If you’re trying to test value propositions, get your first paying customers, recruit a team, or raise money to do all of the above then these Tactics are for YOU. Tactics will help you make the most progress possible using the least amount of time and money, your two most precious resources as an entrepreneur. In short, these tactics will make or keep you scrappy!

These tactics will help you go to market all before you even bring on an engineer or product person. The proof points and learnings you gather from early go-to-market tactics will help you sell to additional stakeholders - whether that’s a new engineer who you want to bring onboard or an investor who you’d like to raise money from. Investors and engineers (or other potential stakeholders) have tons of opportunities so we have to develop evidence to prove that our opportunity is the most interesting. To provide proof we must also remember that numbers and quantitative data speak louder than just words or primary market research.

We start by setting the foundation, which is with strong goals and systems. Leveraging these goals to keep us on track we move forward with market testing which includes market research, asset creation, marketing, and sales. These tactics help to both validate that real people want our proposed product and build out our early go-to-market approach. With customers waiting for the product we propose we move into product development through roadmapping, design, user testing, and engineering. With a market validated, customers waiting, and product developed we move to resource acquisition. Acquiring resources to grow the business becomes much easier when there are customers ready to pay! Resource acquisition covers tactics including legal/incorporation, finance, pitch deck design, fundraising, and hiring.

These tactics are meant for any entrepreneur. While certain tactics might not directly apply to every industry, the mindset and approach will help you in evaluating your early go-to-market approach. You will walk away with a completely new view of going to market.