We Didn't Have a Go-To-Market Strategy — So We Made One in Google Docs

When we started building UnscriptedVani, we had a story.

What we didn’t have was a Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy.

No funnel charts.No TAM–SAM–SOM breakdown.No buyer personas named Priya, 27, “likes chai and unicorns.”Just a shared Google Doc titled: “Let’s make this work.”

Was it scrappy?Yes.Was it a “real” strategy?Surprisingly… yes.Because what we built in that doc shaped our mindset more than any polished pitch deck ever could.

The GTM panic moment 💻😅

We remember googling “go-to-market for content startup” and getting hit with 15-slide frameworks, MBA-level terms, and 8-step launch plans that assumed we had a team of 12 and a six-month runway.

We had two laptops, Notion fatigue, and a voice we believed in.

So instead of trying to fit into someone else’s version of GTM, we opened a blank Google Doc and wrote this at the top:

“Who are we talking to?Why would they care?How will they find us?”

That became our North Star.

Our DIY GTM (Google Doc Marketing™)

Here’s how we hacked together our go-to-market — not by the book, but by listening, testing, and evolving.

1. We started with vibes. Seriously.

We knew what UnscriptedVani stood for — raw, real stories that cut through the fluff.

So, the first section of our GTM doc wasn’t “target segments.”It was:

“What do we never want to sound like?” Generic startup inspo Force-fitted jargon “How I made 7-figures in 2 months” energy

That helped us define our non-negotiables.Because knowing what you won’t do is often the first step to clarity.

2. Then we stalked our audience. Respectfully.

We weren’t running paid ads or building lead funnels.We were lurking on Reddit, Twitter, and LinkedIn, decoding what early-stage founders, indie creators, and marketing interns were posting at 2AM.

Our notes looked like this:

“People hate overly polished content.” “Everyone’s figuring it out, no one’s saying it out loud.” “Founders want visibility but not vanity.”

These lines didn’t come from dashboards. They came from people.And that’s what made them powerful.

3. We built our ‘channels’ by asking: where do we hang out?

We didn’t want to be everywhere. We wanted to be effective somewhere.

So our GTM channel strategy was literally:

Instagram → for carousels, reels, and reach LinkedIn → for building credibility + founder connects Website → home base for long-form and SEO WhatsApp → our most honest feedback loop

No big campaign. No launch budget.Just consistent value, across the places we already existed.

4. We treated every piece of content like a micro-test.

Instead of planning a grand 3-month strategy, we asked:

“What are we posting this week that teaches us something new?”

One week we tested:

• Founder vs brand voice.

• Long-form vs meme-style reels.

• Soft storytelling vs direct CTAs.

The results weren’t always sexy — but they were honest.And that helped us refine fast.

5. We set real KPIs: Kind People Indicators

While everyone chased clicks, we chased connection.

Our version of early success?

• “This story made me feel seen.”

• “I didn’t know anyone else was building like this.”

• “This didn’t blow up, but I shared it with my co-founder.”

In our GTM doc, the KPI section literally read:

“Build trust. Build resonance.If one reader feels like we’re talking to them — that’s the metric.”

GTM isn’t a playbook. It’s a posture.

We’re not against strategy. We’re just against templates that don’t leave room for soul.

What we built in our Google Doc wasn’t the perfect plan.But it was a living, breathing approach we could actually stick to.

We didn’t need a funnel. We needed a feel. And we knew when something clicked — not because it converted, but because it connected.

The biggest myths we killed while building our GTM:

1. You need paid media to launch well. Nah. You need honest content that spreads through trust.

2. You need a campaign.Sometimes, you just need consistency.

3. You need a full deck to start.You need a clear “why” and a cheap Google Doc.

What our Google Doc GTM gave us:

• Clarity without the corporate jargon

• Agility to pivot every week

• Content that actually reflected our voice

• A way to grow without sounding like everyone else

And most importantly — it helped us stay human while building.

So no, we didn’t have a go-to-market strategy.We had a document with bullet points, bad formatting, and way too many emojis.But that doc helped us build momentum — the kind that doesn’t rely on virality or ads.

This is Unfiltered by Us.Where strategy doesn’t come from slides — it comes from story, soul, and showing up daily.