gtm-playbook

name: gtm-playbook description: Go-to-market playbook for launching digital products (templates, tools, courses, SaaS) with zero audience. Use when planning a product launch, writing launch copy, choosing distribution channels, setting pricing strategy, or creating launch checklists. Covers Gumroad/Lemon Squeezy optimization, marketplace submissions, content distribution (Reddit, X, Discord, Pinterest, DM outreach), pricing/funnel strategy, and phased launch execution. Do NOT use for building the product itself, technical architecture decisions, SaaS with established audiences, or deep single-channel research (spawn researcher sub-agent instead). Key capabilities: 4-phase launch framework, channel selection guide, marketplace submission playbooks, pricing/funnel strategy, 90-day commitment roadmap. metadata: author: Jeff Daniels version: 1.0.0 category: content last_verified: 2026-02-13

GTM Playbook — Digital Product Launch

Reusable go-to-market framework for launching digital products from zero audience to sustainable revenue. Distilled from real launches, expert panels, and validated strategies.

Quick Start

1. Pick 3 channels max for first 60 days — spreading thin kills launches
2. Ship before perfect — 90% ready beats 100% never-launched
3. Commit to 90 days — most creators quit at day 10 with 2-3 sales

When NOT to Use

• Building the product itself — this is for LAUNCHING and SELLING, not building
• Technical architecture decisions — use expert-panel skill instead
• SaaS products with established audiences (this is zero-audience focused)
• When you need deep research on a specific channel — spawn researcher sub-agent instead
• Pricing decisions for enterprise/B2B products — this covers B2C digital products only

Related Skills

• expert-panel — Use for validating launch copy, listing descriptions, and GTM materials (95/100 bar)
• notion-api-builder — Use when the product being launched is a Notion template
• bird — Use for X/Twitter distribution (read operations only; posting via browser)
• x-reply-strategy — Use for X engagement as a distribution channel

Launch Phases

Phase 0: Pre-Launch (2-3 days)

• Finalize free/lite lead magnet version
• Record 2-min walkthrough video (Loom)
• Build email capture page (Carrd $19/yr or free alternative)
• Create 10 visual pins/graphics (Canva)
• Write 1 long-form article (Medium/Dev.to/Hashnode)
• Prepare marketplace submissions

Phase 1: Launch Week (Days 1-7)

• Submit to ALL marketplaces Day 1 (see references/marketplace-submissions.md)
• Set up primary distribution channel (see references/content-distribution.md)
• Publish listings with optimized copy (see references/gumroad-strategy.md)
• Direct outreach to 15-20 people
• Engage every comment/reply within 2 hours
• Goal: 50 free downloads, 3-5 paid sales

Phase 2: Amplify (Days 8-14)

• Email free users with upgrade offer
• Post update/learnings on communities
• Optimize based on analytics
• Add testimonials from first customers
• Goal: 10+ paid sales, unlock platform discovery features

Phase 3: Scale (Weeks 3-8)

• Expand to 2nd/3rd distribution channels
• Launch Reddit strategy (after 30 days karma building)
• First email nurture sequence
• Iterate based on customer feedback
• Goal: $500/month by Day 60

Phase 4: Optimize (Months 3-6)

• SEO landing page (if revenue justifies it)
• Second product (bundle upsell)
• Video content (if budget allows)
• Goal: $1,000-1,500/month by Month 6

Channel Selection Guide

Reference Files

• references/gumroad-strategy.md — Gumroad Discover unlock, PWYW strategy, listing optimization, Gumroad vs Lemon Squeezy comparison
• references/marketplace-submissions.md — Notion Gallery, NotionEverything, Prototion, Etsy submission guides and copy patterns
• references/content-distribution.md — Reddit, X/Twitter, Discord/Slack, Pinterest, DM outreach playbooks
• references/launch-checklist.md — Generalized pre-launch → launch → post-launch checklist
• references/pricing-strategy.md — Free tier funnel, upsell math, pricing tiers, revenue projections

Key Principles (from Expert Panels)

1. Marketplaces with built-in buyers are Tier 1 — not social media
2. Email capture is Day 1 — every touchpoint should collect an email
3. Price for cold traffic — strangers won't pay influencer prices; $19-27 sweet spot for first 100 sales
4. Lead with pain, not features — "I lost $X to [problem]" beats "Here's my template"
5. 10 transactions unlock Gumroad Discover — even $0 PWYW counts
6. Pinterest is massively underrated — real case study: $0→$1,400/mo in 6 months, zero followers
7. Product Hunt is dead for templates — stopped featuring them early 2024
8. Reddit requires 30+ days karma — never launch there in Week 1
9. Video walkthroughs convert — "show me it working" beats any copy
10. 90-day commitment minimum — the "trough of despair" hits at Week 2

Trigger Phrases

✅ Should trigger:

• "launch this product"
• "GTM plan for..."
• "distribution strategy"
• "where should I launch this"
• "pricing for cold traffic"
• "launch checklist"
• "Gumroad discover strategy"
• "marketplace submissions"

❌ Should NOT trigger:

• "build this feature"
• "system architecture for..."
• "how do I code this"
• "deep research on Reddit"
• "enterprise B2B pricing"
• "product roadmap" (that's strategy, not launch)