The 10 Ps to Win at Go-To-Market
The GTM Framework each Founder needs to know
A lot of founders think “go-to-market” means “How do I promote this?”
In reality, there are 10 things to figure out.
Here’s the framework I developed in over a decade helping startups succeed at GTM. It’s called “The 10 Ps of GTM”.
The first 4 Ps are the ones everybody knows. But the remaining 6 Ps are the ones where most founders have blind spots.
Do you want your startup to succeed?
Keep reading, as I’ll break down each P, including key decisions, dangers and hidden tradeoffs.
1. Product
The specific value you promise to deliver and the problem you commit to solving.
Key decisions
- What core problem you solve versus what you ignore.
- What outcome you promise versus what you leave implicit.
- What makes your product meaningfully different versus merely better.
Why it is dangerous
Product decisions anchor expectations. Expectations are sticky.
Hidden tradeoff
Sharper value propositions speed up GTM but limit future optionality.
2. Pricing
How you capture value and signal worth in the market.
Key decisions
- Whether price reflects value, cost, or competition.
- Who pricing is designed to attract or repel.
- Whether pricing optimizes for learning, margin, or speed.
Why it is dangerous
Pricing is interpreted emotionally, not rationally.
Hidden tradeoff
Underpricing accelerates adoption but distorts customer feedback.
3. Place
How and where your product reaches the customer.
Key decisions
- Which primary distribution channel you commit to first.
- Whether you prioritize reach, control, or economics.
- How dependent you become on intermediaries.
Why it is dangerous
Early distribution choices create long term dependencies.
Hidden tradeoff
Convenient channels impose invisible constraints later.
4. Promotion
How you create awareness, interest, and demand.
Key decisions
- Whether you focus on demand creation or demand capture.
- What message you repeat consistently versus what you test.
- Which metrics define success early on.
Why it is dangerous
Promotion surfaces flaws in your product faster than anything else through reach.
Hidden tradeoff
Short term performance can hide long term positioning weakness.
5. Persona
The specific group of people you design and market the product for.
Key decisions
- Who the primary buyer truly is.
- Who the product is explicitly not for.
- Whose problem is urgent enough to act now.
Why it is dangerous
Vague personas create vague decisions everywhere else.
Hidden tradeoff
Narrow focus improves conversion but challenges scale. It’s a tradeoff.
6. Platform
The environment in which your product is built, distributed, and experienced.
Key decisions
- What infrastructure you own versus rent.
- How much control you need over data and experience.
- How quickly you need to move versus how flexible you need to be.
Why it is dangerous
Platform choices are hard to reverse once growth starts.
Hidden tradeoff
Speed today often limits strategic freedom tomorrow.
7. Plan
How your go to market is funded and paced.
Key decisions
- How much uncertainty your funding model tolerates.
- What outcomes your capital providers expect.
- How fast you must show traction.
Why it is dangerous
Capital shapes behavior more than founders would expect.
Hidden tradeoff
More capital reduces patience for exploration and for organic growth.
8. Profit Formula
The economic logic that determines whether GTM scales sustainably.
Key decisions
- Which unit economics matter most early.
- What payback period is acceptable.
- Which costs are variable versus structural.
Why it is dangerous
Bad economics eat cash quickly and put you out of market before you know it.
Hidden tradeoff
Growth can mask poor economics for as long as capital is abundant.
9. People
The capabilities and judgment required to execute GTM.
Key decisions
- What to hire versus what founders must own.
- What seniority mix enables speed.
- When to bring in specialists.
Why it is dangerous
The wrong people slow execution even when they are talented.
Hidden tradeoff
Experience reduces mistakes but increases complexity and burn.
10. Processes
How work gets done repeatedly and predictably.
Key decisions
- What must be systematized early.
- What should remain flexible.
- How performance is measured and reviewed.
Why it is dangerous
Process decisions determine whether success is repeatable and scalable.
Hidden tradeoff
Process increases efficiency but reduces adaptability.
The Bottom Line
If you only consider the 4Ps, you are already losing the game.
You need a broader strategy.
A go-to-market strategy works when decisions about the 10 Ps reinforce each other.
You need coherence.
Once you have it, here’s my advice:
Go live as soon as possible
Get feedback fast
Refine over time
You can have a MVP for every single P.
But you cannot go to market without thinking about all 10.
They’re all interconnected.
As always, if you enjoyed reading this piece, let me know with a like or a comment.
Thank you for reading,
Enrico