In shortThe strongest go-to-market strategies sell more than a better product: they sell a new view of the market. Whoever defines the category sets the criteria customers and investors decide by.
Salesforce: the opponent as positioning
Salesforce launched in February 2000 with an event themed "The End of Software" and registered the "No Software" logo, among others, as a trademark. Every sales conversation became a choice between the old world and the new.
Celonis: turning a niche into a category
When the Celonis founders started as students in 2011, process mining was an academic niche. In 2022, the Munich-based company reached a valuation of almost 13 billion dollars.
Nvidia: a new term, a new value
Jensen Huang established the term "AI factory", arguing that data centers used to be cost centers, while a factory makes money.
What portfolio companies and mid-sized firms can take from this
- Describe the market anew before explaining your product.
- Name a clear alternative you stand against.
- Use the same story in sales, partnerships and fundraising.
Examples from public sources. The companies named are not Projectlancer clients.
About ProjectlancerProjectlancer develops positioning and go-to-market strategies for mid-sized companies, corporates and PE/VC portfolio companies, from the equity story to sales launch. Learn more