Growth and go-to-market themes that have emerged over the last 5 years.
June 15, 2025
Over the last five years, the go-to-market (GTM) landscape has transformed at a breakneck pace. The themes I now spend the most time on with my clients reflect a world where technology, customer expectations, and market dynamics are in constant flux.
I often get asked what changes am I seeing in the market, and what challenges companies looking to take the next step and scale are facing … so here’s what’s dominating my advisory conversations in 2025.
And more importantly, why these themes matter now more than ever.
Over the last 5 years, these themes have begun to dominate my advisory conversations.
1. Harnessing AI for lean, high-impact growth
I believe the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will be the single most disruptive force in GTM strategy (if it isn’t already). Five years ago, AI was a buzzword and simplistically, everything evolved around “prompts” and using ChatGPT to do your work or homework. But today, it can be the backbone of efficient and scalable growth.
I am working with clients to embed AI-powered copilots and automation into every aspect of their GTM - from lead and deal generation, campaign management to sales enablement. And the result? Small teams can now achieve what once took teams to execute. Some businesses are generating millions in revenue with just a handful of employees (not my clients yet!).
Key here though is a deep understanding of your processes that naturally require insight derived from multiple sets of data, that then generate inputs and actions down the line. Much of this (if not all) can be automated by the use and deployment of well constructed AI agents (this is what agentic AI is all about).
2. Personalisation at scale
Many in the creative and design industries know this already, but personalisation has shifted from being a “nice-to-have” to a critical differentiator. Thanks to advances in data analytics and generative AI, companies can now deliver tailored experiences to every segment and individual (the once mystical “cohort of 1” scenario) across multiple channels. This isn’t just about email subject lines; it’s about dynamic content, real-time product recommendations, and bespoke customer journeys that drive loyalty and conversion (although it is vital to here to avoid overreach and being seen as “creepy”). The ROI speaks for itself: 70% of businesses using AI-driven personalisation report up to 200% returns.
Key here though is not throwing away the nuances of personalised marketing for “cool tools”. The ability to hone in on more of your ICP (ideal customer profile) is undeniably attractive to businesses looking to scale. But if you are not careful, chasing the volume can quickly erode core brand values and trust, than those are hard to recover. So proceed here with caution.
3. Agile, integrated, and accountable GTM Models
Rigid, siloed GTM playbooks are out (sorry to the many great companies out there with playbooks by the bucket load). A one-size fits all approach has quickly become outdated, and my clients are now building agility, integration, and clear accountability into the processes. Old accountability lines may need to be redrawn … and some traditional hand-offs might not be necessary as smaller teams can achieve more. I’m helping organisations embrace rapid experimentation, continuous feedback loops, and a relentless focus on measurable outcomes.
And the funny thing is, this language is not new … rapid application development (RAD) and “customer at the centre” have been methods and mantras long held by many. The difference now is the data and toolsets exist to allow real time testing and execution of new ideas with next to immediate feedback.
Who would have thought you could use AI generated personas to conduct customer testing?
Key here though is to redesign with the humans in mind. This is not a total handover to the machine. Use the data, AI and other technologies to increase volume and efficiency. But depending on your service and product, human oversight and quality assurance are still vital to ensure no unexpected brand damage is done.
4. Strategic channel and ecosystem expansion
Clients increasingly recognise that growth comes from meeting customers where they are (actually, that’s what customers are now being trained to expect). Whether that’s direct, through partners or via digital marketplaces. I’m spending more time advising on channel segmentation and ecosystem partnerships than ever before.
And I’ve been talking about the power of ecosystem platform models for ever !!!
The goal is simple … how can you optimise every channel to market and still ensure the economics work at scale (I apologise here to all my clients who I have ranted to about unit economics and scale 🙏🏻). Companies that get this right are seeing double-digit growth and significant cost efficiencies.
5. Continuous market intelligence and customer insight
I have always been surprised at how many smaller companies do not use macro and micro market intelligence information as they strategise and plan their growth. With a background in the “big 4”, I realise now how lucky I was to have access to the latest data > information > insight > thought leadership to help my clients tap into powerful growth veins and benchmark the result against best practice.
But the pace of change today means even yesterday’s insights are obsolete.
So I am guiding my clients to invest in ongoing market research (sensing key signals), competitor analysis and customer profiling. This isn’t just about regular surveys, it is real-time data gathering, sentiment analysis and rapidly responding to emerging trends (even small signals). The most successful companies are those that know their customers / clients / buyers deeply and adapt their offerings and messaging accordingly.
And that is no longer the domain of the “top end of town” only, those who can afford to pay for research teams and access to unique data sets. Open source is creating a much more level playing field for all sizes of organisations to get access to the insight they need to make responsive strategic shifts.
Key here though … execution is king. Even if you can now can access valuable market data that highlights hurdles and bumps, twists and turns (that you would not have seen before), you still need to build the internal capabilities to react and react fast.
Why these themes matter now
For me, the data is clear. The old ways aren’t working and smaller to mid-sized companies looking to scale and accelerate growth are failing to generate enough new leads and a healthy pipeline, which of course then has a knock on impact on revenue numbers. And this can lead to unhealthy and reactionary behaviours.
The answer is not to work harder, but to work smarter. And to leverage technology, data, AI and agile thinking to outpace the competition.
As my clients look for new channels for distribution, partners for product and service development and innovative solutions for their customers, the five themes above must be at the heart of every successful growth strategy.
The next five years will belong to those who adapt, integrate, and personalise … at scale and at speed.