TL;DR: Most Indian startups don’t have a GTM problem—they have a GTM clarity problem. Fix your positioning, channels, and sequencing to improve traction within 30 days.
Right now, hundreds of Indian founders are burning runway chasing PMF without fixing their GTM strategy. If your brilliant product isn’t translating into growth, your Go-To-Market approach is broken. You’re not alone—startups like Zepto got hyper-growth right because they nailed GTM early. Others didn’t, and got wiped from the market.
Tactical Fixes: Tighten Your GTM Game
GTM isn’t just a launch plan—it’s your bridge from product to predictable growth. Here’s how to fix it tactically:
- Lock Your ICP: If you’re targeting ‘online shoppers’, that’s too broad. Focus: Women in Tier-2 cities buying organic groceries = better GTM focus.
- Pilot 1–2 Channels First: Don’t spray on Insta, X, LinkedIn, and Google all at once. Razorpay started with targeted content for devs and finance heads. Pick your power channel.
- Create a Simple Offer: It’s easy to get clever. Don’t. Build an offer that speaks to urgency: “Launch your store in 48 hours” > “E-commerce enablement platform”.
- Track First Activation: Define what a win looks like—signup, 1st order, demo booked. Then align your onboarding experience to drive that action fast.
Strategic: GTM is About Sequencing, Not Scale
Think of GTM like chess. You can’t play all your pieces at once. Founders often launch with broad messaging, multiple personas, and scattered execution. That’s chaos. Great GTM is about sequencing: Nail one persona, one channel, one message—then layer growth. That’s how Meesho cracked Tier 2 distribution before scaling pan-India.
And remember: You only get one first impression. Your GTM strategy is not a side project, it’s the growth foundation.
How to Apply This in Your Startup
Here’s what you can do this week:
- Redefine your Ideal Customer Persona using real data from current users.
- Pause multi-channel marketing—double down on 1 channel where you’ve seen the most traction.
- Re-script your offer. Make it plain, urgent, and outcome-led.
- Set up an activation funnel metric you track daily—make it your north star.
Key Takeaways
- Fixing GTM often means removing complexity, not adding features.
- One persona, one message, one channel. Start tight, then scale.
- Your product’s value is only as good as your positioning and delivery.
Trend Signal: Based on GTM pattern failures seen across B2B and DTC Indian startups. Urgency: 8/10
