Understanding Pathfinders

The core disciplines of GTM are sales, marketing, customer success, support, product, and BD. Pathfinders are people who know and embrace all of these disciplines. They have good reason for the confidence and competence they display every day.

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Pathfinders don’t seek to be the best in any specific outbound discipline. They don’t seek long term careers with a specific company, or in a specific department. They like making money as much as anyone, but that is not the root of their motivation.

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Pathfinders want to change the world. They see the value of a product or technology early, and they want to be a big part of making it all happen. They know that every discipline in a company is critical to finding success in the market. Pathfinders are superbly confident that they can do it all, and they’re mistrustful of people who are content living in a department forever. They see everything through the eyes of the prospect.

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A Pathfinder’s goal is to ensure the early team “figures it all out”. They are committed to the idea that prospects and customers must define and validate core GTM strategy and operations with you. They’re almost a part of the company.

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Pathfinders are loyal to the companies they support. They believe deeply in that. They also know where their contribution is most valuable; before a product is validated and accepted by a new market.

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New market entrants display confidence that they know everything about their new market. If they don’t, pathfinders rapidly get them where they need to go. When they actually do - it is a dream come true for pathfinders. Insightful founders gain the ahh-haa moment, and pathfinders help them get there, and help them transition to growth stage leaders.

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Then they fade away.