We constantly hear from SaaS Founders that go-to-market is one the most challenging parts to scaling a business. From finding and attracting your ICP, to retaining those customers, and growing your revenue–there’s a lot to it, before you even factor in the macroeconomic climate of the last few years.
So, what does it take to be successful?
Boundless Founder and CEO Dee Coakley joined us to talk about building a robust GTM strategy based on her experience scaling the company to $5M ARR in just three years.
From early-stage founder-led sales to hiring a sales team, and investing in content marketing here’s what she’s learned along the way.
1. Founders need to sell first
Like a lot of SaaS companies, Dee and her team didn’t have a polished sales strategy early on. Dee explained how really, they just talked to people: “we weren’t selling; we were asking questions”.
They reached out to their networks, spoke with leaders who had international teams, and asked for introductions. Though they didn’t know it at the time, in doing this, they built a pipeline before they even had a sales team.
Takeaway: If you’re a founder, you need to sell. Focus on having real conversations, not pitching. It’s the best way to validate your product and build early traction.
2. When (and how) to hire a sales team
After a year of inadvertently generating pipeline, Boundless hired its first salesperson about a year after landing its first customers, Dee said: “We brought in our first sales hire when we had enough demand to justify it”.
Since then, though they’ve built a sales team, Dee is still taking time to make sure they find the right fit for a VP os Sales role. Warned by the high failure of sales leaders in other SaaS companies, Dee explained: “There is a big cost associated with the wrong person in a role like that.”
Takeaway: Hire a sales team when you have the demand to support them. And don’t rush into hiring a senior sales leader—take the time to understand what you really need from the role and hire the right person.
3. Using content marketing to attract your ICP
Boundless sells to HR leaders—a notoriously hard group to reach. “They don’t go to SaaS conferences, they’re not active on LinkedIn, and they hate being sold to,” Dee says. Therefore some of the more common B2B SaaS marketing channels just don’t work for Boundless acquisition.
The solution? Long-form, in-depth content.
Very early on, Dee hired a content writer who has grown with the company and is now their Head of Marketing. From then, long-form content that drives inbound SEO content has been the most effective GTM channel (and Dee suspects it always will be).
Takeaway: Don’t follow the crowd. Make sure you really understand your ICP and how they work, then prioritise go-to-market channels that will help you reach them and build trust.
4. Allow room for experimentation
While content has been their main driver, Boundless also experiments with other GTM tactics.
“We’re about to start running our own events—things like breakfast briefings where we bring together thought leaders,” Dee shared. PR and even direct mail are other tactics they’re testing. “[Direct mail] is old-school, but sometimes, that’s what cuts through.”
Takeaway: A strong GTM strategy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Mix up your approach—test things like targeted events, PR, and direct mail alongside digital efforts.
Read more about the role events play in a B2B marketing strategy.
Learn more about building and scaling your GTM strategy
Dee’s experience with Boundless shows that a good GTM strategy isn’t about flashy tactics—it’s about consistency, experimentation, and knowing when to scale. Hear more about Dee and her founder journey on The SaaS Revolution Show Podcast.
At SaaStock, we speak to GTM experts from B2B SaaS companies all over the world to get their insights, lessons, and learnings. See more at the links below or subscribe to our newsletter to get posts like this, straight to your inbox.
