A 16-20 week installation that codifies the Pragmatic Institute Framework's 37 boxes (Market, Focus, Business, Planning, Programs, Enablement, Support) as a working operating system for product management and product marketing inside a $5-50M ARR B2B SaaS. Every box is scored on a 1-5 maturity rubric anchored to T2D3-defined evidence; every box has an explicit PM/PMM RACI; every customer-facing artefact uses Pain-Claim-Gain. The playbook ends with M8 - the T2D3 proprietary Operating Cadence layer - which converts project-mode activities into BAU rituals (PMM Weekly, Launch Council, Win/Loss Council, Roadmap Council) and applies the STOP framework (Standardize -> Templatize -> Optimize -> Productize) so each box graduates from project into BAU. Outcomes: a launched and adopted positioning document, a working Win/Loss programme covering >=30% of closed-lost deals, Tier-1/2/3 launch playbook in use, >=80% of roadmap items linked to documented market problems, and a maturity score >=3.5/5 average across all 37 boxes. Reference methodology: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Total scope: 8 modules, 31 sections, 75 tasks, ~636 hours of canonical effort.
Lay the market-evidence foundation - customer problems, win/loss insight, distinctive competence, competitive landscape, asset inventory - that every downstream box depends on. Without M1, all downstream boxes are opinion. Weeks 1-4. Prereq for M2-M7. Success criteria: all 5 Market boxes at >=3/5 maturity. T2D3 stages advanced: PMF, T1. STOP step advanced: Standardize.
Score current state of all 37 boxes via stakeholder interviews and artefact review; produce a baseline maturity heat-map and an evidence gap-list for the next 16 weeks. Deliverables: baseline maturity scorecard (37 x 1-5), executive read-out, evidence-gap log.
Run kickoff workshop and publish project charter
Convene CMO, CPO, CRO, and Head of PMM for a 4-hour kickoff to baseline expectations, name the executive sponsor, and lock the 16-week scope. Charter must include in-scope boxes, out-of-scope items, decision-rights map, weekly standup time, and red-flag escalation path. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The charter is the operating contract that defends discovery cadence under sprint pressure for the duration of the engagement.
Score current-state maturity across all 37 boxes (1-5)
Lead a structured 1:1 round (PM lead, PMM lead, RevOps, Sales lead, CS lead) to score every box on the 1-5 anchored rubric, plus an evidence-attached artefact-review per box. Output: a heat-map showing the gap vs. 3.5/5 target average. The standard 1-5 anchors come from the maturity-model literature: 1 ad-hoc, 5 best-in-class evolving - see https://www.growthactivated.com/blog/b2b-marketing-maturity-framework. This baseline is required to set realistic OKR targets and to demonstrate progress against KR1.1 (maturity uplift).
Define PM/PMM RACI for every box and document role aliasing
Map each of the 37 boxes to a Responsible/Accountable/Consulted/Informed assignment across PM, PMM, Sales, CS, and Engineering. Document role aliasing (e.g. Founder=CEO+CRO+CPO at sub-$10M) for orgs that don't have full leadership stack. Reference: https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-product-manager-and-a-product-marketing-manager/. This is a T2D3 IP gap fill - Pragmatic ships PM/PMM at high level; T2D3 ships a 37x5 RACI with role-aliasing.
Conduct 15 voice-of-customer interviews across customers, recent-evaluators-who-bought, and recent-evaluators-who-didn't. Synthesise into the top-10 prioritised market problems using Pervasiveness x Urgency x WTP scoring.
Build ICP-segmented interview list of 15 (5 customers, 5 evaluators-bought, 5 evaluators-didn't)
Pull from CRM the closed-won, closed-lost (last 90 days), and active-evaluation accounts. Use role x segment x deal-stage x recency filters to assemble a 15-person list balanced across champion / economic buyer / technical validator. Saturation usually observed after 5/segment per https://www.themarketingblender.com/interviews-research-b2b-buyer-personas/. The interview list is the gateway artefact - get it wrong and 30 hours of interviews surface no usable evidence.
Draft Pain-Claim-Gain interview guide
Build the 8-prompt + 5-probe Pain-Claim-Gain interview guide; the structure asks Pain (Why change?), Claim (Why you?), Gain (Why now?) and is the same scaffolding used for sales messaging downstream. Reference: https://www.t2d3.pro/learn/b2b-saas-messaging. PCG is the load-bearing T2D3 IP - same scaffolding feeds positioning, ROI calc, and stakeholder updates.
