Go-to-Market Planner Skill
Produce a complete, cross-functional GTM plan that aligns product, marketing, sales, and support around a single launch — with clear owners, timelines, and success metrics.
Launch Tier Framework
Before planning, classify the launch:
| Tier | Scope | Typical Effort | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Major Launch | New product / significant platform change | 8–12 weeks | New pricing model, platform rebrand, new product line |
| Tier 2 — Feature Launch | Significant new capability | 4–6 weeks | Major feature, API release, new integration |
| Tier 3 — Incremental Release | Improvement, bug fix, minor feature | 1–2 weeks | UI tweak, performance improvement, small enhancement |
Always confirm tier with the user before proceeding.
GTM Plan Output Format
GTM Plan — [Product/Feature Name] — [Launch Date]
Launch Tier: [1 / 2 / 3] Launch Owner (PM): [Name] Target Launch Date: [Date] Soft Launch Date (Beta/Limited): [Date, if applicable]
1. What We're Launching
One-line description: [What it is, for whom, and why now] Key customer problem solved: [Specific pain point] Key differentiator: [Why ours, why now]
2. Target Audience
Primary segment: [Who benefits most — be specific] Secondary segment: [Who else benefits] Not for: [Who this is NOT for — helps sales and support]
3. Messaging
Headline: [Customer-facing headline — lead with outcome, not feature] Sub-headline: [Supporting context — how it works or why it matters] 3 key messages:
- [Problem solved]
- [How it works / what's new]
- [Proof / social proof / data]
Elevator pitch (30 seconds):
[For [target user] who [has this problem], [product/feature] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [differentiator].]
4. Launch Activities by Function
| Function | Activity | Owner | Due Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Feature flagging / rollout plan | PM | [date] | |
| Marketing | Blog post / landing page | Marketing | [date] | |
| Marketing | Email campaign to existing users | Marketing | [date] | |
| Marketing | Social media content | Marketing | [date] | |
| Sales | Sales enablement deck | PM + Sales | [date] | |
| Sales | FAQ for sales team | PM | [date] | |
| Support | Help centre articles | Support | [date] | |
| Support | Support team training | Support | [date] | |
| Engineering | Monitoring/alerting in place | Eng | [date] |
5. Success Metrics
| Metric | Baseline | Target | Measurement Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Adoption metric] | [X] | [Y] | 30 days post-launch |
| [Engagement metric] | [X] | [Y] | 60 days post-launch |
| [Business metric] | [X] | [Y] | 90 days post-launch |
6. Risks & Contingencies
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Risk] | H/M/L | H/M/L | [Action if it happens] |
7. Launch Day Checklist
- Feature live for [X%] of users
- Monitoring dashboard active
- Support team briefed
- Blog post published
- Email sent / scheduled
- Sales team notified
- Executive announcement sent (if Tier 1)
- Rollback procedure confirmed
Required Inputs
Ask the user for these if not provided:
- Product or feature name
- Target launch date
- Launch tier (Tier 1 / 2 / 3 — or describe scope and the skill will classify)
- Target audience (who benefits and who it's NOT for)
- Key message (what's the headline outcome for the customer)
- PM and launch owner
Guidelines
- Never plan a Tier 1 launch without at least 8 weeks of lead time
- Always include a "Not for" section — it prevents misdirected sales and support tickets
- Recommend a soft launch to 5–10% of users before full rollout for any Tier 1 or 2 launch
- Post-launch retrospective should be scheduled at launch planning time — don't leave it to chance
Quality Checks
- Launch tier is confirmed and appropriate for scope
- "Not for" section is included to prevent misdirected sales and support
- Every function has at least one activity with a named owner and due date
- Success metrics include a measurement window (30/60/90 days)
- Rollback procedure is confirmed for Tier 1 and 2 launches
- Post-launch retrospective is scheduled