Startup Go-to-Market and Founder-Led Sales

About this course

Startup Go-to-Market and Founder-Led Sales (ENT 403) is an applied elective in the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital concentration. Founder-led sales, ICP definition, pipeline building, early pricing, and a 90-day GTM plan with metrics that matter before you hire a sales team.

Prerequisites: ENT 402 recommended. Length: 6 weeks. Assessment: 50% applied project, 30% case work, 20% knowledge checks.

What you will be able to do

• Define ICP and buyer personas with budget and urgency signals
• Run a repeatable founder-led sales motion
• Build outbound and warm-intro pipeline systems
• Price and package for early adopters without destroying unit economics
• Test partnerships and channel experiments
• Deliver a 90-day GTM plan with leading indicators

How the course is organized

Six units, 24 lessons (four per unit). Work in order.

Unit	Topic	Lessons	You will
1	Beachhead Markets and Ideal Customer Profiles	Foundations of Beachhead Markets and Ideal Customer Profiles · Key Concepts and Vocabulary in Beachhead Markets and Ideal Customer Profiles · Frameworks for Analyzing Beachhead Markets and Ideal Customer Profiles · Beachhead Markets and Ideal Customer Profiles: Applied Business Decisions	Apply beachhead markets and ideal customer profiles to your venture
2	Positioning, Messaging and Category Design	Understanding Positioning, Messaging and Category Design · How Positioning, Messaging and Category Design Works in Practice · Evaluating Trade-offs in Positioning, Messaging and Category Design · Positioning, Messaging and Category Design: Case Analysis and Recommendations	Apply positioning, messaging and category design to your venture
3	Founder-Led Sales and Pipeline Creation	The Strategic Logic of Founder-Led Sales and Pipeline Creation · Methods and Models for Founder-Led Sales and Pipeline Creation · Evidence, Metrics and Assumptions in Founder-Led Sales and Pipeline Creation · Founder-Led Sales and Pipeline Creation: From Analysis to Action	Apply founder-led sales and pipeline creation to your venture
4	Channels, Partnerships and Distribution	Core Principles of Channels, Partnerships and Distribution · Designing an Approach to Channels, Partnerships and Distribution · Common Risks and Failure Modes in Channels, Partnerships and Distribution · Channels, Partnerships and Distribution: Practical Decision Exercise	Apply channels, partnerships and distribution to your venture
5	Pricing, Packaging and Revenue Models	The Business Context for Pricing, Packaging and Revenue Models · Tools and Techniques for Pricing, Packaging and Revenue Models · Managing Complexity in Pricing, Packaging and Revenue Models · Pricing, Packaging and Revenue Models: Executive Synthesis	Apply pricing, packaging and revenue models to your venture
6	Building a Repeatable Go-to-Market Engine	Integrating the Elements of Building a Repeatable Go-to-Market Engine · Advanced Questions in Building a Repeatable Go-to-Market Engine · Implementation and Measurement in Building a Repeatable Go-to-Market Engine · Building a Repeatable Go-to-Market Engine: Final Applied Review	Apply building a repeatable go-to-market engine to your venture

Applied work

• ICP and persona dossier
• Founder sales playbook
• Pricing experiment summary
• 90-day GTM plan