Schedule and run 15 customer / evaluator interviews
Run 15 x 45-minute interviews using the PCG guide. Record (with consent), transcribe via AI, and tag using the snippet taxonomy (problem / JTBD / current-solution / workaround / dollar-impact). Reference saturation discussion: https://www.advanceb2b.com/blog/customer-research-guide-b2b-saas. The 30 hours of interview time is the highest-leverage activity in the playbook - all downstream synthesis depends on transcripts being honest, story-grounded, and tagged.
Stand up the Win/Loss programme - vendor-vs-build decision, interview cadence, deal-coverage targets, synthesis cadence, distribution into the 4 councils. Deliverables: W/L vendor decision, 12-month plan, first 5 interviews complete, W/L Council charter.
Decide W/L vendor (Klue, DoubleCheck, Aventi) vs in-house
Score 3 vendors and 'in-house' on a build/buy/partner rubric (cost x independence x throughput x insight quality x sales receptivity). Reference: https://klue.com/case-study/competitiveenablement-programincreases-win-ratesby-up-to-10 (Community Brands +10% win rate via Klue) and https://klue.com/case-study/driving-double-digit-increases-to-win-rates (Autodesk). The vendor decision is the gate that determines whether W/L hits 30% coverage - in-house programmes that try to scale interview volume without dedicated headcount stall at <10% coverage.
Publish 12-month W/L coverage plan (>=30% of closed-lost)
Define monthly volume target, interview-coverage rule (within 90 days of decision per Pragmatic Box 2), 8-rule compliance per https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/blog/post/bom-win-loss-analysis, and synthesis cadence (monthly insights memo + quarterly W/L Council). The plan is the operating contract that keeps W/L from sliding below 30% coverage when sales hits a quota crunch.
Run first 5 W/L interviews and publish first insights memo
Build the competitive landscape and ship FIA-structure battlecards for the top 5 competitors. 71% of teams using battlecards report win-rate lift (93% of those >20%). Deliverables: competitive landscape matrix; 5 battlecards in CMS; quick-dismiss cards.
Build competitive landscape matrix (top 5 competitors + 3 alternatives)
Identify top 5 named competitors and 3 alternative-paths-of-action (status quo, internal build, point solution). Compare on capability x pricing x ICP fit x stated weaknesses. Reference: https://klue.com/blog/competitive-battlecards-101. The matrix anchors all downstream battlecard, demo, and objection-handler content - skip it and reps will improvise inconsistent answers in deals.
Build and ship FIA-structure battlecards for top 5 competitors
Ship 5 one-page battlecards using the Fact-Impact-Act structure (context, why-it-matters, talk-track + follow-up). 71% of teams using battlecards report win-rate improvement per https://discover.gtmplaybook.co/competitive-battlecard-template. Battlecards are the highest-ROI piece of sales enablement - they are the first sales artefact reps actually open mid-deal.
Articulate the company's distinctive competencies and inventory all assets (technical, skill, service, IP, partner) that the GTM motion can leverage. Deliverables: distinctive-competencies brief, asset inventory.
Articulate distinctive competencies (rare x valuable x inimitable x organised)
Run the 4-test rubric on candidate competencies: are they rare? valuable to the buyer? hard to imitate? organisationally embedded? Output: 1-page brief listing 3-5 distinctive competencies. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/distinctive-competencies/. The brief is the input to positioning canvas (M3) and BBP decisions (M2).
Inventory technical / skill / service / IP / partner assets
Build an asset inventory across 5 categories - technical (data, infra, IP, models), skill (named-employee expertise), service (offerings, SLAs), IP (patents, trademarks, code), partner (channel, alliance) - to feed downstream M2 build/buy/partner decisions. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/asset-assessment/. The inventory is essential to BBP decisions - without it, the company defaults to 'build everything' which is the dominant Series B-D failure mode.
Leadership readout - Market category complete
Present M1 deliverables (top-10 problems, W/L plan, battlecards, distinctive competencies, asset inventory) to leadership. Confirm M2 scope and gate progression. Reference Pragmatic top-of-funnel guidance: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Gate readouts protect the cadence by formally closing each module before opening the next - skip them and modules slip into perpetual rework.
Translate market evidence into segmentation, distribution, portfolio and roadmap focus. Decide what to do, what not to do, and what to build/buy/partner for. Weeks 4-6. Success criteria: market segmentation rubric in use; portfolio strategy doc reviewed by exec; published roadmap with market-problem traceability >=80%. T2D3 stages advanced: T1, T2. STOP step advanced: Standardize -> Templatize.
Translate the top-10 market problems into segment definitions (TAM/SAM/SOM x ICP fit) so the company's GTM focus is anchored in segment economics, not founder intuition. Deliverables: segment map, ICP fit scorecard, segment economics summary.
