~560 words | 6 min read
1 Big Thing: GTM Ops isn’t a department. It’s your growth engine.
If you think Go-To-Market (GTM) Operations is just about process or tooling, think again. GTM Ops is the system-level intelligence behind revenue acceleration. It aligns your marketing, sales, and customer success orgs on a single, unified path to growth — not just faster, but smarter. Think of it like air traffic control. Every plane — campaign, rep, renewal, upsell — takes off and lands safely, in sync, without chaos. When done right, GTM Ops doesn’t just support growth — it engineers it.
Why It Matters Right Now
The way people buy has changed. The way companies align? Still catching up.
72% of buyers research independently before engaging sales
That means if your funnel is fragmented, your deals will be too
Scattered data, siloed teams, unclear handoffs = slow cycles and dropped leads
GTM Ops isn’t about getting more leads into the pipeline. It’s about making sure they don’t fall through the cracks. Companies with strong GTM Ops report:
30% faster deal cycles
25% higher win rates
It’s not about more hustle. It’s about fewer leaks.
Go Deeper: What GTM Ops Actually Does
GTM Ops ≠ RevOps
Let’s draw a line. RevOps tunes the engine — making the sales process more efficient. GTM Ops designs the whole vehicle — ensuring every system is aligned to revenue velocity. From first touch to long-term retention, GTM Ops orchestrates the full customer journey — across teams, systems, and stages.
Build the Machine
Start here:
Map the real journey — Not your funnel. The buyer’s path. Where they pause, research, ghost, re-engage.
Create shared metrics — Ditch team KPIs. Align around pipeline velocity, conversion health, and retention loops.
Automate the handoffs — No more “not my job” bottlenecks. Use signals, triggers, and workflows to keep momentum alive.
Great GTM leaders act more like startup CEOs. They own outcomes. They hunt blockers. And they don’t wait for permission to fix things.
Product Marketing: The Compass for GTM
A GTM engine without Product Marketing is a fast car without a map.
PMMs connect what the market wants with what your product can actually do. They turn scattered insights into sharp stories — and alignment into acceleration.
The Market Discovery Playbook
Great PMMs are part therapist, part trendwatcher.
Ask open-ended questions: “What’s the most frustrating part of your day?”
Mine 1-star reviews from competitors — unmet needs = opportunity
Watch macro shifts before they peak (Notion’s remote work surge? No accident.)
Golden rule: Fall in love with the problem, not your product.
Craft Value Propositions That Punch
Value props aren’t taglines. They’re promises. They should answer:
What’s the pain?
What’s the gain?
Why you?
If your value prop could work for every competitor, it’s not differentiated — it’s a Wikipedia entry.
GTM That Actually Sticks
Shopify nailed it:
Ignored the big dogs. Focused on SMBs.
Built loyalty through free education.
Scaled only after dominating a niche.
Lesson: Start sharp. Then scale.
Bottom Line
GTM is not a campaign. It’s not a handoff. And it’s definitely not a slide in your annual planning deck. It’s a living system — continuously evolving and owned by the people who listen, synthesize, and act fast. Because in today’s market, speed wins — but alignment wins faster.
(And yes, your AI assistant might be helping… but don’t worry, she doesn’t want your job. Yet.)
Karthikesh Raju
Founder | Lead Consultant
Dr. Karthikesh Raju is the Founder and Principal of banyan.works Oy, a consultancy specializing in Go-to-Market Operations (GOps) that bridge the gap between technology and market success. With over two decades of global experience across the tech, telecommunications, automotive, and software industries, he has a proven track record of delivering products with significant global impact of over 400M Euros.