gtm-product-led-growth

# Product-Led Growth Build self-serve acquisition and expansion motions. But first, figure out if PLG is even the right motion for your product. ## When to Use **Triggers:** - "Should we build PLG or sales-led?" - "How do we drive self-serve adoption?" - "Freemium to paid conversion isn't working" - "Developer-led adoption strategy" - "Which growth channels should we invest in?" - "How do I know if PLG will work?" **Context:** - Developer tools and platforms - B2B SaaS with self-serve potential - Products where value is obvious without demo - Bottom-up adoption motions - Growth channel prioritization --- ## Core Frameworks ### 1. The PLG Reality Check (Test Before You Commit) **What I Learned Running Both Motions in Parallel:** Classic startup debate. PLG camp: "Developers want self-serve." Sales camp: "Enterprises need hand-holding." Instead of arguing, we tested both for 6 months. Same product, two GTM motions, tracked everything. **The Results:** PLG: High volume, low ACV (~$5K), fast time-to-revenue, higher churn. Sales-led: Lower volume, high ACV (~$50K), slower time-to-revenue, lower churn. **Sales won 10x on dollars despite 10x less volume.** **Why:** Product complexity + buyer seniority = sales-led wins. The product required integration with existing infrastructure, change management across teams, and multi-stakeholder alignment. Developers loved self-serve. But they weren't the economic buyer. **PLG works when:** - Value is obvious in first 5 minutes - I...