Go-to-Market Strategy: Winning Your First 50 Customers
Comprehensive go-to-market playbook including target customer profiles, sales strategy, marketing approach, partnership development, and customer success.
The GTM Challenge
Core banking is a high-consideration, long-sales-cycle market. Buyers are risk-averse, decisions involve multiple stakeholders, and switching costs are high. A successful go-to-market strategy must address these realities while building trust and demonstrating value.
The most effective GTM for core banking follows "land and expand": win smaller, more accessible customers first, deliver exceptional value, then use those references to move upmarket. Trying to win enterprise banks without references is extremely difficult and expensive.
Target Customer Profile (ICP)
Ideal Customer Characteristics
| Attribute | Ideal Profile | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Series A-C funded fintech | Has budget, needs to scale, makes decisions fast |
| Team Size | 20-200 employees | Big enough to afford, small enough to decide quickly |
| Current System | Outgrowing initial solution | Active pain point, looking for change |
| Geography | EU-based (Germany, UK, France, Nordics) | Regulatory fit, timezone alignment |
| Decision Maker | CTO or CPO with board influence | Technical buyer who can champion internally |
| Budget | EUR 75K-200K/year for core banking | Sweet spot for value delivery and margin |
Buying Committee
- Technical Buyer (CTO/VP Engineering): Evaluates architecture, APIs, scalability
- Economic Buyer (CFO/CEO): Approves budget, evaluates ROI
- User Buyer (Product/Operations): Evaluates usability, feature fit
- Compliance Buyer (CCO/Legal): Evaluates regulatory compliance, security
Win the CTO first. In fintech, technical buyers often have significant influence over purchasing decisions. A CTO who believes in your architecture becomes your internal champion. Provide deep technical content (architecture docs, API specs, security whitepapers) early in the sales process.
Sales Strategy
Sales Motion by Segment
| Segment | Sales Motion | Cycle Length | Team Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neobanks (Starter) | Product-Led + Inside Sales | 2-4 weeks | SDR + AE |
| Growth Fintechs | Inside Sales + Solutions | 4-8 weeks | AE + SE |
| Regional Banks | Field Sales + Enterprise | 3-9 months | Enterprise AE + SE + CSM |
Sales Process
- Discovery (Week 1): Understand pain points, current stack, timeline, budget
- Technical Validation (Week 2-3): Demo, sandbox access, architecture review
- Business Case (Week 3-4): ROI analysis, TCO comparison, reference calls
- Procurement (Week 4-6): Security review, legal/compliance, contract negotiation
- Close (Week 6-8): Final approvals, signature, kickoff planning
Competitive Positioning
| Competitor | Our Positioning | Key Proof Points |
|---|---|---|
| Thought Machine | Same flexibility, 50% cheaper, 3x faster | Time-to-market comparison, TCO analysis |
| Mambu | More customization, AI built-in, better DX | Feature comparison, developer testimonials |
| Skaleet | Enterprise-ready, AI/ML, better analytics | Scalability benchmarks, feature depth |
| Legacy (Temenos) | Cloud-native, faster deployment, lower TCO | Migration case studies, cost comparison |
Marketing Strategy
Content Marketing Pillars
- Thought Leadership: Blog posts, LinkedIn articles on core banking trends, regulatory changes
- Technical Content: Architecture guides, API documentation, integration tutorials
- Customer Stories: Case studies, testimonials, video interviews
- Educational Content: Webinars, guides, comparison reports
Channel Strategy
| Channel | Purpose | Investment Level |
|---|---|---|
| Thought leadership, executive reach | High | |
| Industry Events (Money20/20, etc.) | Brand awareness, lead gen | High |
| Technical Communities (GitHub, Dev.to) | Developer awareness | Medium |
| SEO/Content | Inbound lead generation | Medium |
| Paid Ads (LinkedIn, Google) | Targeted lead gen | Low initially |
Partnership Strategy
Partner Types
| Partner Type | Examples | Value Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Provider | AWS, Azure, GCP | Co-marketing, credits, marketplace listing |
| System Integrators | Accenture, Deloitte, local SIs | Implementation services, lead referrals |
| Technology Partners | KYC providers, payment processors | Pre-built integrations, co-selling |
| Consulting Firms | McKinsey, BCG, boutique fintech advisors | Recommendations to their clients |
Customer Success
Success Metrics
| Metric | Target | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Time to First Value | Under 60 days | Days from contract to first transaction |
| Implementation Success Rate | Over 95% | Implementations completed on time |
| NPS Score | Over 50 | Quarterly customer surveys |
| Gross Revenue Retention | Over 92% | ARR retained excluding expansion |
| Net Revenue Retention | Over 105% | ARR retained including expansion |
Objection Handling
Common objections and how to address them:
| Objection | Response Strategy |
|---|---|
| "You're too new/small" | Focus on technology advantages, offer pilot program, highlight team experience |
| "We're considering Thought Machine" | Emphasize speed (4-6 weeks vs 12 months), cost (50% less), same flexibility |
| "Security concerns" | Share SOC 2 report, offer security audit, explain AWS infrastructure |
| "Migration is too risky" | Explain progressive modernization, shadow mode, rollback capabilities |
| "Price is too high" | Build ROI business case showing TCO savings vs. alternatives |
First 10 Customers Playbook
The first 10 customers define your trajectory:
- Customers 1-3: Design partners. Offer significant discount (50%+) for deep feedback and case study rights
- Customers 4-6: Early adopters. Standard pricing with some flexibility. Focus on referenceable logos
- Customers 7-10: Mainstream early. Full pricing. Prove repeatable sales process
Design partners are invaluable for product-market fit. They provide: real-world requirements, early feedback, case studies, references, and credibility. Worth the discount investment.
Land and expand is the winning strategy. Win accessible customers (growth fintechs) first, deliver exceptional value, then use references to move upmarket to regional banks.
Win the CTO first. In fintech, technical buyers drive decisions. Provide deep technical content early and make developers your champions.
Customer success drives growth. In high-consideration markets, references are everything. NPS over 50 and Net Revenue Retention over 105% indicate a business that grows through customer success, not just sales.