM Today: Silos and Misalignment
Most organizations struggle with GTM because teams operate in silos. Each function knows its own role, but they often fail to operate in sync. This creates friction, inefficiencies, and execution gaps.
Here is how it typically plays out:
- Brand is shaping identity and messaging.
- Marketing is generating demand.
- Sales is closing deals.
- Operations is optimizing efficiency and fulfillment.
- Finance is controlling budgets and resources.
Rather than working in harmony, these teams often compete for control over priorities, budgets, and execution strategies.
One of the most common misalignments? The tension between Brand & Marketing vs. Operations & Finance.
- Brand and Marketing focus on storytelling, creativity, and customer engagement.
- Operations and Finance focus on efficiency, scalability, and cost management.
These teams frequently find themselves at odds, yet they are critical to the success of GTM. When they work together in lockstep, the entire organization benefits.
Why Product Becomes the Center of the Universe
In most companies, product is at the heart of GTM strategy—and for good reason.
- It is the tangible deliverable that customers see, touch, and experience.
- It connects every function—insights inform development, brand and marketing position it, sales sells it, and operations delivers it.
- It carries the highest stakes—if the product fails, the entire GTM motion is at risk.
However, when product becomes the dominant force in GTM, other teams risk becoming reactive rather than strategic.
- Marketing fights to position the product after it is built, rather than shaping it from the start.
- Sales struggles with pricing and objections due to lack of early involvement.
- Operations scrambles to fulfill demand without proper forecasting.
- Finance tightens budgets to correct inefficiencies that could have been addressed earlier.
This creates a fragmented GTM motion, where teams operate in a sequence of handoffs rather than as an interconnected system.
The shift in thinking? GTM should not be a linear process—it should be a synchronized strategy where every function moves together.
From Linear to Circular GTM: A Better Model
Most companies view GTM as a step-by-step, linear process, moving from one function to the next:
- Who are we? (Brand)
- Who do we serve? (Insights)
- What do we create? (Product)
- Why does it matter? (Marketing)
- Where do we engage? (Sales)
- How do we execute? (Operations)
While logical, this structure creates unintended gaps. The teams that need to work together most often feel the furthest apart.
Now, consider a circular GTM model, where there is no defined start or endpoint.
- Any function can introduce a new GTM opportunity—whether it is a product innovation, market shift, or operational efficiency gain.
- The teams directly to your left and right are your closest collaborators.
- Brand and Operations—often seen as opposites—are positioned side by side.
This structure fosters continuous alignment, agility, and faster decision-making.
The Brand + Operations Partnership: The Most Overlooked GTM Unlock
Traditional GTM frameworks place Brand and Operations at opposite ends of the process.
However, when you rethink GTM as a circular system, they become immediate partners.
- Brand pushes downstream—driving consistency, storytelling, and positioning.
- Operations pulls upstream—optimizing efficiency, profitability, and execution.
When these two functions work together, they provide stability for the entire GTM framework.
The result: Faster execution, fewer bottlenecks, and a stronger operating culture.
The Starling Birds Effect: GTM Done Right
A useful analogy for a well-functioning GTM strategy is a murmuration of starling birds in flight.
Thousands of birds move together in perfect harmony, shifting direction fluidly without a single leader. Each bird instinctively follows its closest neighbors, adjusting in real-time.
That is how a high-functioning GTM strategy should operate:
- Not a rigid, step-by-step process.
- Not a series of handoffs and approvals.
- But a synchronized, trust-driven, agile system.
When every function moves together, GTM becomes seamless and scalable.
The Future of GTM: A New Way Forward
For many companies, GTM is centered around product.
But what if GTM was not about a single function leading the way—but about every function moving in sync?
A high-performing organization does not just launch products—it operates like a murmuration.
- Aligned teams
- Faster decision-making
- Seamless execution
This is the GTM formula that creates lasting success.
What’s Your GTM Model?
In the coming weeks, I will share additional insights and real-world applications of this framework.
For now, I would love to hear from you:
- How has your organization structured its GTM approach?
- What frameworks have helped make GTM more effective?
- Where do you see the biggest alignment challenges?
Drop a comment or reach out—I would love to hear your perspective.
#GoToMarket #GTM #Strategy #Leadership #Marketing #Operations #Product #Branding #Sales #Collaboration
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