How to Align Startup Goals with Business Strategy

Most PMMs confuse strategy with tactics. But to grow, you must know their difference and how to apply them. I get it - it’s really easy to get caught in execution mode, especially if you are a startup PMM juggling so many tasks all at once. But if you’re serious about making an impact and ultimately getting promoted, understanding the difference is essential. Here’s a breakdown and process you can apply to make sure your work gets seen and measured: 1️⃣ Step 1: Start with the RIGHT goals Every impactful PMM should begin by asking, "What is the ultimate goal?" Goals should align with high-level business objectives (think acquisition, retention or monetization). Usually, this should flow from the goals of your parent team (e.g. marketing or product). For example: 🎯 Goal: Drive 3,000 sales-qualified leads next quarter By aligning to business goals first, you can avoid being spread thin on tasks that don’t drive impact. NOTE: It’s important to ensure your goals are captured at the team level and that you have x-functional and leadership buy-in. I have seen the marketing team not capturing product adoption goals, for instance - you need to advocate for attribution so your work doesn’t go unnoticed. 2️⃣ Step 2: Define your strategy This is a critical connecting piece that a lot of people miss. Your strategy is the overarching approach to reaching the goal - it’s HOW you’ll make the goal happen. It’s not the day-to-day tasks but the high-level plan that defines the value you’ll drive. For example: 💡 Strategy: Create a more personal connection to our target customers to position our product as their OBVIOUS choice. When you build a strategy, you’re framing the unique value that PMM brings. This clarity helps you focus on work that supports your strategic direction and ensures your efforts are recognized. 3️⃣ Step 3: Plan your tactics Many people make the mistake of starting with this step instead of ending with this step. Tactics are the specific actions that bring the strategy to life. They’re the deliverables - content, launches, programs, enablement - that PMMs are known for. Examples include: --> Create a new messaging framework focused on our unique, differentiated value --> Optimize and personalize email journeys to reflect new messaging --> Host an educational workshop series that answers customers’ key pains and our value —-------------- If you use this process to plan your goals and projects each quarter and proactively bring them to your manager, you will immediately be seen as more strategic and valuable. Ultimately, when you can tie every piece of work back to a clear goal and strategy, you’re setting yourself up for strategic recognition, not just tactical success. P.S. If you want to take your PMM career to the next level, don’t miss my upcoming "Get Promoted" workshop next week! 🎉 The link to register is below. 👇 #productmarketing #careergrowth #tech #strategy #coaching

I just spent 45 minutes with a CEO who had two separate sets of goals—one commercial, one for product. But in a seed-stage startup, product often is the main driver for commercial success. If you’re chasing product-market fit (PMF), siloed goals can be the fastest path to confusion. Wanna to know what What Happened, read on-> 1/ The Conversation: We dug into the question, “Is revenue the final goal, or is it just a signal that helps us prove readiness for our next phase?” 2/ The Realization: The CEO recognized that revenue is critical for investor confidence (it’s an easy metric to track), but we also needed to measure other signals to validate PMF. 3/ The Convergence: We merged “commercial” and “product” into one objective: “Get to market and validate PMF.” The Key Results? Revenue (board-friendly signal) Utilization (how often customers actually engage) Repeat Orders (proof customers want more) The Outcome A single, unified set of OKRs with an Hypothesis and Signals (shoutout to Raphael Cohen) . No more confusion or competing priorities—just a clear focus on building a product that drives commercial traction. Pro Tip: If you’re in a seed-stage startup, don’t separate product from commercial. Your product is your revenue engine. Question for you: What’s been your biggest challenge merging product and commercial goals?

