Introduction

To grow a SaaS startup from €0 to €1M ARR, you need more than hustle-you need a smart GTM foundation built step by step.

What's the problem it solves?

Many SaaS founders struggle to grow past their first few customers because they rely on guesswork, random tactics, or try to sell to everyone. This article explains how to build a strong go-to-market plan that helps you grow in a focused, repeatable way.

Quick Summary

SaaS founders don’t just go from zero to one million euros in revenue in one smooth step. The journey includes three phases: hustle mode (finding your first users), focus mode (narrowing in on your best customers), and expansion mode (scaling what works). The first two stages together form what the author calls the “GTM Foundation,” which every founder needs to build early.

The article dives into the first three parts of that foundation: defining your ideal customer profile (ICP), setting clear product positioning, and crafting your messaging. Your ICP is the group of customers who are most likely to buy and get value from your product today-not your whole market. Good positioning means knowing what makes you stand out, and strong messaging helps you say it clearly in every customer interaction. These steps help founders move from trial-and-error to focused growth.

Key Takeaways from the article

• Growing to €1M ARR takes 3 stages: hustle, focus, and scale
• Early success depends on focusing on the right customer segment, not everyone
• Your ICP is not your full market-it’s your best-fit customers today
• Positioning is about who your product is for, what it does, and how it’s different
• Messaging turns your positioning into clear, simple language for all channels
• Knowing who not to sell to is just as important as knowing who to target
• Building this foundation makes growth faster, more repeatable, and less stressful

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