Don't Just Blame the Team
It's Probably Your Process
Process Feels Like the Enemy Until Pipeline Falls Apart
It starts subtle. A few demos don’t get followed up. A hot lead goes cold. Your AE says the deck is outdated, but marketing thought it was fine. Before long, your GTM motion is full of friction, and your team is pointing fingers.
Most founders don’t add process early. They wait until something breaks. Then they go too far.
Pipeline Chaos, Meet Process Overkill
Founders often resist structure because they want speed. Then the pipeline stalls, deals slip, and they panic. Suddenly every sequence has 12 steps, every call needs a checklist, and no one can close a deal without five approvals.
You didn’t fix your GTM. You just buried it in busywork.
The Right Process Moves Revenue Faster
You don’t need more GTM process. You need just enough of the right kind. A shared follow-up rule. A consistent discovery doc. A clear entry and exit criteria for handoffs. These aren’t burdens. They’re multipliers.
When done right, lightweight GTM systems increase close rates, shorten cycles, and improve onboarding. They reduce friction for your buyers and your team. The key is to build scaffolding that supports momentum, not systems that get in its way.
Why Founders Wait Too Long
It’s emotional. Early wins came from hustle, not handoffs. Process feels like slowing down. But in GTM, slowness doesn’t come from too much effort; it comes from confusion, delay, and inconsistency.
Process doesn’t kill your GTM. Misaligned or missing process does.
A Lens for Diagnosing GTM Friction
Ask three questions every month:
Where are we losing deals due to internal gaps, not external objections?
Which parts of our GTM require constant clarification or debate?
What’s the smallest possible system that would remove that friction?
Start there. If it breaks more than twice, systemize it. If multiple people do it, template it. If it’s slowing deals, simplify it.
How One Founder Reclaimed Pipeline Velocity
One early-stage founder we worked with saw qualified leads stall after the first call. They assumed it was a pitch problem. It wasn’t. It was handoff chaos: no notes, no ownership, no next steps.
We helped them install one shared GTM ritual: a 10-minute sync between SDRs and AEs every Friday to review pipeline movement. It wasn’t tracked in a CRM. It wasn’t forced through a rigid flow. It was just visible, regular, and accountable.
Deals moved. Morale improved. The system fit the stage.
Build Systems That Help You Sell
Most GTM failure isn’t about talent or product. It’s about process debt. You either pay for clarity up front, or pay for chaos later.
Get ahead of it.