Navigating the Go-to-Market Landscape: A 10-Week Journey of Growth and Learning

In the last quarter of 2023, I was privileged to participate in the Venture for Africa (VFA) Go-to-Market (GTM) Bootcamp, a transformative experience that reshaped my approach to business growth.

Venture for Africa (VFA) is an immersion program and talent community designed to facilitate the transition of experienced local and global non-tech talent into the African startup ecosystem and up the career ladder. VFA provides fast-growing tech companies in emerging markets with access to experienced, non-engineering talent who can hit the ground running through sandbox and immersion programs, get to understand company fit while delivering impactful work, and potentially stay on full-time.

This article chronicles my journey from understanding critical GTM methodologies to the practical application of my skills during the VFA Sandbox Program.

My Bootcamp Learning Journey

A bit of a backstory first.

I am a skilled product and growth marketer with over six years of experience in the African tech ecosystem. I have a proven track record of driving growth for startups and established businesses.

As a Digital Marketing Specialist at uLesson Education, I develop and execute data-driven digital marketing strategies across search engine marketing, social media, email marketing, content marketing, and display advertising to drive brand awareness, user engagement, and lead generation.

Before that, I led the growth team at Engage Messaging where I orchestrated highly successful and innovative marketing campaigns that resulted in significant business growth.

After leaving Engage, I was eager for new challenges and sought job opportunities. That’s how I found out about the Venture for Africa Go-to-market Bootcamp.

The Venture for Africa GTM boot camp is a 10-week program designed to upskill talent across growth and revenue-facing teams so they can better lead growth activities at African tech startups. After applying, I was accepted into the program, and we had our kick-off call on September 14th, 2023.

Through the modules led by experienced experts, I gained insights from their experiences in launching and scaling products. The boot camp exposed me to contextual content, frameworks, playbooks, and practical case studies.

In the next section, I will summarize the modules we covered each week during the VFA GTM Bootcamp.

The Modules Covered Each Week

The VFA GTM Bootcamp was hosted on the Google Classroom LMS, and every Saturday, we received access to the following:

1. The pre-reading material or presentation slides for the live class to be held at 5 PM WAT the following Thursday,
2. A case study assignment based on the training material, which we had to submit by 7 PM the following Tuesday, and
3. An opportunity to submit at least one question for the facilitator.

Before our live classes every Thursday, we usually held a group discussion meeting on Monday where we got together to discuss our thoughts on the upcoming class.

Here are the modules we covered each week:

Module 1 — Understanding GTM Methodologies

This module taught us how to launch products or services using GTM methodologies effectively. We discovered how to analyze product characteristics and market conditions to make informed decisions about the optimal GTM strategy.

What stood out for me was an in-depth discussion about the evaluation criteria to consider for picking the right GTM strategy when considering a range of factors and scenarios.

Mustapha Abokede, an open-minded founder and business executive who strongly believes in practical innovation and partnerships as tools for business growth, facilitated the session.

Module 2 — Conducting Research — Understanding Users and Identifying Opportunities, by Yux Academy

In this module, we were introduced to user research, its significance, and its relevance in GTM strategies. We also discussed strategies on how to align our research objectives with the broader business objectives and received an overview of common research methods.

The module for this week shed light on the immense significance of user research in driving growth for startups. Regardless of the industry, conducting user research is not a luxury but a necessity for startup success. By immersing yourself in the needs, preferences, and behaviours of your target audience, you gain invaluable insights that can shape your strategies and decision-making processes.

Oluchi Audu, a design researcher at YUX Design, a pan-African research and design company with a mission to create digital products and services localized to the African context, facilitated this module.

Module 3 — Persona Optimization Strategies — Buyer Personas and Data-driven Customer Profiling

In this module, we delved into the fascinating world of creating buyer personas or customer profiles and explored how they can significantly impact product development, marketing, and sales strategies. By understanding our target audience on a deeper level, we can tailor our approaches to meet their specific needs and preferences.

Throughout the module, we learned a comprehensive step-by-step process for creating accurate and valuable buyer personas. Armed with this knowledge, I was able to apply these principles to my case study assignment, resulting in a more informed and impactful analysis.

The facilitator for this session was Rym Bachouche, an experienced leader with a strong entrepreneurial drive. With over 14 years at global SaaS company Meltwater, Rym specializes in growth strategies, revenue acceleration, and talent development.

