Building an Agile GTM Strategy

About the Guest

Prachi is an accomplished marketing leader with a passion for innovation, team-building, and consistent high performance. She has almost 15+ years of experience in marketing and consulting, driving demand generation, brand adoption, and growth. Prachi also has a very strong track record in delivering high-impact campaigns while driving operational efficiency and increasing ROI.

Connect with Prachi Gore

Key Takeaways

• Agile go-to-market strategies allow for flexibility and adaptability in bringing products or services to market.
• Agile go-to-market strategies can help businesses stay competitive and respond to changes in the market.
• Stay nimble and agile with decision-making and data reading
• Building an agile organization from the ground up involves adopting a project management framework, making data-driven decisions, and having daily standups.

• Data is constantly shifting and needs to be taken into account when making decisions
• Focus on customer touchpoints, scaling programs, and driving policy/societal impact 

Quotes

“As a leader, you have to make really good judgment calls with limited data”. – Prachi Gore

Highlights from the Episode

 Can you give our listeners a little bit on your background?

Prachi Gore has a background in marketing, specifically in the consumer tech industry. She has experience in performance marketing and digital marketing, and has worked with companies such as SunPower, a solar company. Gore has also transitioned into B2B marketing, and has experience in large enterprise B2B and PLG. Despite the different areas of marketing she has worked in, Gore’s favorite aspect of her career is that it always comes back to talking to people, which is what marketing is all about. Gore has been in the industry for over 15 years, nearing two decades of experience.

Can you throw some light on Checkr’s acquisition of ModoHr & GoodHire earlier this year? What was the strategic intent behind this move?

Checkr, a company that specializes in background checks and compliance solutions, acquired ModoHr and GoodHire earlier this year as part of their growth strategy. The acquisition of Modo was specifically aimed at expanding their presence in the Canadian market, while the acquisition of GoodHire was aimed at expanding their self-serve product offerings and penetrating the SMB market. The acquisition of GoodHire was seen as a quick accelerator for Checkr’s growth strategy and has reportedly led to great success since the acquisition.

Was there any major recalibration to your GTM strategy post-acquisition?

No major recalibration of the go-to-market (GTM) strategy was made post-acquisition. The expansion was a hundred percent part of the GTM strategy and no unforeseen events or circumstances occurred. The acquisitions were planned with a long roadmap that included integration, and teams were diligently working through the migration and integration strategy. No unforeseen issues come to mind, but it is noted that 2023 may have potential for interesting developments.

What are some key focus areas for Checkr in 2023? 

In 2023, Checkr plans to focus on scaling and sophistication of programs, both on the acquisition and customer growth side. The company also plans to focus on customer touchpoints and scaling customer marketing and customer success programs to ensure value is being driven and the company is close to its customers. Additionally, Checkr plans to focus on promoting its mission and driving policy and societal impact to make the industry fairer. Finally, the company is also planning to focus on customer-centricity.

How do you as a leader, pivot your GTM strategy when faced with unforeseen changes in a business environment?

As a leader, when faced with unforeseen changes in a business environment, one strategy for pivoting a GTM strategy is to engage in scenario building. This may involve assessing potential outcomes and identifying potential risks, while still maintaining a focus on growth. Additionally, leaders may choose to increase investments in certain areas, while also being cautious about taking on big liabilities. They may also invest more resources in staying close to customer data and analytics, in order to recognize patterns and make decisions accordingly. Overall, a well-planned and thoughtful approach is key to being prepared for any potential changes that may come.

If a leader had to build an agile GTM strategy, how do you recommend they build it out? What would be some of the steps involved?

When building an agile GTM strategy, it is recommended to adopt a project management or program management framework. This is crucial for keeping track of everything and ensuring that the campaign owners or leaders assume responsibility. Another important step is to incorporate data-driven decision-making into the program or process. This helps to drive the success or failure of the agile methodology and allows for early feedback. Additionally, it is important to have daily standups, which are critical for complex projects and leadership alignment. These standups provide a forum for discussing issues and unblocking any obstacles that may arise, keeping the team moving quickly. Overall, it is important to have a project or program management mindset, data-driven decision making, and daily standups for a successful agile GTM strategy.

What are the value and pitfalls of working with good and bad data respectively in making decisions, and how can one ensure that they are aware of the constantly shifting nature of data and their target ICP to make smart and educated decisions?

Leadership often involves making important decisions with limited data. One of the key aspects of leadership is being able to make good judgment calls, which is why it is crucial to work with good, clean data. However, it can be easy to unknowingly use bad data which can lead to poor decisions. To avoid this, it is important to be aware of the constantly shifting nature of data and the target ICP in order to make smart and educated decisions.

Is there a book, blog, newsletter, website, or video that you would recommend to our listeners?

 A book:  

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Shout-outs

Christine Heckart — CEO & Founder at Xapa 

Robert Chatwani — CMO at Atlassian