Why Go-to-Market Strategies Fail Before They Launch | Ep 12

Why do so many go-to-market initiatives fail even when the strategy looks good on paper? In Episode 12, Caroline and David LaCombe break down the problems that can derail GTM before a campaign even launches: siloed teams, outdated ICPs, conflicting incentives, untested messaging, poor execution, and spending before the business has validated the opportunity. David introduces the idea of a pre-mortem: assume the strategy has already failed, then ask the team what caused it. The exercise helps surface risks, challenge assumptions, and identify potential problems before significant time and capital are committed. In this episode, we cover: Why silos create GTM problems How to run a pre-mortem before launch Why ICP and messaging should be validated How conflicting incentives affect team alignment Why CEOs and CFOs need visibility into GTM performance How to identify early indicators of success When to establish a “kill switch” for an initiative Why diagnosing the business problem should come before launching a campaign How poor customer fit increases acquisition and servicing costs The big takeaway: Don’t start with the campaign. Start with the problem. Featuring: Caroline, Founder @ Gallery Design Studio David LaCombe, Fractional CMO | GTM Leader | Speaker