Module 4 — Product Positioning and Messaging

During this module, we covered the essentials of product and brand positioning for startups, the relationship between a company’s target profiles and messaging strategy, and how to nail down the unique selling points.

We also learned about the common mistakes to avoid, how to measure the effectiveness of our positioning, and how to implement corrective steps to refine our strategy.

At the end of this module, I understood that there are three things to remember when I am working on product positioning for any product or service:

1. Your messaging needs to be specific, relevant, and memorable, or else, your product can easily get lost in the crowd.
2. You need to appeal to specific buyers with a clear context of who they are, how your product can solve their particular pain points, and why they should choose your product over other options.
3. Positioning can change over time as you follow your product strategy on the journey to the vision.

This session was facilitated by Thea Sokolowski, who leads marketing and communications for a fast-growing fintech startup in Africa, to build the infrastructure necessary for other digital finance innovations to grow and scale more quickly across the continent.

Module 5 — Experimentation for Go-to-Market Growth

During the session for module 5, we focused on developing hypotheses about market trends and customer preferences, defining metrics to assess market-related outcomes, segmenting audiences for targeted experiments, experimenting with different aspects of marketing activities, and determining which market insights are essential for growth initiatives.

At the end of the session, we received a well-structured approach to designing and running experiments that can be put into action to achieve growth targets.

What struck me most was the four key parts of a good hypothesis, which looked like this:

IF = If [we achieve this in the mind of the consumer]

BY = By [adding, subtracting, or changing these elements]

THEN = Then [this result will occur]

BECAUSE = Because [that will confirm or deny this belief about the customer]

This session was facilitated by Ben Lyon, who spent the first 13 years of his career focused on promoting financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa, culminating in the failure (or hibernation) of his last company in 2023. He is now focused on personal recovery, national renewal, and supporting mission-aligned startup founders.

Module 6 — Customer Acquisition and Sales Pipeline Management

This module was designed to teach us how to grow a business by acquiring customers and managing sales pipelines. During the session, we started by exploring the true cost of acquiring a customer (CAC), how to avoid common CAC pitfalls, how to interpret CAC results, and how to use segmentation and attribution techniques to fine-tune our marketing efforts.

We also received a guide on creating a customized sales pipeline, including lead generation, qualification, and handoff between marketing and sales teams.

This session was facilitated by Ashley Smith who throughout her career, has worked exclusively with early-stage companies in the USA or Africa. In most of her roles, she has acted as a strategy and execution partner with founders/c-suite to get their companies up, running, and generating revenue.

Module 7 — Product Launch and Promotion Strategies

The module for this week provided us with the knowledge and tools necessary to plan, execute, and optimize a successful launch and promotion strategy for any product or service. We also covered how to create an effective launch plan, leverage various marketing strategies, operationalize GTM efforts, and foster alignment between sales and marketing teams.

During the session, one key point that stood out was the often-overlooked nature of the Post-Launch phase. It was emphasized that despite its critical importance, this phase tends to be overshadowed or even ignored in the product launch process. However, neglecting this phase can have detrimental effects on the overall success of a product or service.

By neglecting to evaluate the performance of the launch plan, gather feedback, analyze user behavior, and define a retention strategy, organizations miss out on valuable opportunities for improvement and growth.

The facilitator for this session was Carolyne Mweberi, a certified Senior Product Marketing Manager (PMM) with a keen interest in positioning and scaling new technologies into frontier/emerging markets in Africa.

Module 8 — Full Circle Selling (B2B2C)

This module on full-circle selling focused on key components of the B2B2C business model and provided strategies for managing each stage of the sales process. We also covered topics such as understanding the B2B2C model, when to use a B2B2C solution, stages of B2B2C sales, targeted lead prioritization, handling objections, overcoming resistance, and strategies for onboarding and customer success.

I gained a powerful insight: cultivating strong customer relationships is essential. By prioritizing customer success and implementing effective onboarding strategies, businesses can go beyond transactional sales and foster loyalty for sustainable growth. This session deepened my understanding of B2B2C dynamics and equipped me with strategic skills to excel in this field.

