You Have a Different Problem Than You Think

Hey ,

Since the last time I wrote the newsletter, I’ve logged more miles than usual, and it’s been an incredible ride. First stop was the Growth Elevated Event in Utah, where I had the chance to present to CEOs, investors, influencers, and revenue leaders about how The GTM Gap™ is a simple framework that can be a game-changer for businesses at every stage. Next, I flew up to Toronto for a project kickoff with a new client, spending time with their leadership to solidify a Stabilization Plan that will guide them through the crucial first step of the GTM journey.

From there, I headed down to Dallas for a Sales Kickoff—leading sales training sessions and diving into all things HubSpot to ensure the team had the right processes and tools to achieve consistent, repeatable growth. Finally, I wrapped up my travels in Atlanta, collaborating with another client and their customers at an annual user group event. Sharing insights, gathering feedback, and aligning their teams around a GTM strategy underscored the importance of bridging the gap at every stage of growth.

Now that I’m back, I’m excited to share fresh observations and practical tips—starting with an important reminder: sometimes, the problem you think you have isn’t the actual problem at all. Let’s dig in!

Estimated reading time is 4 minutes. Feel free to hit reply and share your takeaways or questions.

On Deck:

• You Have a Different Problem Than You Think: Identifying the Real GTM Gap™

• Marketing Tip of the Week - Powered by Decoded Strategies

• Episode #83 The Brutal Truth About Startups

You Have a Different Problem Than You Think: Identifying the Real GTM Gap™

Have you ever been convinced that your biggest challenge was “not enough leads,” or “weak messaging,” only to find you were really struggling with a broken sales process? Or maybe you believed your product needed more features, when the real issue was that you hadn’t fully validated your market? This misdiagnosis of problems is surprisingly common—and it often spells trouble for scaling your go-to-market efforts.

In this week’s edition of Bridging the Gap, we’ll explore why you might have a different problem than you think and how to course-correct before it undermines your entire GTM strategy. We’ll also tie these insights back to the four stages of The GTM Gap—Stabilize, Foundation, Repeatable, and Scale—so you can quickly pinpoint where you need to focus next.

Why Misdiagnosis Happens

One of the biggest reasons founders, CEOs, and revenue leaders misdiagnose issues is the frantic pace of early growth. Under constant pressure to show traction, it’s easy to jump to the most obvious conclusion:

• “Our deal cycles are too long. We must need better marketing materials!”

• “We’re losing on price. Let’s lower it!”

• “Customers aren’t renewing because they need more features.”

While these surface-level explanations can be partially true, they’re often symptoms of a deeper root cause. For instance:

• Long deal cycles might actually stem from unclear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) in the Stabilize or Foundation phase.

• Losing on price might be a sign you haven’t clearly articulated your value proposition, rather than just charging too much.

• Low renewals might reveal you lack a customer success framework—meaning you never ensured consistent product adoption from the get-go.

Linking the Real Problem to Your GTM Gap™ Stage

If you suspect something else is really going on beneath the surface, here’s how to check each GTM Gap stage to identify (and fix) the genuine issue:

Stabilize

• Typical Symptom: You’re claiming to solve a big pain, but your early customers aren’t sticking around or singing your praises.

• Root Cause: You may be misaligned on ICP or still need to confirm that the problem is actually big enough to warrant urgent attention.

• Action: Conduct deeper customer discovery and scrutinize your initial wins. Talk to your first few customers—ask them why they bought, if they’d recommend you, and what actual outcomes they’ve seen.

Foundation

• Typical Symptom: Your messaging or pitch lands sometimes, but your revenue is lumpy and heavily dependent on founder-led sales.

• Root Cause: You may have basic traction, but you lack consistent processes or clear positioning so your growing team can replicate success.

• Action: Document and refine your sales and marketing playbooks. Make sure your value proposition is crystal clear and standardized across your team.

Repeatable

• Typical Symptom: You’re generating leads, but conversions stall at a specific pipeline stage. Your sales cycle metrics vary widely, and it’s tough to forecast revenue.

• Root Cause: You might have a partially built system, but you haven’t nailed a fully repeatable motion. Perhaps marketing promises one thing, but the product experience or sales follow-through isn’t consistent.

• Action: Establish end-to-end processes with clear KPIs at each stage. Integrate feedback loops—if you’re noticing big drop-offs, investigate why prospects are “going dark” and adjust your playbook accordingly.

Scale

• Typical Symptom: You’ve seen real success, but as you hire more people and enter new markets, quality dips. Renewals slip, internal silos form, and your once-humming revenue engine starts sputtering.

• Root Cause: Rapid growth is exposing weaknesses in leadership depth, training, or operational infrastructure. You might be scaling too fast without the robust foundation to support it.