Define 3-5 target market segments with TAM/SAM/SOM
Map each top-10 problem to a candidate segment (firmographics x tech-stack x maturity). Calculate TAM/SAM/SOM per segment and apply the ICP-fit scorecard. Reference: https://www.saashero.net/strategy/b2b-saas-target-market-personas/. Segmentation is the operating mechanism that prevents the company from chasing every opportunity - downstream channel + portfolio + roadmap decisions all anchor here.
Pick distribution channels per segment (direct / partner / PLG / channel)
For each segment, pick the dominant channel from buying-process evidence in the W/L data (direct sales, partner-led, PLG self-serve, channel reseller). Output: a channel x segment matrix. Reference: https://www.aha.io/roadmapping/guide/templates/create/pragmatic-framework. The matrix prevents channel-thrash where the company sells direct to enterprises and PLG to SMBs simultaneously without explicit budget per channel.
Integrate products into a coherent portfolio so each product has a defined role (cash cow / growth bet / strategic placeholder) and the portfolio is managed at exec-level. Deliverables: portfolio strategy doc, portfolio review cadence.
Publish portfolio strategy doc (each product's role)
Classify each product as cash-cow / growth-bet / strategic-placeholder / divest-candidate. Define investment rule per class. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The doc is the operating mechanism that keeps the portfolio from drifting into a 'we have a feature for everyone' value prop - exec applies the investment rule when the next ask comes in.
Refactor the roadmap so >=80% of items are linked to a documented market problem. The roadmap is a vision-and-phases document, not a delivery commitment. Deliverables: refactored roadmap, traceability log, feature-request triage process.
Refactor roadmap - >=80% items linked to market problems
Audit current roadmap; for each item, attach the linked market-problem ID from M1.S2 or mark as 'no-evidence' (which becomes a backlog item until evidence is gathered). Target >=80% linkage. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. KR2.1 is the single best leading indicator of whether the playbook moves the outcome - traceability protects against the 'features shipped, outcomes flat' anti-pattern.
Install feature-request triage process - reduce noise ratio 50%
Build the inbound triage SOP: every request must attach (a) source customer/segment, (b) market-problem hypothesis, (c) evidence-of-pervasiveness link, (d) commercial impact. Requests without evidence go to a 'needs validation' backlog. KPI: noise ratio (requests without evidence / total) drops 50%. Reference: https://figr.design/blog/feature-request. Noise ratio is the lever that protects roadmap focus - without it, everyone's pet feature ends up in 'considering'.
For top 3 capability gaps, run a structured build/buy/partner decision per Pragmatic Box 10. Deliverables: 3 BBP decision memos.
Run build/buy/partner on top 3 capability gaps
Identify top 3 gaps from the asset inventory + competitive matrix; score each on cost x time-to-market x strategic fit x control x risk. Output: 3 decision memos. Reference Pragmatic Box 10: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. BBP is the operating mechanism that prevents 'build everything' default - which kills Series B-D companies via R&D overhang.
Leadership readout - Focus category complete
90-min gate readout: segment map, channel strategy, portfolio doc, roadmap traceability, BBP decisions. Confirm M3 scope. Reference https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Module-end readouts are the durable cadence layer that keeps the playbook on its 16-20 week track.
Establish positioning, buyer journey, pricing, and product-profitability discipline. Convert market focus into a coherent commercial thesis. Weeks 5-9. Success criteria: positioning doc published and quiz-validated by >=90% of customer-facing staff; buyer-journey map in CRM; pricing model documented; product-profitability dashboard live. T2D3 stages advanced: T1, T2. STOP step advanced: Templatize.
Build a Sales-readable positioning document using April Dunford's 5-component canvas (competitive alternatives, differentiated capabilities, differentiated value, best-fit customers, market category). Userlist achieved measurable sales-effectiveness lift after applying this method. Deliverables: positioning doc, sales pitch storyboard, positioning quiz.
Build Dunford 5-component positioning canvas
Anchor positioning on competitive alternatives, differentiated capabilities, differentiated value, best-fit customers, market category. Use M1 W/L data + M2 segment work as inputs. Reference: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-advanced-b2b-positioning and https://userlist.com/blog/positioning-overhaul/. Positioning is the load-bearing artefact for downstream M5 marketing + M6 sales enablement - it is the highest-leverage 16 hours in the playbook.
Roll out positioning to all customer-facing roles + quiz validate >=90%
Run a 60-min training for all customer-facing staff (Sales, CS, SDR, BDR, channel partners). Distribute the 5-component canvas + sales pitch storyboard. Validate retention with a 10-question positioning quiz; target >=90% pass rate. Reference: https://medium.com/@aprildunford/startup-positioning-a-template-c15b010827de. The quiz is the durability mechanism - without it, the positioning canvas decays into 'the doc on the shared drive nobody opens'.
