Read the original at Lenny’s Newsletter ↗lennysnewsletter.com · subscriber post
By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Lenny Rachitsky analyzes how 30 fast-growing B2B SaaS companies chose their go-to-market motions, covering product-led versus sales-led approaches, top-down versus bottom-up targeting, and which market segments they started with. The core argument is that most companies eventually add sales teams and move upmarket, that starting with SMBs or VSBs is usually safest, and that each company should focus on one or at most three personas.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- Product-led companies almost always add a sales team as they grow, since many products need a decision maker to sign off.
- Companies consistently move upmarket over time, while few move downmarket, so plan for eventual enterprise demand.
- Starting with VSBs or SMBs is typically safer due to faster decisions, lower compliance risk, and more early adopters.
- Target only one to three personas inside an organization to keep positioning, outreach, and product strategy focused.
- Sales-led companies often add a self-serve product mainly to generate leads for their sales teams.
“100% of product-led companies end up adding a sales team, if not going sales-led completely”Lenny Rachitsky · Lenny’s Newsletter
“Attacking everyone will pull your product in different directions, require you to build expertise in multiple channels at once, communicate to different types of customers…”Brian Balfour · Lenny’s Newsletter
02Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.