Every scaling founder needs a dashboard that answers: Are we growing efficiently? Track:
Win rate per segment
Pipeline coverage (≥ 3x target)
CAC payback (< 18 months)
NRR (> 120%)
Once references are solid, cross the chasm and sell to the early majority. Only expand into adjacent segments once you’ve saturated your existing market.
Geoffrey Moore called these adjacent segments other “bowling pins,” where each pin represents a different ICP. The best founders sequence these pins deliberately, one segment at a time, using proof and credibility from the previous one as momentum.
Remember: scaling GTM is not about doing more activities. It’s about doing the right activities with discipline. Growth is not a function of headcount; it’s a function of clarity.
By the time you approach Series B, your GTM engine should be data-driven and repeatable:
The transition from PMF to GTM is where many founders stumble. It’s where learning must become a system. The founders who win are those who understand that GTM is not an afterthought. It’s the craft of turning insight into delighted early adopters, one repeatable customer journey at a time.
If you build GTM like a product — iterate, test, measure — you’ll build a motion that can absorb capital and time. A founder who understands how to build GTM is a founder who can navigate from $1M → $100M. The difference between growth and stall isn’t product anymore. It’s your ability to engineer your GTM flywheel.
Building your GTM machine