Document the buyer journey for each priority segment - from trigger to purchase to onboarding - and instrument it in CRM so PMM can measure stage-level conversion. Deliverables: buyer-journey map, CRM stage instrumentation, journey KPIs.
Map buyer journey for top 3 segments
For each priority segment, document trigger -> research -> evaluation -> decision -> purchase -> onboarding -> expansion. Use W/L data and 5-10 buyer interviews per segment. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 14. The map is the input to M4 personas, M5 nurture programs, and M6 demo flow - it identifies the content gaps that drive conversion at each stage.
Instrument buyer-journey stages in CRM
Add buyer-journey-stage fields to opportunity object; add stage-transition validation rules; build dashboard. Enables PMM to measure stage-level conversion and identify content/messaging gaps. Reference: https://klue.com/customers/case-studies (Autodesk improved CRM data hygiene). Without instrumentation, PMM has no way to attribute content investment to deal-stage uplift - and CFO will eventually defund.
Document the current pricing model and stand up a product-profitability dashboard. Out-of-scope: a full pricing redesign (covered by Playbook 3 - Monetizing Innovation). Deliverables: pricing one-pager, product-profitability dashboard schema. Pricing-redesign sub-track is feature-gated when customer.has_pricing_program == false && customer.activates_pricing_packaging == false.
Document current pricing model and gaps
Document the current pricing model (per-seat, per-usage, value-metric, hybrid), publish guidance for sales discount approvals, and flag pricing-model gaps for handoff to a future Playbook 3 engagement. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 15. This task is part of the pricing-redesign sub-track that's feature-gated - if customer.has_pricing_program == false && customer.activates_pricing_packaging == false, the deeper redesign is skipped here.
Stand up product-profitability dashboard (revenue x COGS x CAC by product)
Build a per-product profitability dashboard tying revenue -> COGS -> CAC -> contribution margin. Used by exec to make portfolio investment decisions. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 11. Without dashboard, portfolio strategy decisions stay opinion-based - CFO defaults to keeping the cash cow alive past its sell-by date.
Stand up the innovation pipeline so 3+ market problems have explicit 'in-discovery' experiments before being committed to roadmap. Deliverables: innovation pipeline tracker, 3 active experiments.
Stand up innovation pipeline tracker (Discovery -> Validate -> Build)
Build the 3-stage tracker - Discovery (problem hypothesis + evidence) -> Validate (assumption test + outcome) -> Build (committed roadmap). Refer 3 candidate problems from M1.S2 into Discovery. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 12. The tracker enforces 'evidence before commit' - protects from the no-evidence fast-track that creates feature debt.
Leadership readout - Business category complete
Gate readout - positioning, buyer-journey, pricing, product-profitability dashboard, innovation pipeline. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The third gate readout - establishes that the commercial thesis is locked before M4 personas land.
Define personas, requirements, scenarios, and the business case that anchor the next 12 months of investment. Weeks 7-11. Success criteria: 3-5 buyer personas + 2-3 user personas published; requirements >=80% linked to market problems; 12-month business case board-approved. T2D3 stages advanced: T1, T2. STOP step advanced: Templatize.
Build 3-5 buyer personas (champion / economic buyer / technical validator) and 2-3 user personas anchored in interview evidence and W/L data. Deliverables: 3-5 buyer personas, 2-3 user personas, persona-asset matrix.
Build 3-5 buyer personas with interview evidence
Build personas from M1 interviews + W/L + buyer-journey work. Each persona must include: role, JTBD, decision criteria, objection patterns, content needs, watering holes, source-evidence link. Reference: https://www.saashero.net/strategy/b2b-saas-buyer-personas-gtm/. Personas without evidence anchors quickly drift into marketing fantasy - source-evidence link is the discipline that keeps them honest.
Build 2-3 user personas (distinct from buyer)
Define the actual product users (often distinct from buyers - e.g., the IC who uses the tool daily vs. the manager who buys). Each user persona: workflow, pain points, success metrics. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 17. The buyer/user split is foundational - skipping it produces marketing that targets the buyer with messaging the user actually uses.
Map persona x asset matrix (which content for whom, when)
Build a matrix mapping each persona to the highest-value content asset by buyer-journey stage (3-min demo for Champion, security one-pager for Validator, ROI for Economic Buyer, DPA/SLA for Procurement). Reference: https://www.delve.ai/blog/saas-buyer-personas. The matrix is the operating mechanism that prevents marketing-content overlap and surface gaps - critical input to M5 nurture and M6 sales enablement.
