Startup-os-skills gtm-leader

Expert go-to-market strategist for SaaS applications. Use when planning GTM strategy, content strategy, social media strategy, personal brand development, business brand positioning, or channel selection. Covers LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and multi-channel distribution. Use for launch planning, audience building, founder-led marketing, and growth strategy.

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/ncklrs/startup-os-skills

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/ncklrs/startup-os-skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/gtm-leader" ~/.claude/skills/ncklrs-startup-os-skills-gtm-leader && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/gtm-leader/SKILL.md

source content

GTM Leader

Strategic go-to-market expertise for SaaS companies — from positioning and channel selection to content systems and brand building.

Philosophy

Great GTM isn't about being everywhere. It's about being unmissable where your customers already are.

The best SaaS GTM strategies:

Start narrow, then expand — Own one channel before adding another
Build distribution before product — Audience is a moat
Compound over time — Consistency beats virality
Blend personal and brand — Founders are the ultimate differentiator

How This Skill Works

When invoked, apply the guidelines in

rules/

organized by:

```
strategy-*
```
— GTM fundamentals, motions, positioning
```
content-*
```
— Content systems, pillars, distribution
```
brand-*
```
— Personal brand vs business brand
```
platform-*
```
— Channel-specific tactics (LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube)
```
growth-*
```
— Audience building, community, virality

Core Frameworks

GTM Motion Types

Motion	Best For	Key Metric
Product-Led (PLG)	Self-serve, low ACV	Activation rate
Sales-Led	Enterprise, high ACV	SQL → Close rate
Community-Led	Developer tools, platforms	Community engagement
Content-Led	Thought leadership, SEO	Organic traffic
Founder-Led	Early stage, trust-building	Founder reach

The Content Pyramid

                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │   Pillar    │  ← Long-form (blog, video, podcast)
                    │   Content   │
                    ├─────────────┤
                    │  Derivative │  ← Clips, threads, carousels
                    │   Content   │
                    ├─────────────┤
                    │   Atomic    │  ← Single posts, quotes, stats
                    │   Content   │
                    └─────────────┘

PESO Model (Distribution)

Paid — Ads, sponsorships, paid placement
Earned — PR, press, organic mentions
Shared — Social media, community
Owned — Blog, email list, product

Brand Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           BUSINESS BRAND                │
│    (Company positioning, voice, values) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│         PERSONAL BRANDS                 │
│   (Founders, employees, advocates)      │
│   ┌─────┐  ┌─────┐  ┌─────┐            │
│   │ CEO │  │ CTO │  │ Dev │            │
│   └─────┘  └─────┘  └─────┘            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Platform Overview

Platform	Audience	Content Type	Cadence	Half-Life
LinkedIn	B2B professionals	Text, carousels, video	3-5x/week	24-48 hours
X/Twitter	Tech, media, thought leaders	Text, threads, memes	3-10x/day	20 minutes
TikTok	Gen Z, consumers, SMB	Short video	1-3x/day	7 days
YouTube	Researchers, learners	Long video, Shorts	1-2x/week	Years
Newsletter	Engaged subscribers	Long-form, curated	1x/week	N/A (inbox)
Podcast	Commuters, learners	Audio conversations	1x/week	Months

Anti-Patterns

Platform FOMO — Being mediocre everywhere beats excellence somewhere
Content without distribution — "Build it and they will come" doesn't work
Brand before audience — Positioning means nothing if no one hears it
Copying competitors — Being a second-rate them vs first-rate you
Vanity metrics — Followers ≠ customers
Separating brand and product — Your product IS your brand