The GTM Decision Log: Track Every Decision So You Know What Actually Worked
Most founders can't tell if a GTM change worked because they changed three things at once and never wrote down what they expected. This log forces one decision at a time, one measurable outcome per decision.
What this is: A living record of every go-to-market decision you make, the assumption behind it, and how you'll know if it was right.
Why this matters: Most founders can't tell if a change they made worked because they changed three things at once and never wrote down what they expected. This log forces one decision at a time and one measurable outcome per decision.
How to use it: Make a copy in Notion, Linear, or a plain text file. Update it every time you make a GTM decision. Review it weekly.
Active Decisions (currently being tested)
| Decision | What you decided | The assumption behind it | How you'll measure it | Verdict by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Decision Log
Decision #1
| Field | |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Category | Audience / Positioning / Pricing / Messaging / Outreach / Channel / Ad Creative |
| The decision | |
| The alternative you didn't pick | |
| Why you picked this over the alternative | |
| The assumption this decision relies on | |
| How you'll measure whether the assumption was right | |
| Verdict date | |
| Result | |
| What you learned |
(Copy the block above for each new decision)
The 7 GTM Decisions (reference)
Every GTM decision falls into one of these categories.
| # | Category | The question | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audience | Who has the highest purchase intent for my offer? | Selling to whoever will talk to you instead of your actual ICP |
| 2 | Positioning | Why would buyers pick me over the alternatives? | Listing features instead of owning a specific positioning angle |
| 3 | Pricing | Is my price too high, too low, or optimal? | Copying a competitor's price without validating against your own segment |
| 4 | Messaging | Does my copy convert on my own surfaces? | Writing for yourself instead of scanning for buyer objections |
| 5 | Outreach | Will my cold emails/DMs get a reply? | Using templates instead of writing to a specific person's specific situation |
| 6 | Channel | Where are my buyers and how do I reach them? | Picking a channel based on where you like to spend time, not where your buyers are |
| 7 | Ad Creative | Will my ad stop the scroll? | Optimising for aesthetics instead of hook strength |
Warning signs to watch for
You changed multiple things at once. If you rewrote your landing page and changed your price in the same week, you can't attribute any result to either change. Isolate decisions.
You called it a verdict before you had enough data. For most B2B SaaS metrics: pricing (wait for 20+ decision-points), copy (wait for 200+ visitors), cold outreach (wait for 50+ sends per variant), ads (wait for 500+ impressions per creative).
Your measurement is a vanity metric. "Page views went up" is not a verdict on copy. "Signups per 100 visitors went from 2 to 4" is a verdict. Define the measurement before you make the decision.
You never wrote down the assumption. If you can't state the assumption your decision relies on, you won't know what to update when the result comes in. "I think $49 is the right price" is not an assumption. "I think $49 is in the optimal range for solo SaaS founders because it's below their typical tool budget threshold of $60/mo" is an assumption.
Monthly review questions
At the end of each month, answer these:
- Which GTM decision had the biggest impact this month?
- Which assumption turned out to be wrong?
- What would you have decided differently if you'd validated the assumption first?
- Which decision are you most confident about going into next month?
- What decision are you delaying because you don't have enough signal?
For validated signal on each decision before you commit, use Right Suite.