Introduction

Scaling GTM sounds exciting, but many companies hit the same roadblocks. Here’s what really breaks GTM and how to fix it.

What’s the problem it solves?

As companies grow, sales, marketing, product, and CS often blame each other when growth slows. This article explains why these issues aren’t individual team failures but system-level GTM failures that need joint solutions.

Quick Summary

When companies scale, the same four problems keep showing up: undifferentiated messaging, difficulty shifting from product to platform, siloed teams, and poor prioritization. At first, these issues look like “marketing didn’t do their job” or “sales isn’t following up,” but the truth is they stem from leadership misalignment and a weak GTM operating system.

For example, a weak point of view makes your messaging blend in with competitors, which isn’t just a copywriting issue but a company-wide failure to define purpose and competitive edge. Similarly, moving from product to platform isn’t solved by shipping more features - it requires repositioning, multi-persona sales, and customer reinforcement.

The same goes for misaligned sales, marketing, and CS teams, where customers feel the friction. Without one ICP, one pipeline definition, and one GTM scorecard, everyone builds their own version of success. Finally, when leadership can’t prioritize, teams drown in ideas and pet projects. True prioritization comes from executives, not backlog juggling.

Key Takeaways

• GTM failures aren’t about one function but cross-functional misalignment.
• A clear point of view requires input from Product, Sales, Marketing, and CS.
• Moving from product to platform is a GTM challenge, not just a Product job.
• Customers notice when GTM teams aren’t aligned; it shows up in the experience.
• Prioritization must be led by executives with clear frameworks and scorecards.

What to do

• Audit your company’s point of view: can everyone explain it the same way?
• Treat platform expansion like launching a new business, not a feature drop.
• Create a shared ICP, pipeline contribution goals, and one GTM scorecard.
• Cut your executive scorecard to fewer than 25 metrics for clarity.
• Use GTM resets and workshops to align leaders before chasing new projects.

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