Don’t Just Go Live: Go to Market
For a lot of founders, “launch” ends up looking like this: the product works, the website is up, social handles are claimed, and you flip the switch. After months (or years) of building, it feels like crossing the finish line.
But in reality, it’s the starting gun.
Going live is just making your product available. Going to market is something else: deliberately creating the conditions for traction. Without it, launches slip quietly into the void. A handful of people notice, but the moment you’ve been building toward passes without momentum. And once it’s gone, it’s hard to get back.
A go-to-market strategy changes that. It turns launch from a quiet “we’re live” announcement into a catalyst for growth. That means being intentional about four things:
Audience clarity — knowing exactly who you’re speaking to, and why they should care.
Positioning — finding your sweet spot: where you excel, competitors fall short, and the demand is real.
Awareness channels — picking a few ways to reach your audience and catch their attention.
Budget discipline — planning long-term marketing spend so you can build and sustain momentum.
How do you know if you’re ready?
Here’s a simple gut check. If your GTM strategy is sharp enough, you should be able to answer each of these questions in one sentence:
Who is this for?
Why will they choose us over the alternatives?
How are we going to reach them?
If you’re fuzzy on any of the three, you’re not ready to go to market.
Finding your sweet spot
Clear positioning is the cornerstone of a sound GTM strategy. Fundamentally, it’s about mapping the terrain. Talk to 10 customers (or prospects) and ask what they’re using now, what frustrates them, and what makes them switch. Then look at how your competitors pitch themselves. The gaps are your sweet spot: promises that matter to users but aren’t being delivered well by anyone else.
When you launch into that space, your story cuts through. You stand out as the answer to an unmet need.
What if you already launched quietly?
If you haven’t really driven awareness yet, you haven’t burned the match. Think of it as a soft open. You still have the chance to pause, lay the foundation, and relaunch with a story and plan that lands. And if that means updating your website or tightening your positioning, do it now. Better to set yourself up for traction today than keep pushing forward on shaky ground.
