The 0→1 GTM Playbook: Why Your Web3 Strategy Must Be "Community-First, Not Sales-First
Rick Bakas
The playbook that scales a Web2 SaaS product is the playbook that often kills a Web3 protocol. In Web2, success is Sales-First—you buy your customer. In Web3, the rules are reversed: you must reward your users, who then become your evangelists and growth drivers. If you’re not building a community, you’re just wasting capital on short-term hype.
A Fractional CMO's guide to building an enduring Web3 GTM engine. We break down the fatal flaws of a "sales-first" approach and detail the three pillars of success: strategic community building, incentives as GTM, and ecosystem activation.
The playbook that scales a Web2 SaaS product to $100M ARR is the playbook that often kills a Web3 protocol.
In Web2, the GTM is "Sales-First". You acquire a customer, pay them $0, and charge them $99/month. In Web3, the entire mechanism is reversed. You must first reward your users and partners, who then become your evangelists and growth drivers.
The core difference is simple: a successful Web3 GTM strategy is built on community, token economics, and decentralization. The entire focus shifts from pure customer acquisition to building a loyal, engaged community that feels a sense of ownership.
The Flawed Web2 Approach vs. The Web3 Reality
The Flaw: Over-relying on traditional sales and marketing efforts to acquire customers.
The Reality: Your customers, developers, investors, and partners are all stakeholders. This makes roles like community management more critical than traditional sales. Early adopters often evolve into evangelists, spreading the word and driving organic growth.
The 3 Pillars of a Community-First GTM Engine
1. Strategic Community Building (The Foundation):
Be Present Where They Live: You must build a strong presence on Web3 channels like Discord, Telegram, and Twitter Spaces. You cannot rely on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Create Conditions for Interaction: Don't just make announcements. A community appears when you create conditions for members to interact, creating a unique inner culture based on shared values.
Transparency Builds Trust: Be transparent about your roadmap, listen to user needs, and consistently engage your community with updates on behind-the-scenes development.
2. Incentives as GTM (The Acquisition Tool):
Rewards Over Payments: Instead of paying ad companies, Web3 projects cut the middlemen and reward users directly. This is done via incentives like airdrops, token distribution, and exclusive benefits.
Targeted Airdrops: Use airdrops as a powerful user acquisition tool, but design them to encourage meaningful engagement rather than just a quick claim.
Product-Led Growth: Attract users by letting them experience the product firsthand, such as through free or freemium models, which often leads to organic referrals.
3. Ecosystem Activation (The Scale):
Partnerships are GTM: Collaborate with complementary Web3 projects to expose your project to a new audience and add credibility. Strategically announce these partnerships to maximize their impact.
DAO & Developer Focus: If your product is a Layer 1/DeFi primitive, your GTM must target developers and DAOs. Success is gauged by developer activity and the quality of tools you provide, not just retail users.
In Web3, your GTM strategy is your launch blueprint, covering community growth, partner outreach, and crypto-native positioning to drive adoption. The discipline of a Community-First model is the only way to build trust and scale effectively.
