When companies prepare to launch a new product or enter a new market, the focus often falls on building the product, securing funding, and assembling sales teams. But there’s a critical gap that many overlook—a go-to-market (GTM) strategist. Without one, even the most promising products can stumble out of the gate, plagued by misaligned messaging, poor market fit, and inefficient sales processes.
The worst part? Most companies don’t realize the problem until it’s too late, after the budget’s been spent, targets missed, and competitors have taken the lead.
Here’s why skipping a GTM strategist is a costly mistake and how having one can be the difference between scaling fast and stalling out.
Without a GTM strategist, companies often launch with unclear or inconsistent positioning. They fail to articulate what makes their product unique, who it’s for, and why it matters. This leads to messaging that’s either too broad, too technical, or simply misses the mark.
Why it’s a problem:
Gartner's research highlights challenges in the B2B buying process, noting that 77% of B2B buyers found their last purchase complex or difficult, and 94% experienced a canceled purchase cycle ending in "no decision." These complexities can be influenced by factors such as brand differentiation and positioning.
What a GTM strategist does differently:
Some companies mistake early customer interest for product-market fit, only to realize later that their offering doesn’t scale. Without a GTM strategist to validate assumptions, they burn through resources chasing the wrong audience.
Why it’s a problem:
A study by CB Insights found that 35% of startups fail due to a lack of market need for their product or service. This often results from insufficient market research and skipping essential strategic groundwork, leading to products that do not address real customer problems.
What a GTM strategist does differently:
Without a GTM strategist, marketing and sales often operate in silos, leading to misaligned goals, inconsistent messaging, and wasted budget. Marketing generates leads that sales can’t convert, while sales teams chase prospects without the right support.
Why it’s a problem:
According to HubSpot, businesses with tightly aligned sales and marketing teams generate, on average, 208% more revenue from marketing than companies with disjointed teams. This statistic underscores the significant impact that strategic alignment between sales and marketing can have on a company's revenue growth.
What a GTM strategist does differently:
Many companies enter new markets with overly optimistic forecasts, setting targets based on best-case scenarios rather than data-driven projections. Without a GTM strategist, they lack the framework to model realistic growth trajectories.
Why it’s a problem:
The Aberdeen Group found that companies with a documented GTM strategy are 33% more likely to achieve revenue goals.
What a GTM strategist does differently:
Without a GTM strategist, companies often rely on one-size-fits-all marketing tactics that don’t resonate with specific customer segments. They may spend heavily on paid ads, trade shows, or content marketing without understanding which channels actually drive conversions.
Why it’s a problem:
McKinsey & Company found that companies that refine their Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) see a 20-40% increase in sales productivity, which can indirectly contribute to lower CAC. Salesforce also emphasizes that a well-structured GTM strategy enhances efficiency and reduces wasted efforts, which can lead to cost savings.
What a GTM strategist does differently:
Without strategic oversight, companies often compete on price or features, missing opportunities to differentiate based on customer experience, brand positioning, or unique value propositions.
Why it’s a problem:
According to Harvard Business Review, companies with high scores on brand and customer loyalty metrics grow revenues 2.5 times faster than their industry peers and deliver two to five times the returns to shareholders (Investopedia).
What a GTM strategist does differently:
Without a GTM strategist, companies are often stuck in reactive mode—responding to issues after they arise rather than anticipating and addressing them proactively. This leads to missed opportunities and a constant cycle of firefighting.
Why it’s a problem:
A survey conducted by BCG and APQC revealed that only 10% of companies had developed the full range of resilience capabilities needed to thrive, enabling them to anticipate and recover from crises effectively.
Additionally, BCG's insights highlight that companies built for the future—those exhibiting attributes such as aligned leadership, agility, and innovation—generate shareholder returns almost three times greater than those of the S&P 1200, with two-thirds of the value created coming from revenue growth.
What a GTM strategist does differently:
The hidden risks of launching without a GTM strategist aren’t always obvious at first, but they become painfully clear when revenue targets are missed, customer acquisition stalls, and teams struggle with misalignment. By the time many companies realize the problem, the damage is done.
A GTM strategist isn’t just a nice-to-have; they’re the architect of your growth engine. They ensure that your product, marketing, sales, and customer success teams are aligned, data-driven, and positioned to win right from the start.
Don’t wait for missed KPIs or a failed launch to make the hire. The time to bring in a GTM strategist is before you go to market, not after.