MENTISAGE The GTM Clarity Deck A strategic decision system for visionary founders navigating modern go - to - market challenges. Page 1 of 33 Designed for Visionary Founders Reflection Worksheet Strategic Clarity Framework ▪ What decision am I making right now? ▪ What assumptions am I holding? ▪ What evidence supports or challenges these assumptions? ▪ Which three cards are most relevant to this decision? ▪ What experiment will I run this week to learn more? Your reflection notes here... Page 2 of 33 Experiment Tracker Hypothesis ICP Target Channel Expected Result Actual Result Next Action Page 3 of 33 Founder Weekly Ritual Five Essential Weekly Practices Page 4 of 33 Why This Matters These five practices form the backbone of consistent, intelligent execution. Customer conversations keep you grounded in reality. Activation improvements compound over time. Experiments generate rapid learning. Metrics review prevents drift. Strategic clarity ensures every action aligns with long - term vision. → 3 customer conversations → 1 activation improvement → 1 growth experiment → Weekly metrics review → One hour of strategic clarity Notes Your strategic notes and observations... Page 5 of 33 Visual Index — The 25 GTM Clarity Cards A compact overview of all cards and their core idea. Click to jump to any card. Overview of All GTM Thinking Patterns 1. Define the Real GTM Question — Clarify the exact decision you're making. 2. Five Whys — Drill down to the true cause of a growth issue. 3. JTBD for GTM — Understand the job customers hire your product for. 4. Hard vs. Assumed Constraints — Separate real limitations from imagined ones. 5. Who Feels the Pain Most? — Identify the persona with the strongest pain signal. 6. Inversion for GTM — Imagine the worst plan and invert it. 7. Customer – Competitor – Future You — Evaluate decisions through three lenses. 8. Reference Class Forecasting — Predict using historical category data. 9. Opportunity Cost — Clarify what each “yes” blocks. 10. Range of GTM Futures — Best, typical, and worst outcomes. 11. Map the Acquisition System — Understand your funnel end - to - end. 12. Positive & Negative Loops — Identify loops that amplify results or churn. 13. Second - Order Effects — Map downstream consequences of decisions. 14. Path Dependence — Early choices lock future constraints. 15. Slow vs. Fast Variables — Use fast levers to shift slow ones. 16. More Than One ICP — Identify secondary segments without extreme focus. 17. Smallest Testable Experiment — Validate GTM hypotheses fast. 18. Align Incentives Across Funnel — Ensure teams are pointed at shared outcomes. 19. Constraints as Creativity — Use limits to innovate more sharply. 20. Three Simple Rules — A north - star set of execution principles. 21. Scoring GTM Options — Compare choices using weighted criteria. 22. Expected Value Thinking — Evaluate actions based on probability × impact. 23. Pre - Mortem Your Launch — Predict failure and prevent it early. 24. Red Team the Plan — Stress - test your GTM from a critic’s viewpoint. 25. The Learning Loop — Weekly cycle of execution → review → refinement. Page 6 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 1 Define the Real GTM Question Identify the exact decision being made — ICP, positioning, channel, pricing, or product. Example: A founder thinks they have a "marketing problem," but the real decision is which segment to prioritize first: HR managers or Operations Directors. Page 7 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 2 Five Whys for Growth Problems Drill down repeatedly to uncover the true cause of slow growth or unclear traction. Example: Low sign - ups → weak landing page → unclear value → vague messaging → ICP not defined. Page 8 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 3 JTBD for Go - To - Market Clarify the job customers hire your product to perform better than alternatives. Example: Customers do not buy a scheduling tool; they buy the confidence that they will not miss critical commitments. Page 9 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 4 Hard vs. Assumed Constraints Separate true GTM limitations from inherited or imagined ones. Example: "We must use paid ads" is an assumed constraint; "We have a ₹1.5L monthly budget" is a hard constraint. Page 10 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 5 Who Feels the Pain Most? Focus on the persona that experiences the problem most intensely. Example: The founder benefits from your invoicing product, but the accountant feels the daily pain and is your true power user. Page 11 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 6 Inversion for GTM Imagine the worst possible GTM plan and invert it. Example: Worst plan: random audience, random channel, random message; inverted plan: precise ICP, one focus channel, clear value message. Page 12 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 7 Customer, Competitor, Future - You Use three lenses — customer, competitor, future - you — to sharpen clarity. Example: Before launching a free trial, ask: will customers see value quickly, how do competitors structure trials, and can future - you afford the support cost? Page 13 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 8 Reference Class Forecasting Use historical category patterns as forecasting baselines. Example: If similar SaaS tools need 6 – 9 months to reach ₹5L MRR, your forecast should not assume getting there in 2 months without a clear edge. Page 14 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 9 Opportunity Cost in GTM Every "yes" silently blocks another option — clarify the trade - off. Example: Choosing enterprise deals means slower but larger contracts, and less focus on fast - moving self - serve customers. Page 15 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 10 Range of GTM Futures Define best, typical, and worst - case outcomes. Example: Best: 100 new customers in 3 months; typical: 30 – 50; worst: 10 with heavy churn and weak fit. Page 16 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 11 Map the Acquisition System Understand your funnel as a dynamic system. Example: Cold outreach → LinkedIn profile → Landing page → Demo → Trial → Paid subscription. Page 17 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 12 Positive & Negative Feedback Loops Track loops that amplify growth or churn. Example: Positive: more users → more reviews → more trust → more users; negative: long onboarding → low activation → fewer referrals. Page 18 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 13 Second - Order Effects Consider downstream consequences, not just the first effect. Example: Adding a free plan boosts sign - ups but increases support volume and infrastructure costs. Page 19 of 33 Clarity Cards A 25 - card GTM thinking system for founders. 14 Path Dependence Early GTM choices lock future paths. Example: Early decision to focus on low - price SMBs makes it harder to reposition later as a premium enterprise solution. Page 20 of 33