Convert prioritised market problems into requirements with use-scenario stories. Every committed requirement traces to a market problem. Deliverables: prioritised requirements, top-10 use scenarios.
Prioritise requirements via RICE + market-problem traceability
Refactor requirements with RICE scoring (Reach x Impact x Confidence / Effort) plus mandatory market-problem link. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 18. RICE alone is gameable; the market-problem link constraint is the discipline that keeps requirements honest.
Write top-10 use scenarios as stories
For each top-10 market problem, write a use-scenario story illustrating the problem, current workaround, and desired outcome. Stories drive product spec, sales pitch, and marketing content. Reference Pragmatic Box 19: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/framework-box/use-scenarios/. Use-scenario stories are the connective tissue between PM (writes the spec) and PMM (writes the sales pitch) - same artefact serves both.
Stand up the stakeholder communication plan - who hears what, when, in what format. Eliminates the most common Pragmatic-installation failure: leadership feels uninformed. Deliverables: stakeholder comms plan, monthly newsletter v1.
Build stakeholder communication plan (audience x cadence x format)
Map stakeholder audiences (CEO, exec team, Sales, CS, Eng, Board) x cadence (weekly / monthly / quarterly) x format (Slack, email, council, board pack). Pre-empts cross-functional alignment failure (one of the top product-launch failure modes per https://hbr.org/2011/04/why-most-product-launches-fail). The comms plan defends the cadence - without it, leadership feels uninformed and the playbook gets defunded.
Build the 12-month business case for the product organisation - investment, expected outcomes, risk register - to anchor next year's planning. Deliverables: business case (3-statement + sensitivity), risk register.
Build 12-month product business case (3-statement + sensitivity)
Integrate portfolio strategy, pricing, profitability, persona x asset gaps, and roadmap into a 12-month business case with bull/base/bear sensitivity. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 21. The business case is the artefact that survives CFO scrutiny - if it can't, the playbook outputs cannot anchor next year's planning.
Leadership readout - Planning category complete
Gate readout - personas, requirements, use scenarios, stakeholder comms, business case. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Module readout is the operating mechanism that locks scope before M5 Programs investment - skip it and Programs scope creeps into M3-M4 territory.
Operationalise marketing - plan, growth, retention, launch, awareness, nurturing, advocacy, measurement. The 'engine room' of customer acquisition and expansion. Weeks 10-15. Success criteria: marketing plan published; Tier-1/2/3 launch playbook live and used on next launch; awareness/nurturing/advocacy programmes have named owners and KPIs. T2D3 stages advanced: T2, D1. STOP step advanced: Optimize.
Translate strategy into a 12-month marketing plan with awareness, nurturing, advocacy programmes, and measurement. Deliverables: 12-month marketing plan, awareness/nurturing/advocacy programme briefs.
Publish 12-month marketing plan (Box 22)
Anchor on segments + personas + buyer-journey stages. Plan must cover quarterly themes, demand-gen targets, channel mix, and budget. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 22. The plan is the operating contract for the next 12 months of marketing investment - locks pipeline targets, channel mix, and budget per quarter.
Brief awareness programme (Box 26)
Define the 12-month awareness programme (PR, thought leadership, events, paid). Each tactic must specify owner, target, KPI, budget. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 26. Awareness is hardest to measure and easiest to defund - the brief locks budget per tactic so demand-gen doesn't cannibalize brand investment.
Brief nurturing programme (Box 27)
Define the lifecycle nurture programme - sequences by persona x journey stage. Owner: Demand Gen. Use buyer-journey map as input. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 27. Nurture is the highest-ROI marketing motion in B2B SaaS but only when persona x stage targeting is precise - otherwise it becomes spam that erodes opt-in.
Brief advocacy programme (Box 28)
Stand up the customer advocacy programme: identify >=10 willing references, build customer reference programme, map advocates to use-cases for content. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/articles/product/building-better-customer-reference-programs/. Advocacy is the durable competitive moat - referrals + reviews + case studies compound while paid acquisition costs rise.
Stand up measurement scorecard (Box 29)
Build the marketing measurement scorecard tying programmes -> outputs -> KPIs -> corporate ARR. PMA 2024 found 88.1% of PMMs track role-specific KPIs but 35.6% have no dedicated budget - measurement is the budget-justification engine. Reference: https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/state-of-product-marketing-report/. Without scorecard, marketing investment defaults to last-touch attribution which kills brand and nurture investment.
