If you’ve ever tried to wrangle a go-to-market (GTM) project, you know the chaos: endless Slack threads, scattered docs, missed deadlines, and nobody really knowing who’s on point for what. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of the mess and wants to run GTM projects that actually ship, using Leanlayer teams.
I’ll walk you through a no-nonsense way to manage GTM work so things don’t slip through the cracks—and so you can spend less time herding cats and more time actually getting stuff done.
1. Get Real About What a GTM Project Is (and Isn’t)
Before you start fiddling with tools, get clear on what you’re actually doing. GTM projects are about getting a product or feature into the hands of customers—think launches, campaigns, or sales rollouts. They usually cross a bunch of teams: marketing, product, sales, maybe even legal.
What works:
- Defining the actual goal. (“Ship new integrations to 50 customers this quarter,” not “drive awareness.”)
- Listing out what “done” looks like for everyone involved.
- Keeping it tight—resist letting the project balloon into “fix everything while we’re at it.”
What to skip:
- Overcomplicating the kickoff with a 30-slide deck.
- Assuming everyone knows what “GTM” means (they probably don’t; clarify it).
2. Set Up Your Leanlayer Team the Right Way
You can’t collaborate if nobody knows who’s involved or what’s expected. In Leanlayer, a “team” isn’t just a list of names—it’s a workspace where people actually work together, not just watch things happen.
How to do it: - Create a dedicated team for each GTM project. Don’t lump everything into “Marketing” or “Product.” Make it specific: “Spring 2024 Launch.” - Add the right people. Only those who have real work to do. Watch out for “spectators” who just want updates—give them read-only access or weekly summaries. - Assign roles. Who’s the project lead? Who owns each workstream? If everyone owns it, nobody does.
Pro tip:
Don’t bother with endless permission settings unless you actually need them. Start open, and lock down only if things get noisy.
3. Break Down the Work—But Don’t Build a Frankenstein
Most GTM failures come from work being too vague (“let’s do some marketing”) or too detailed (micromanaged task lists that nobody updates). Leanlayer lets you set up “workstreams” or “tracks”—use these to chunk things into manageable pieces.
How to break it down: - Start with big buckets: e.g., Messaging, Enablement, Launch Ops, Customer Comms. - Add key deliverables under each: Sales deck, launch blog post, training session, etc. - Assign owners and deadlines up front. No “TBDs”—even a rough guess is better than nothing.
What to ignore:
- Worrying about every tiny task from day one. Get the big rocks in first, and let teams flesh out the rest as they go.
- Fancy templates. You can always tidy up later.
4. Make Status and Updates Boringly Obvious
The fastest way to kill a GTM project is letting status go dark. If you’re still sharing progress in random Slack threads or 10-page docs, you’re making life harder for everyone.
What works in Leanlayer: - Centralize updates in the project workspace. Use built-in status fields or simple check-ins—no need for separate standups unless you want them. - Pin key docs and assets. Don’t make people dig through Google Drive. Put everything where the team can see it. - Flag blockers, not just wins. Encourage people to call out what’s stuck—so you can fix it before it’s too late.
Pro tip:
Set a weekly “pulse” where everyone posts quick updates—skip the slides, just facts.
5. Collaborate (Without Driving Each Other Nuts)
Collaboration isn’t about endless meetings. It’s about making sure everyone has what they need, when they need it, and can give input without creating chaos.
How to keep it sane: - Use comments and mentions in Leanlayer instead of email chains. If you need someone’s input, tag them—don’t wait for the next meeting. - Limit meetings to real decision points. Most alignment can happen asynchronously. - Document decisions. If you agree on something in chat or a meeting, put it in the project so there’s no “wait, did we decide that?”
What to ignore:
- Chasing down approvals from ten layers of management. Identify who actually needs to sign off, and keep it to them.
- Mandating daily standups if nobody finds them useful.
6. Track Progress—But Don’t Drown in Metrics
Everyone loves a good chart until it turns into performance theater. Leanlayer will show you how work is moving, but don’t obsess over vanity metrics.
What matters: - Are big deliverables on track? If not, what’s in the way? - Is anyone overloaded? If one person’s name is everywhere, that’s a risk. - Have the must-haves changed? If priorities shift, update the plan—don’t just hope for the best.
Skip this:
- Tracking every minute spent. You’re not running a factory.
- Reporting for reporting’s sake. Share what people actually need to know.
7. Wrap Up, Learn, and Actually Ship
When GTM projects end, there’s a strong urge to just move on. Resist it. A quick review (not a blame game) pays off next time.
How to close the loop: - Hold a short retro. What worked? What didn’t? What should you do differently next time? - Capture key learnings in Leanlayer. Keep it where future teams can find it. - Archive or hand off. If there’s ongoing work, hand it to the right team—don’t let it drift.
Pro tip:
Celebrate the small wins as well as the big ones. GTM work is a slog—acknowledging progress keeps people sane.
Honest Takes: What to Watch Out For
Leanlayer is solid for running GTM projects, but nothing works if the basics aren’t there. Here’s what trips people up:
- Too many cooks. Limit the core team to decision-makers and doers.
- Overengineering. You don’t need a custom workflow for every project. Start simple.
- Forgetting the customer. GTM work isn’t just internal—make sure you’re building for the folks who’ll actually use what you ship.
If you find yourself bogged down in process, pull back. Ask what’s actually moving the project forward, and cut the rest.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
GTM projects rarely go exactly to plan, no matter what tool you use. The trick is to keep things as simple as possible, make work visible, and adjust as you go. Leanlayer gives you a single place to manage the chaos, but the real magic is in ruthless prioritization and clear communication.
Start small, get feedback, and don’t be afraid to change how you work next time. In the end, it’s about shipping—everything else is just noise.