If you’re serious about scaling sustainable revenue — whether from new business or expansion — aligning your Go-to-Market (GTM) and Product data is non-negotiable.

In theory, this should be easy. In practice? It’s a maze.

What’s hard isn’t the end state — that’s quite simple. What’s hard is untangling the mess of your current state: fragmented tools, misaligned metrics, siloed teams, legacy behaviours, and (let’s be honest) a bit of internal politics.

But let’s cut through the noise. Here's what "good" actually looks like — and three actions you can take to get there.

What “Good” Looks Like (It’s Simpler Than You Think)

Forget the buzzwords for a second. A mature, aligned GTM/Product data model should do three things:

Create shared metrics across the entire customer journey
Everyone is working from the same truth — not debating whose dashboard is right.
Enable fast, outcome-driven decisions
Can your team use data to move quickly, drive customer impact, and inform board-level decisions?
Have strong governance that speeds up delivery
Governance shouldn’t be a bottleneck. Done right, it creates clarity and pace.

Is this nirvana? Sure. Few get there. But it’s not out of reach — if you stop overcomplicating the process.

Three Actions to Start the Shift

1. Align on the Metrics That Actually Matter

Start with a simple but powerful set of core business metrics. My go-to five:

New Business Revenue
CAC Payback Period
Gross Revenue Retention (GRR)
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
EBITDA

These aren’t just for finance or the boardroom. They should be front and centre for every function. They tie directly to customer value, operating efficiency, and commercial health.

✳️ Pro tip: Ask each leader, “What do you and your team do to directly influence these metrics?”

2. Cascade Metrics and Eliminate Vanity

Metrics without accountability are just slides. Your next move is to cascade key metrics into each team’s world.

Examples:

Customer Success → Drives GRR and NRR through recurring impact, not just ticket closures.
Sales → Owns CAC payback through effective targeting and onboarding readiness.
Product → Impacts both GRR and NRR by enabling long-term value through adoption.

Vanity metrics? Ditch them. If the number looks good but doesn’t lead to a commercial or customer outcome, it’s noise.

3. Map Your Current State (and Tackle it in Bite-Size Chunks)

This is where most teams trip up. They either don’t take the time to understand their current workflows, or they try to fix everything all at once.

Start with a Sales Bowtie Value Stream Map (VSM). It’s a brilliant tool to visualise how value flows — or doesn’t — from lead to expansion.

Then:

Identify friction points and misalignments.
Prioritise high-impact areas to fix first.
Create a delivery rhythm — with clear ownership, milestones, and executive air cover.

And don’t underestimate this: Culture change is part of the job. Egos, silos, and “this is how we’ve always done it” mentalities will surface. Build for it.

*Sales Bowties VSM that enables to your quickly map the current state/gaps and understand owners, current data, processes, systems (tech stack) and dependences*
*Source: Sales Bowtie is by Winning By Design*

Final Thought: It’s Not About Data — It’s About Execution

Let’s be honest. Every SaaS company wants to be data-driven. But only a few actually turn that intent into execution.

The difference? Simplicity. Accountability. Culture. And a relentless focus on outcomes over optics.

You don’t need perfect data. You need useful data, owned by the right people, used to deliver customer value every single day.

That’s how you scale growth sustainably.

Have you successfully aligned your GTM and Product data? Or are you still in the untangling stage? I’d love to hear your approach, the hurdles, and what’s worked (or not) for you.

SaaS Growth’s Silent Killer: Misaligned GTM and Product Data