Define plans and budgets for new-customer revenue (Box 23) and retention/expansion (Box 24). Deliverables: revenue growth plan, retention plan.
Build revenue growth plan (Box 23) - new customer pipeline + budget
Revenue growth plan: pipeline generation targets per quarter, channel mix, budget, role allocation. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 23. The plan is the artefact CFO and CRO co-sign - it is the input to next year's budget cycle.
Build retention plan (Box 24) - NRR + expansion + churn
Retention plan: NRR target, expansion-revenue plan, churn-prevention motions, customer lifecycle management cadence. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/ box 24. NRR is the highest-leverage SaaS metric - 1 point of NRR uplift compounds across the entire installed base.
Install the Tier-1/2/3 launch playbook so launch investment matches market impact, not internal effort. Pragmatic's official guidance plus T2D3 launch-readiness scoring. Deliverables: Launch tier decision tree, Tier-1/2/3 runbooks, readiness scorecard, Launch Council charter.
Build Launch Tier decision tree (Tier 1 / 2 / 3) - Box 25
Decision tree based on market+business impact (not effort). Tier 1 = brand-defining; Tier 2 = meaningful feature; Tier 3 = minor/maintenance. Per https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/articles/product/prioritize-product-launch-resources-with-launch-tiers/ market and business impact are the drivers, not development effort. Tier discipline is the highest-ROI installation in M5 - it ends the 'every launch is Tier 1' over-investment pattern.
Build Tier 1, 2, 3 launch runbooks
Per Tier: prep timeline, deliverables checklist, channel mix, comms plan, success KPIs. Tier 1 = 6-8 weeks prep with full GTM; Tier 2 = 2-4 weeks; Tier 3 = <1 week. Reference: https://discover.gtmplaybook.co/product-launch-plan-template-b2b-saas. Per-tier runbooks are the operating mechanism that prevents Tier 1 over-investment and Tier 3 under-investment.
Build launch readiness R/A/G scorecard
5-dimension R/A/G: message clarity, asset completeness, demo reliability, support readiness, measurement setup. Red = blocked; Amber = proceed with named owner + fix-by; Green = go. Reference: https://discover.gtmplaybook.co/product-launch-checklist. The scorecard is the gate that prevents under-prepared launches that backfire with sales/CS frustration.
Wrap-up section. Pure gate readout deck before Programs gate. Single-task section - exempt from 8-task floor per Decision 2 (sign-off kind). Deliverables: M5 gate readout.
Leadership readout - Programs category complete
Gate readout - marketing plan, growth/retention plans, awareness/nurture/advocacy briefs, launch tier playbook, pilot launch retro. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. M5 is the heaviest module - this readout is the gate that locks the marketing operating system before M6 Enablement attempts to execute it.
Equip sales (direct and channel) with messaging, content, tools, and training so the customer-facing motion executes consistently. Weeks 12-17. Success criteria: battlecards on top 5 competitors live; sales tool kit (demo, ROI calculator, one-pagers) shipped; sales certified on positioning quiz >=90%; channel curriculum if applicable. T2D3 stages advanced: T2, D1. STOP step advanced: Optimize -> Productize.
Stand up the Sales-PMM alignment SLA so Sales operates with current battlecards, demos, ROI calculators, and certified messaging. Deliverables: Sales-PMM SLA, sales-content portal.
Document Sales-PMM SLA (Box 30)
SLA covers: response time on competitive escalations, freshness of battlecards, monthly competitive update, quarterly W/L share-back. Reference Pragmatic Box 30: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Without SLA, Sales escalations get triaged ad hoc; PMM ends up firefighting urgent battlecards mid-deal which is the dominant Sales-PMM friction pattern.
Build the content library and sales-tool kit (battlecards covered in M1; here we add demo flows, ROI calculator, one-pagers, FAQ, objection handlers). Deliverables: content library taxonomy, demo flow, ROI calculator, persona one-pagers.
Build content library taxonomy + brief template (Box 31)
Define content taxonomy (asset type x persona x journey-stage x tier) + content brief template. Connect to persona x asset matrix from M4. Reference Pragmatic Box 31: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Without taxonomy, content library becomes a dumping ground that sales reps stop opening - taxonomy + tagging is the durability layer.
Build demo flow + ROI calculator (Box 32)
Build the standard sales demo flow (15-min) anchored on top-3 use scenarios, plus a Pain-Claim-Gain ROI calculator buyers can self-serve. Reference Pragmatic Box 32: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Demo + ROI are the load-bearing sales artefacts - reps reuse them in every deal; weak demos are the #1 reason discovery calls don't progress.
