Go-to-market from $500K to $2M+
Founder-led sales got you here. But you're about to hit the ceiling. The next phase requires systems that work without you.
Take the assessmentFocus here first
Your network is tapped out. You need channels that generate qualified leads without your personal rolodex — content, outbound, paid, partnerships.
Which channels match how your buyers actually buy? Self-serve, sales-assisted, partner-led? The right distribution model determines your unit economics.
If you have a documented sales process and repeatable pipeline, you're ready to bring in salespeople. If not, go back to repeatability first.
At scale, churn compounds. If you're losing 20% of customers annually, your growth is fighting against a leaky bucket. Fix retention before scaling acquisition.
What to ignore (for now)
Market Clarity
You should know who buys by now. If you don't, that's a foundational problem — but you should have solved this pre-revenue.
Common traps
Scaling a broken process
If your sales motion or repeatability isn't solid, hiring more people and spending more on ads just scales the dysfunction. Those gaps at $500K become crises at $2M.
Ignoring retention while chasing growth
Acquiring a new customer costs at least 5x what it takes to keep an existing one. If churn is above 20%, growth becomes a treadmill.
Founder as the bottleneck
If you're still the one closing every deal, attending every call, and handling every objection, you haven't delegated — you've just gotten busier. Document and delegate.
Frequently asked questions about go-to-market from $500k to $2m+
- How do I know which demand channel to invest in first?
- Start with where your best customers already come from. If your top 5 customers found you through referrals, build a referral program. If they came from content, double down on content. The channel that already works at low volume is usually the one to scale first.
- What are the signs that founder-led sales has hit its ceiling?
- Revenue grows linearly with your time. When you focus on selling, revenue goes up. When you focus on anything else, revenue flattens. You are the bottleneck in every deal, and your personal network is tapped out. These are signals to build systems that sell without you.
- Should I fix churn before scaling acquisition?
- Yes, if annual churn is above 15-20%. Acquiring customers into a leaky bucket means your growth spend partially drains out the bottom. Fix the leak first, then scale the input. Once retention is solid, acquisition spend actually compounds.