The facilitator for this session was Ann-Elise Francis, who describes herself as an inclusive business nerd, with a particular focus on women’s financial inclusion. She is passionate about using business solutions to create scalable and sustainable impact.

Module 9 — Navigating Strategic Partnerships

During this module, we focused on navigating strategic partnerships and how to identify, establish, and secure valuable partnerships that align with a startup’s objectives and market position. We also learned about effective strategies for developing and sustaining these partnerships, along with expert advice on communication and negotiation techniques.

One of the most notable aspects of the session was the in-depth guidance provided on the critical task of measuring and evaluating the success of partnerships.

The facilitator for this session was Neha Kumar, who is currently the COO at Littlefish, a fintech company with the mission to empower and enable commerce, particularly for nano, micro, and small business owners.

Module 10 — Customer Experience Strategies for Growth

During this module, we gained a deep understanding of the fundamental components of Customer Experience (CX), distinguishing it from Customer Success, and the step-by-step process of developing a robust CX strategy. We also familiarized ourselves with key CX terminology and explored critical strategic questions that arise during strategy development. We discovered the undeniable advantages of prioritizing CX, including enhanced customer satisfaction, increased customer loyalty, and sustainable business growth.

By the end of this session, we acquired the knowledge and practical tools necessary to create and implement a truly impactful CX strategy.

The facilitator for this session was Catherin Wangechi, who currently spearheads strategic sales initiatives across all markets at Cellulant.

My VFA Sandbox Experience

During the third week of the boot camp, we were introduced to the VFA Sandbox Experience where for four weeks, we would work hands-on with a specific company where we were expected to help solve growth challenges.

After my application to join the Sandbox Experience was approved, I was assigned to a SaaS company called Sync to help them solve their growth challenges.

Sync is a project management platform that makes it easy for business owners and busy managers to manage their projects better. At the same time, the Sync platform also has an online freelance marketplace from which these businesses can hire skilled freelance talent.

Here are the growth challenges they were trying to solve and the tasks I was assigned:

1 . Strategic Partnerships:

To research and identify potential partners that could complement Sync’s product. There was also a need to develop criteria for evaluating partnerships and a repeatable plan for approaching potential partners.

Solution: I collaborated closely with the growth team to develop the criteria for evaluating strategic partnerships, which we used to create a list of 50 potential partners. I also created a cold outreach template for reaching out to potential partners via email and social media.

2. Product Positioning and Messaging Challenge:

Sync was striving to improve its product storytelling to capture the attention of potential customers and resonate with them through its messaging. This also meant being in the right place to reach those customers.

Solution: My first step was to collaborate with the marketing team to better define Sync’s ideal customer profile by watching recorded videos of product demo calls and interviewing existing high-valued customers to better understand their company size, industry, and pain points.

After refining the ICPs for each customer segment, I developed a NEEDs assessment plan that addresses their pain points and used that to create a unique value proposition and messaging points for different customer categories and partners.

What happens after the bootcamp?

My VFA GTM Bootcamp experience was top-notch: the course materials were insightful, our facilitators were patient tutors and I had the Sandbox experience to put everything I learned into practice.

After completing the VFA GTM Bootcamp experience, we were inducted into the VFA Alumni Community where we are given premium access to the following benefits:

1. VFA career services to refine your resume and cover letter, and sign up for job interview preparation sessions.
2. Access to job opportunities through the VFA 3-month paid placement program after which candidates may have an opportunity to become full-time employees.
3. Access to office hours with the VFA GTM Bootcamp facilitators who can provide mentorship for any challenge you face on your growth journey.

Are you ready to supercharge your skills or transition into a new role as a revenue growth professional within the startup ecosystem?

If yes, then I strongly encourage you to join the VFA Go-to-Market Bootcamp.

(The team at VFA also recently rolled out a shorter, on-demand, and self-paced version of the program designed as an on-ramp into the full-scale VFA Fintech GTM Bootcamp. It’s called the Fundamentals of Growth program and you can learn more about it below)

Fundamentals of Growth | Venture for Africa

Looking back at my journey as a growth professional, I have come to understand that continuous learning and adaptation are crucial to being relevant in the ever-evolving business landscape.

Feel free to reach out if your business is facing growth challenges or if you’re a marketer and want to geek about what we do. You can connect with me on LinkedIn at Aaron Ejeme.

This article was first published on the VFA Blog.