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Welcome back to The Startup Leap Newsletter #16 - #RealTalk #RealLessons From Founders Who Took The Startup Leap 🚀

💡 This week, we’re deep-diving into Go-To-Market - what it really means, why it’s make-or-break, and how early-stage founders get it right.

Forget the polished launch day hype.

From selling before building with Robin AI, to testing demand via spreadsheets at Vendease, to early customer acquisition tactics at Stash that involved handing out cash in Starbucks queues - this is what it actually looks like to get traction in the early days.

Done well, Go-To-Market helps you avoid building something no one wants.

It's not about scale - it’s about getting close to the problem, fast.

In this episode, we break down:

• What Go-To-Market really means - and why it’s where your startup meets reality (00:01:12),
  

• Why “build it and they will come” is a myth - and what to do instead (00:06:00),
  

• The importance of starting narrow (Airbnb, Passionfruit, Luna, GoHenry) to win early traction (00:09:44),

….and so much more!

Key takeaways:

TL;DR:

• Go-To-Market Tests If Anyone Cares: It’s where your idea meets reality. Nail your customer, their pain, and how you’ll reach them.
  

• Distribution > Product: Obsess less over building the perfect product - focus on getting it into people’s hands.
  

• Don’t Trust What Customers Say: Ditch the surveys. Real validation comes from action - usage, payments, feedback.

• 💡 Go-To-Market is Where the Product Meets Reality (00:01:12)
  
  Yvonne frames Go-To-Market as more than just a sales plan - it’s the moment where your startup idea gets tested against the real world.
  
  You’re not just asking can we build this? but will anyone care?

  
  The three questions every founder must answer at this stage:

  1. Who are your customers?

  2. What pain are you solving?

  3. What are your channels to reach them?

  
  Maria reminds us that Go-To-Market touches everything - from product to pricing to distribution.
  
  It’s where you learn if you’re solving a real problem, if anyone will pay for it, and if the economics of your business make sense.

  
  The biggest trap? Projecting your own excitement onto the customer.
  
  You might love what you’re building. but Go-To-Market tells you if they do.
  
  

• 🛠️ Don’t Romanticise the Product - Focus on Distribution First (00:03:36)
  
  Maria shares a popular VC mantra: First-time founders obsess over product. Second-time founders obsess over distribution.

  
  The message? It doesn’t matter how good your product is if no one sees or understands it.

  
  This mindset shift shows up across episodes:

  • Peanut’s Michelle hit parenting forums and plastered stickers in cafes.

  • Stash’s Ed literally handed people $5 in a Starbucks queue to try the app.

  • Aza Finance’s Elizabeth got a Bitcoin ATM into a church to educate people on crypto.

  
  These “do things that don’t scale” tactics helped them validate demand and grow user trust before having slick tech in place.
  
  

• 📉 Why Surveys Don’t Cut It: Customers Say One Thing, Do Another (00:05:19)
  
  Maria dives into a major GTM pitfall: relying on what customers say, rather than what they do.

  
  Founders often run polished surveys and take the responses as validation. But users are notorious for being polite - or aspirational.
  
  “Oh yes, I’d definitely use that,” often doesn’t translate into real usage.

  
  Instead, Yvonne recommends tools like The Mom Test - which teaches you how to ask better questions and uncover real behaviour, not flattering opinions.

  
  The real test? Ask them to use the beta. Ask them to pay. Ask for feedback. If they disappear, that’s your answer.
  
  

Want to hear more? Dive into the full conversation on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

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@thestartupleappod

🎙️On this episode of The Startup Leap, we dive into the messy but crucial world of Go-To-Market strategy. This week, Yvonne and Maria shar... See more

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