This took me 15 years to learn, I’ll teach it to you in 5 minutes. In your work-dynamics, do you have partners or do you have employees? Employees → execute plans. Partners → understand the big picture and buy into your vision. But the harsh truth for most founders: → You don’t have a team of partners because you’re not articulating your vision as clearly as you think. You have it ALL in your head, but nobody can ACTUALLY see it as you see it. (I’ll share the tool to solve it so hang tight!) It’s a common problem. We THINK we’re doing a good job of sharing our vision. And then we wonder why it’s so hard to build a team that’s as motivated as we are. Over the past decade (founding and leading 3 companies) I’ve been obsessed about hiring and firing based on alignment between values and vision. I care MORE about alignment than IQ. Because hiring for IQ gets you a team of diligent employees — and that’s helpful. BUT they’re never as on board as you’d like them to be… They’re not bringing the crazy, innovative ideas to the table that you want from them. They’re not PARTNERS in the vision. Why? Because A-players don't just want a boss to tell them what to do. They want to be part of something great. And if they don't feel it, they’re fired or they quit. BUT here’s the fix: It starts with getting clear on your vision and communicating it in EVERYTHING you do. This tool is inspired by EOS (Entrepreneurial Operational System). It's as simple as describing the 3-year image you have in your head for the company. Answer these questions (and check the comments for the worksheet): 1. What are your CORE VALUES (Mission to Mars exercise, Google my post about how to do it) 2. What is your CORE FOCUS (the value you’re providing and the industry/niche) 3. What is your 10 YEAR TARGET 4. How does this feed into your MARKETING STRATEGY (who you're targeting, how you're unique, your proven process/guarantee) 5. What’s the 3 YEAR PICTURE (revenue, profit, and KPI’s) It’s essential you get this all on paper, so that you communicate and create partners who: - Know the exact target for cash equivalents - Know what % you want to give away (’Giving Impact’) - Know the future date to reach the vision by (Ex. 12/31/2027) Because building is 100x easier with a team of partners who know: - Where they’re going - Why they’re doing each task - What innovative ideas would be useful to reach the goal That’s when the team is looking at the goal through the same LENS as you. That’s when YOUR vision becomes a SHARED vision. And that’s when you’ll start to see your team taking more ownership, being innovative, and investing more into your company. Because trust me — you don’t want (or NEED) more employees. You need partners (who are IN on your vision). Which do you have? — Found value in this? Repost ♻️ to share with your network and follow Ignacio Carcavallo for more like this.

𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝... The goal-setting algorithm saved me. 👇 When I launched my first startup, I had a vision but lacked a clear path. I stumbled, pivoted, and faced countless setbacks. Then, I discovered the power of structured goal-setting. Here’s how an algorithm changed everything: 1) Clarify the mission. ↳ Articulate the mission statement to understand its core purpose and values. My mission was clear: to bring peace of mind and seamless access to care for patients living with chronic diseases. 2) Identify key impact areas. ↳ Break down the mission into key areas where impact is intended (e.g., peace of mind, innovation, easy and cheap healthcare). 3) Set SMART objectives. ↳ Ensure these objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 4) Define measurable objectives. ↳ For each key area, define specific, measurable objectives that embody the mission's impact. Each milestone became a stepping stone to success. 5) Develop a process. ↳ Determine the actions or strategies required to achieve each objective. I mapped out every step, from marketing campaigns to product enhancements. 6) Resource identification ↳ Identify the resources, tools, and methods necessary to carry out the process. Leveraging technology and a skilled team are crucial. 7) Feasibility check. ↳ Ensure the means are feasible, accessible, and aligned with the mission’s values and objectives. I regularly assessed our approach, ensuring alignment and feasibility. 9) Integrate objectives. ↳ Integrate the specific objectives into a cohesive goal statement that reflects the intended impact. This unified our efforts and kept the team focused. 10) Validate and refine. ↳ Validate the alignment between the goal statement, the mission, and the identified objectives, process, and means. Continuous improvement was key. 11) Finalize the goal. ↳ Ensure the final goal statement is motivating, achievable, and accurately reflects the mission’s intent. This drove us forward, even during tough times. Implementing this algorithm was a game-changer. It provided clarity, direction, and measurable progress. Now, I apply it to every venture, ensuring success is not left to chance. Ready to crush your goals? Want a high-resolution copy? Follow and DM me!

Running a startup is challenging, and slower than expected growth can be frustrating. If you're experiencing this, it might be time to diagnose the issue. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Strategy: Is your strategy clear? Have you communicated it in a few paragraphs and aligned your leadership team? Can everyone answer the questions, why you exist and how you will succeed? 2. Alignment: Do you have a framework for execution? Are there agreed-upon KPIs that have cascaded down the organization and aligned everyone? 3. Accountability & Transparency: Are all the numbers shared with everyone or just a few leaders? Do you have meetings without the numbers? 4. Clarity: Are roles and job descriptions clear? Do people understand how their work impacts the company? Are there redundant roles? Are you avoiding hard conversations? 5. Leadership: Are your leaders comfortable with the principles above? If not, it might be time for a leadership change. These questions have always improved performance in my experience as a chairman or CEO in venture-backed startups. Remember, this list assumes that you have product-market fit as a product company or differentiation as a services company. #startup #growth #leadership #strategy #alignment #accountability #transparency #clarity #venturecapital