Build top-15 objection handlers
From W/L data + sales floor input, document 15 most common objections with Pain-Claim-Gain talk-tracks and proof references. Reference: https://klue.com/blog/competitive-battlecards-101. Objection handlers are the highest-velocity sales artefact - reps hit one objection per call and need ready talk-tracks rather than improvisation.
Ship persona one-pagers (champion / EB / validator)
Per-persona one-pager (Champion enabler, Economic Buyer ROI, Technical Validator security/integration). Reference: https://www.delve.ai/blog/saas-buyer-personas. The one-pager is the leave-behind that converts a 30-min sales call into a 24-hour internal advocacy moment - critical for Champion enablement.
Design and deliver the curriculum that certifies sales (and channel partners if applicable) on positioning, objection handling, and use-scenarios. Deliverables: training curriculum, certification quiz, channel-partner pack (if applicable). Channel-partner pack is feature-gated when customer.has_channel_motion == true.
Build sales certification curriculum
4-module curriculum: positioning, personas, use scenarios, competitive. Each module ends in a quiz; pass rate >=90% to certify. Reference Pragmatic Box 33: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Certification is the operating mechanism that converts the M3-M6 artefacts from a one-time training into recurring competence - new hires onboard against the same bar.
Build channel-partner enablement pack (if applicable)
If the company has channel partners: pack with positioning, battlecards, demo, deal-reg process. Optional task - skip if no channel motion. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Channel partners speak the customer's language only when given the same tools as direct sales - skipping the pack creates inconsistent customer experience.
Leadership readout - Enablement category complete
Gate readout - Sales-PMM SLA, content taxonomy, demo flow, ROI calculator, objection handlers, persona one-pagers, certification curriculum, channel pack. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The M6 readout closes the Enablement gate - confirms sales is operationally ready before M7 Support investment.
Provide market and solution information for events, operations, channels, and internal programmes so PMM serves as the connective tissue across the company. Weeks 14-18. Success criteria: event kits ready for next 2 quarters; ops/CS readiness documented; channel partner pack live; programme collateral system in use. T2D3 stages advanced: T2, D1. STOP step advanced: Productize.
Provide market and solution information to internal programmes and operations functions (CS, Support, IT, Finance) so they speak the same product language. Deliverables: programmes-collateral pack, ops-readiness pack.
Build programmes-collateral pack (Box 34)
Centralised pack of approved logos, narratives, customer stories, key stats for use in marketing programmes (paid, social, partner co-marketing, sponsorships). Reference Pragmatic Box 34: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The pack prevents the 'six versions of the same logo' chaos that creates brand inconsistency across paid, social, and partner co-marketing.
Build ops-readiness pack for CS / Support / IT (Box 35)
Pack with the messaging, positioning, FAQ, and decision-tree CS/Support need to handle inbound requests consistently with sales-facing messaging. Reference Pragmatic Box 35: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Without ops-readiness, support gives different answers than sales - which surfaces in churn surveys as 'product is not what was sold'.
Equip the events function with consistent narrative, talk tracks, and follow-up content for the next 2 quarters of conferences, webinars, and CABs. Deliverables: events kit, 2-quarter event calendar.
Build events kit (Box 36)
Kit covers: booth narrative, 5-min and 15-min talk tracks per persona, leave-behind one-pagers, follow-up email sequences. Reference Pragmatic Box 36: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Events are time-boxed; without a kit, every event becomes a one-off scramble that buries PMM bandwidth and yields inconsistent narrative.
Stand up Customer Advisory Board (CAB) charter
CAB with 8-12 members across segments. Quarterly cadence (sweet spot per https://customeradvisoryboard.org/). Charter covers scope, decision rights (advisory vs. approval), confidentiality, member curation, agenda template. CAB is the highest-leverage feedback loop in B2B SaaS - 8-12 strategic customers who shape roadmap and serve as references.
Equip the channel function (Box 37) with the same kit so partners speak the company's language. Mark N/A if no channel motion. Channels info pack is feature-gated when customer.has_channel_motion == true. Deliverables: channels enablement kit (or marked N/A).
Provide channel info pack (Box 37)
If channel motion: provide market and solution information (positioning, battlecards, persona, demo) for partner enablement. Otherwise mark N/A. Reference Pragmatic Box 37: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The info pack is the v2 channel pack post-Pragmatic-installation - includes the polished M3-M6 artefacts.
Leadership readout - Support category complete
Gate readout - programmes pack, ops pack, events kit, CAB charter, channels pack. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. M7 readout closes the GTM-execution gate before M8 cadence stand-up - confirms PMM is ready to be the connective tissue across the company.
