If you’re building a startup here in Europe, there’s a good chance you’re over-engineering your product and under-engineering your go-to-market (GTM). I’ve seen it quite a bit: beautiful code, no customers.
Meanwhile, the great US startups—especially those fresh out of Y Combinator—treat GTM like a product. They iterate, test, track metrics, and prioritize speed to learning. This bias toward commercial velocity is something European founders can and should copy.
Here are four powerful GTM ideas from the US that you can start using today:
Start Narrow. Win Small. Expand Fast.
“Beachhead strategy” is GTM 101 in the Valley. It means picking one tiny, underserved segment—your beachhead—and becoming a must-have for them.
Instead of trying to be everything for everyone, you solve a burning pain for a very specific Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). You win trust, get testimonials, and learn fast. Only then do you expand.
How to do it:
- Define your ICP: size, sector, job title, pain.
- Focus messaging on one key outcome.
- Say no to customers outside your beachhead.
Example: Calendly started by focusing only on solo consultants and salespeople—people who felt deep scheduling pain. The product was simple, the pitch was clear, and growth followed naturally.
Sell Like a Founder (Not a Salesperson)
In the early days, sales isn’t about pitching—it’s about learning. Great founders obsess over customer development. They run dozens of 1:1 calls to deeply understand the user’s world.
This is where The Mom Test comes in: you don’t talk about your idea—you ask about their problems. You diagnose before you prescribe.
Ask questions like:
- What’s your biggest headache with [problem area]?
- How are you solving it now?
- What would “better” look like?
Keep a shared doc or CRM where you track objections, feedback patterns, and language. This becomes your messaging goldmine.
Outbound Isn’t Gross—It’s Necessary
Many European founders shy away from cold outreach. In the US, it’s standard. GTM-oriented founders spend time building targeted lists, crafting sharp messages, and running sales like a pipeline.
A solid cold email formula:
“Hi [First Name],
I saw you’re working on [relevant detail]. We’re helping [ICP] fix [specific pain] by [brief solution].
Would love to share more—open to a quick chat this week?
Best,
[Your Name]”
Don’t mass-blast. Customize. Send 20 great emails, not 200 bad ones.
Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Slack groups—wherever your ICP lives. The channel matters less than relevance.
Make Your GTM a System, Not a Slogan
The best US founders treat GTM like a process:
- Weekly sales targets (not just revenue, but conversations)
- Tight feedback loops with product
- Simple dashboards to track ICP engagement, conversion, and retention
It’s not about perfection—it’s about momentum. You don’t need a head of sales. You need founder-led GTM hustle backed by structure.
The Takeaway: GTM is a Muscle
The difference isn’t resources—it’s mindset. US startups learn fast because they ship fast, talk to users early, and treat GTM as a core function—not a post-launch activity.
If you’re building in Europe, this is your edge: combine strong technical chops with lean, iterative GTM. Don’t wait until the product is “ready”—test the problem, validate your message, and sell while you build.
Because traction isn’t magic. It’s method.
Michael Wenning, Co-founder and CEO of Passive, startup mentor