• Action: Invest in leadership and systematized onboarding (for different segments and market you will need to adjust your systems and processes). Make sure your technology stack and customer success processes are strong enough to handle bigger pipelines, larger deals, and potentially more complex customer needs (hint you might need to revisit the Stabilization or Foundation phases)

Steps to Diagnose the “Real” Problem

1. Get Ruthlessly Data-Driven

• Look at your metrics by stage of the funnel. Where are leads or deals getting stuck or dropping off?

• Patterns in churn or lack of product adoption often highlight deeper alignment gaps.

2. Gather Qualitative Feedback

• Talk to customers, prospects, and even lost deals. Ask open-ended questions. Don’t assume you know their biggest pain—listen.

• If you hear consistent themes (“I didn’t see enough ROI,” “The onboarding felt too rushed,” etc.), dig deeper.

3. Map It to the GTM Gap

• Pinpoint the stage you’re truly in (Stabilize, Foundation, Repeatable, Scale). Are you ignoring tasks or best practices from that stage?

• Often, misdiagnosed problems mean you’ve overlooked a step or skillset crucial for success at your current stage.

4. Design Quick Experiments & Iterations

• Once you suspect the real issue, run a small experiment. For instance, if you believe your ICP is off, test a refined segment with targeted outreach.

• Measure impact swiftly and adjust your approach based on real-world feedback.

Call to Action: Confront the Real Issue

If you find your GTM efforts stalling, remember: “You might have a different problem than you think!”. Step back, gather both quantitative and qualitative insights, and see how it maps to your stage in the GTM Gap. Often, the hardest part is admitting we’ve been solving the wrong problem—but once you shift focus to the true challenge, you can apply targeted fixes that deliver tangible results.

Where are you feeling the pinch right now? Let me know what symptoms you’re facing, and let’s uncover whether it’s a messaging tweak—or something deeper in your GTM strategy

Stay curious, keep testing, and never stop bridging those gaps.

Thanks ZoomInfo for Keeping This Newsletter Free!

ZoomInfo is the Go-To-Market intelligence platform that empowers businesses to grow faster with AI-ready insights, trusted data, and advanced automation. Our solutions provide a complete view of your customers, making every seller your best seller.

Marketing Tip of the Week - Powered by Decoded Strategies

Donald Miller’s StoryBrand Framework centers on making your customer the hero of the narrative, with your company acting as the guiding mentor. Instead of showcasing your product features as the “star,” focus your messaging on the customer’s problem and the transformation they seek. By articulating a clear “before and after” story—where your product or service is the trusted guide—your marketing will resonate far more powerfully.

Take Action NOW:

Write a short “hero’s journey” for your ideal buyer. Identify the big external problem they face, clarify the stakes if they don’t solve it, and highlight how your product (as the guide) leads them to success. This laser-focused messaging will help you attract qualified leads and bridge those early GTM gaps.

Episode #85 17-Year Stay at Home Mom to $70M Tech CEO: How Elizabeth Andrew Built Her 4x4 Method

In this episode of Bridge the Gap, Elizabeth Andrew shares her journey from a 17-year career break to leading revenue teams at top tech companies. She breaks down the four stages of go-to-market growth and explains why Founders often struggle with sales. Learn how to stabilize, build, and scale your sales process the right way.Key Takeaways:

5 Key Takeaways

1. The Four Stages of Go-to-Market Growth

• Stabilization → Foundation → Repeatability → Scalability—you can’t skip steps.

• Founders often want to jump straight to scaling, but without stabilization, nothing works.

• Success comes from process, not hope.

2. Founders Need to Sell First

• If a Founder can’t sell their own product, it’s not ready.

• Many technical Founders underestimate the complexity of sales.

• Founder-led sales should be used to build early ICP insights before hiring.

3. The Sales Playbook is a Living Document

• Companies often roll out a playbook once and never update it.

• Sales processes should be continuously evaluated and optimized.

• Track, measure, and refine—sales success comes from iteration.

4. Hiring Sales Talent is Hard, Training is Harder

• The first sales hires matter. Hire too senior too soon, and they might not be hands-on.

• The best leaders train their team rather than expecting immediate results.

• Hands-on coaching and live deal support are essential.

5. The 4x4 Method: A Blueprint for Success

• 4 conversations a day, 4 days a week—momentum is everything.

• Never wake up Monday without meetings booked.

• Applying sales principles to career growth helps people break into new industries.

Ready for some real talk about what it takes to build a multi-million dollar company?

Shoutout to Pursuit for Keeping This Newsletter Free!

Finding A-Players who actually drive revenue in an ever-changing market is tough. Our partners at Pursuit hire for hundreds of companies and know what it takes to engage passive talent. If you need to hire top sales or marketing talent, we encourage you to reach out to our friend Jake at Pursuit.

Agree? Disagree? Have Questions?

We love engaging with our community—reply to this email with your thoughts, and let’s chat!

Talk soon,

Adam, Dale, & Jake
Helping companies bridge the GTM Gap™.