So, you’re staring down the barrel of a new go-to-market (GTM) launch—maybe a product, maybe a feature, maybe just a much-needed refresh. You’ve got limited time, a small team, and about a hundred things that could go sideways. If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for ways to move faster without creating a mess you’ll regret later.
This guide is for marketers, founders, and product folks who want the benefits of process—without the headache. We’ll walk through how to use Linkwheelie templates to cut out busywork, stay organized, and actually ship something worth talking about.
Let’s get to it.
Why Templates (Sometimes) Save Your Bacon
Let’s be real: most “templates” out there are either too generic or so convoluted that you spend more time wrestling with the tool than actually planning your GTM move. The good ones help you skip the blank-page anxiety and focus on what matters. The bad ones? They turn into digital graveyards.
Linkwheelie’s promise is simple: ready-to-roll templates for GTM work that don’t suck your soul. But that doesn’t mean you should blindly follow every checkbox. Templates are a starting point, not gospel.
What works: - Fast set-up—no need to reinvent the wheel for every launch - Shared structure—everyone’s (mostly) on the same page - Preloaded best practices—not every “best practice” is best, but it beats starting from zero
What to ignore: - Anything that doesn’t fit your team or audience—seriously, delete it - Overly complex workflows—if it feels like homework, simplify
Step 1: Pick the Right GTM Template (Don’t Overthink It)
Linkwheelie offers a bunch of templates: launch checklists, messaging frameworks, audience maps, campaign planners, and more. Here’s how to avoid analysis paralysis:
- Start small. If this is your first rodeo, pick one template that matches the stage you’re at. Launch checklist if you’re close to shipping; messaging doc if you’re still figuring out your pitch.
- Ignore the rest for now. You can stack more templates later. Don’t get sucked into the “template rabbit hole.”
- Look for “good enough”. The perfect template doesn’t exist. Pick the one that’s 80% right and move.
Pro tip: If your team already has docs scattered across Google Drive or Notion, import what works and dump the rest. Don’t let old process bloat slow you down.
Step 2: Customize Ruthlessly
This is where most people mess up: they treat templates like sacred texts. Don’t. Your GTM plan should fit your company, not the other way around.
- Delete sections you don’t need. If your team’s tiny, skip the “field enablement” stuff.
- Tweak language. Make sure the template sounds like your brand, not like a SaaS robot.
- Add your real deadlines and owners. Don’t let “TBD” linger. The more specific you get, the more likely stuff actually gets done.
What to skip:
- Massive, multi-tab spreadsheets unless you’ve got a big team (and someone who loves spreadsheets).
- Sections you’ll never fill out—if you can’t see yourself using it, cut it.
Step 3: Fill in the “Painful” Bits First
Every GTM plan has sections people avoid—positioning statements, target metrics, launch risks. Tackle these up front:
- Positioning: If you can’t explain what you’re launching and why anyone should care, nothing else matters. Templates can help, but don’t settle for vague jargon. Write it so your grandma (or a skeptical coworker) would get it.
- Metrics: Pick one or two numbers that actually matter. Ignore “vanity” metrics that look good in slides but don’t prove real progress.
- Risks: Be honest. If there’s a chance your launch will fall flat, say so now. Better to address it than pretend nothing could go wrong.
Pro tip: Don’t do this alone. Grab whoever will tell you the truth (even if it stings) and gut-check your answers.
Step 4: Assign Real Owners and Deadlines
Templates are useless if nobody owns the tasks. Assigning “team” or “TBD” to every line item is a fast track to nowhere.
- Name names. Every action item gets a real owner. Not “marketing,” but “Alex.”
- Set deadlines. Don’t fudge it. If you don’t know when something will get done, it probably won’t.
- Make it visible. Linkwheelie lets you surface assignments and deadlines so everyone can see who’s doing what.
What usually fails:
- “Soft” deadlines (e.g., “end of month”) that slip endlessly
- Assigning tasks to committees—nothing slows down a launch like group ownership
Step 5: Share It, But Don’t Over-Share
It’s tempting to blast your shiny GTM doc to the entire company, but most people don’t care about the details. Share your plan with the people who need it—product, marketing, sales, execs—and skip the rest.
- Use comments. Let folks ask questions right on the doc instead of backchannel Slack threads.
- Set edit/view permissions. Not everyone needs to edit the master plan. Trust me.
- Update as you go. Plans change. Keep the doc living—don’t bury it in a folder and hope for the best.
Pro tip: Use summaries or “TL;DR” sections for execs. They skim. Make their lives easier.
Step 6: Track Progress Without Micromanaging
The whole point of a template is to keep you on track, not to create a new project management tax.
- Check in weekly. Short standup or async updates—just enough to spot blockers.
- Mark things done. Nothing’s more satisfying than ticking boxes.
- Skip the reporting theater. If nobody reads your weekly update, stop writing it. Focus on moving the ball, not looking busy.
What to ignore:
- Fancy dashboards that take hours to update
- Status meetings where nothing actually moves forward
Step 7: Iterate, Don’t Worship the Template
No template is perfect. After your launch, take five minutes to jot down what worked, what sucked, and what you’d do differently next time.
- Keep it short. One page of honest notes beats a 30-slide postmortem nobody reads.
- Share improvements. If you trimmed steps or found a better way, update your template or tell the team.
- Templates are living docs. Treat them like code—refactor as you learn.
Pro tip: Save your best “lessons learned” somewhere findable. Next time will be less painful.
What Linkwheelie Does Well (and What It Doesn’t)
Where Linkwheelie shines: - Gets you out of the blank page trap, fast - Makes it easy to assign, track, and share real work - Templates actually make sense for busy teams (not just consultants)
Where it falls short: - It won’t think for you. Garbage in, garbage out. - If your team refuses to use templates, the tool can’t fix that - Over-customization can lead right back to chaos—don’t turn every template into your personal Frankenstein
Keep It Simple, Ship It, and Adjust
GTM launches are messy. Templates can help, but only if you keep things simple and stay honest about what matters. Use Linkwheelie to give your team a running start, but don’t be afraid to chop, tweak, or ignore what doesn’t fit.
Most of all: don’t wait for perfect. Fill in what you know, share it, and start moving. You can always course-correct. The biggest risk isn’t a “bad” template—it’s never shipping at all.