The SaaS GTM Stack That Actually Drives Revenue
Let’s be real, early-stage GTM is messy. If you’re still chasing your first 10 customers, no fancy stack will save you. At that stage, your unfair advantage is hustle, intuition, and sheer willpower. And as Paul Graham famously said “Do things that don’t scale.”
At this stage, Google Docs, Notion, and messy Excel sheets will do the job.
You’re not scaling you’re discovering.
But once you’ve found your ICP, honed your messaging, and had enough meaningful conversations to sense real intent, it’s time to build a system that can help you accelerate. That’s where your GTM stack comes in. But figuring out where and when to start can be a headache especially with so much noise out there.
Enter the C.A.R.E. Framework.
What is the C.A.R.E. Framework?
Whenever you’re adding a new tool to your GTM stack, you’re essentially doing one of two things: amplifying what already works or removing friction from the sales process. That's it.
In fact, if you map your entire GTM workflow, it all breaks down into four core functions
Collect – Identify the right prospects at the right time
Activate – Reach out with relevant, timely messaging
Remove Barriers – Make it easy for prospects to say yes
Eliminate Friction – Automate the busywork to stay efficient
And if your tool doesn’t push the needle in one of those four areas, then it’s just noise — adding complexity without impact.
Let's break it down further👇
Stage 1: COLLECT – Build Your Targeting Muscle
Your job: Find the right people, at the right moment. The “spray and pray” era is over. You need intent. You need intelligence.
Your toolkit:
ICP Databases: Apollo, Lusha, LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Intent Signals: Bombora, Clearbit Reveal, Albacross
AI Boost: Use Clay or Apollo’s AI filters to auto-build prospect lists based on hiring signals, tech stack, funding, and more.
This stage is your radar. The better your radar, the fewer wasted shots.
Stage 2: ACTIVATE – Reach Out with Relevance
Your job: Start real conversations that don’t feel like templates.
Relevance wins. It always has. But now, you’ve got tools that help you scale it without sacrificing authenticity.
Your toolkit:
These tools help you show up with context, not just contact info.
Stage 3: REMOVE BARRIERS – Make It Easy to Say Yes
Your job: Remove the friction. Remove the “let me get back to you.” Deals don’t die from lack of interest. They die from lack of clarity.
Your toolkit:
Sales Enablement (internal): Notion battle cards, Loom demos, Gong
Buyer Enablement (external): Accord, Recapped, Dock (shared deal rooms with decks, ROI calculators, next steps)
Stage 4: ELIMINATE FRICTION – Automate the Busy Work
Your job: Keep your team selling — not stuck in data entry or tool-hopping hell.
Your toolkit:
Enrichment: Clay, 6sense
The C.A.R.E. Framework isn’t just a nice acronym — it’s a practical lens to make smart decisions about your GTM stack.
The Final Thought
SaaS is noisy.
GTM is chaos — unless you tame it.
With the right amount of C.A.R.E., you’re not duct-taping tools. You’re designing and scaling what works and removing friction in the entire GTM process.
Start small. Start smart. But once you’re ready to scale — don’t guess. Systemize. Because your GTM deserves better than burnout and spreadsheets.