gtmvp.
04 · GTM CHECKLIST · 40 ITEMS · 5 CATEGORIES

The 40-item GTM strategy checklist.
Run before you ship, raise, or scale.

Forty items across five categories. The list operators actually run before launch, before raise, and before scaling outbound. If you can't tick more than 30, your GTM strategy has leaks worth fixing before you spend the next dollar.

Score the checklist in 24 hoursSee sample report
01 · HOW TO USE THIS · 3 MIN READ

A checklist is a snapshot, not a license.

Read each item. Tick yes or no. Do not negotiate with yourself. A maybe is a no. A partial is a no. The point of the list is to surface the no answers so you can rank them and fix the ones that matter most.

Most operators score 22 to 28 on the first pass. The list is calibrated to be uncomfortable. A score of 40 means either you are exceptional or you are scoring generously. A score under 20 means the team has been moving on momentum and the GTM strategy is mostly an artifact, not a system.

The categories run in dependency order. ICP feeds positioning. Positioning feeds channels. Channels feed motion. Motion feeds measurement. If category one is at 4 of 8, fixing category five won't help. Work upstream first.

02 · CATEGORY 01 · ICP & SEGMENTATION · 2 MIN READ

ICP & Segmentation

You can name the buyer in one sentence and produce the trigger that puts them in market. If not, the rest of the strategy is decoration.

01
Primary ICP defined in one sentence: segment, role, deal size.
02
Three named-customer reference accounts for the primary ICP.
03
Trigger event written for each ICP segment (not 'wants to grow').
04
Job-to-be-done articulated in buyer's words, captured from interviews.
05
Budget owner identified separately from end user.
06
Average sales cycle measured, not guessed (last 20 deals).
07
Anti-ICP list documented: who you do not sell to and why.
08
Segment-level retention curves visible (not blended).
03 · CATEGORY 02 · POSITIONING & MESSAGING · 2 MIN READ

Positioning & Messaging

You can answer 'compared to what?' with the actual alternative, not a competitor your buyer isn't considering.

01
Category named: the box the buyer puts you in.
02
Alternatives named honestly (often status quo or internal hack).
03
Unique value statement passes the 'so what' test from three buyers.
04
Message hierarchy documented: headline, subhead, three bullets.
05
Proof points named: customer outcomes with numbers, not adjectives.
06
Landing-page hero matches the positioning canvas word-for-word.
07
Demo script opens with the alternative, not with your features.
08
Positioning has been pressure-tested against three lost-deal buyers.
04 · CATEGORY 03 · CHANNELS · 2 MIN READ

Channels

You know which channels to staff this quarter and which to defer. Channel selection is a math problem, not a vibes problem.

01
30+ candidate channels listed and scored on ICP fit, CAC ceiling, capacity.
02
Top three channels staffed with an owner and a weekly cadence.
03
Each top channel has a 90-day leading-indicator target.
04
Channel mix avoids single-source dependency (no channel over 60% of pipeline).
05
Saturation risk noted for any channel you and competitors both run.
06
Compounding channels separated from linear channels in the plan.
07
Brand and demand budgets named separately, not blended.
08
Reallocation triggers written: at what signal you cut or double.
05 · CATEGORY 04 · SALES MOTION · 2 MIN READ

Sales Motion

You know which motion you are running, which one you are flipping to, and which event triggers the flip.

01
Primary motion named: PLG, founder-led, inside sales, partner-led.
02
Secondary motion named if you are mid-transition.
03
Trigger to flip primary to secondary written (ARR, ACV, or headcount).
04
Sales role definitions documented per Aaron Ross specialization.
05
Compensation plan reverse-engineered from the motion, not vice versa.
06
Onboarding plan ramps a new AE to half-quota in under 90 days.
07
Founder dependency in deal flow measured (founder touch rate by tier).
08
Closed-lost analysis happens weekly with the AE who lost it.
06 · CATEGORY 05 · MEASUREMENT & ITERATION · 2 MIN READ

Measurement & Iteration

You have a clean signal on what works. Without measurement, every reallocation is theatre.

01
Three to five leading metrics defined and tracked weekly.
02
Three to five lag metrics defined and tracked monthly.
03
Vanity-metric ignore list documented and respected.
04
Attribution model lets you compare positioning variants, not just channels.
05
CAC payback measured by segment, not blended.
06
Net revenue retention separated from logo retention.
07
GTM review cadence on the calendar: weekly tactical, monthly strategic.
08
Strategy revisit triggered automatically by a defined event, not the calendar.
07 · RUN THE AUDIT · YOUR MOVE · 1 MIN READ

Get your checklist scored in 24 hours.

The GTMVP $129 audit benchmarks 32 of the 40 items automatically using the eight-agent system. A senior operator handles the eight items that need taste. You get a scored list, the gaps ranked by dollar impact, and the playbook to close them. Read the full GTM strategy guide first if you want the longer argument.

Run the auditSee sample report

See also: GTM strategy template · 7 expensive GTM mistakes · Series A GTM strategy.

08 · FAQ · GTM CHECKLIST · 3 MIN READ

Operator questions.