Convert project-mode rigour into BAU. Install the four councils (PMM Weekly, Launch Council, Win/Loss Council, Roadmap Council) with charters, agendas, KPIs, and the 37-box maturity scorecard. Apply STOP-promotion checklist so every box graduates from project to BAU. Apply the Syntropy capacity model to map Scribes/Sculptors/Engineers/Navigators to box ownership at $5M / $20M / $50M ARR. Weeks 16-20 (parallel-finishing during M5-M7). Success criteria: 4 councils operating with attendance >=80%; maturity scorecard average >=3.5/5; Syntropy capacity model adopted by HR/Finance for next hiring plan. T2D3 stages advanced: D1. STOP step advanced: Productize (full graduation to BAU).
Stand up the four councils - PMM Weekly, Launch, Win/Loss, Roadmap - with charters, agendas, KPIs, and decision-rights maps. The councils are the BAU rituals that keep the 37 boxes alive after the consultant leaves. Each task IS a recurring rhythm (operating cadence), not a one-off workstream - exempt from 8-task floor per Decision 2 (cadence kind). Deliverables: 4 council charters, 4 agenda templates, attendance log.
Stand up PMM Weekly stand-up
30-min weekly with PMM team + cross-functional partners (PM lead, Sales lead, CS lead). Standing agenda: 3 KPIs (positioning quiz adoption, launch readiness, W/L coverage), 1 risk, 1 decision needed. Reference: https://travismay.medium.com/building-the-right-operating-cadence-6c608fd142e1. PMM Weekly is the primary BAU rhythm that keeps positioning + launches + W/L on the agenda - skip and the playbook decays in 6 months.
Stand up Launch Council
Weekly 60-min Launch Council - every active launch reviewed on tier-correctness and R/A/G readiness. Voting members: CMO, CPO, CRO. Tier 1 launches require unanimous green. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/articles/product/prioritize-product-launch-resources-with-launch-tiers/. Launch Council is the durable cadence layer that keeps tier discipline alive after the pilot - without it, tier creep returns within 2 quarters.
Stand up Win/Loss Council
Quarterly 90-min Win/Loss Council - synthesise W/L into 3 actionable signals for product, sales, marketing. Output: per-quarter insights memo with named owners and 30-day action SLA. Reference Autodesk's W/L distribution becoming 'one of most-consumed CI resources globally' per https://klue.com/case-study/driving-double-digit-increases-to-win-rates. Quarterly cadence is the sweet spot - monthly burns out the synthesis function; annual loses signal continuity.
Stand up Roadmap Council
Monthly 90-min Roadmap Council - review innovation pipeline, traceability KPI (>=80%), and roadmap-vs-W/L alignment. Voting: CPO, CMO, CRO. Reference Pragmatic Box 9: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Roadmap Council is the operating mechanism that keeps the M2.S3 traceability KPI from decaying - monthly visibility prevents drift.
Re-score all 37 boxes; apply the STOP-promotion checklist per box; publish a maturity-uplift report. Deliverables: end-of-installation scorecard, STOP-promotion log, uplift report.
Re-score 37 boxes; target average >=3.5/5
Repeat the M1.S1 baseline scoring with the same 5 stakeholder cohorts. Compute uplift vs. baseline and publish heat-map. Reference https://www.16volts.com/blog/the-product-marketing-maturity-matrix. Re-scoring is the proof point that maturity actually moved - without it, KR1.1 stays directional rather than measurable.
Apply STOP-promotion checklist per box (Standardize -> Templatize -> Optimize -> Productize)
For each of the 37 boxes, determine the STOP step it has reached: Standardize (documented), Templatize (template in use), Optimize (KPI improving), Productize (BAU council owns). Produce promotion log with target step for next 6 months. Reference T2D3 STOP framework at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. STOP-promotion is the T2D3 IP gap fill - converts the playbook from a 16-week project into an ongoing maturity-uplift programme.
Apply the Syntropy job-family taxonomy (Scribes, Sculptors, Engineers, Navigators) to every Pragmatic box and produce a capacity-planning model at $5M / $20M / $50M ARR. Deliverables: Syntropy box-ownership map, capacity model, hiring plan recommendation.
Map Syntropy job-family to box ownership (37 x 4 matrix)
Each box gets a primary Syntropy owner: Scribe (content/voice-of-customer/comms), Sculptor (design/CRO), Engineer (systems/RevOps), Navigator (strategy/exec). Output: 37 x 4 matrix. Reference T2D3 Syntropy taxonomy at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Syntropy mapping is the T2D3 IP gap fill - Pragmatic stops at PM/PMM split; T2D3 ships a job-family taxonomy that extends to all 37 boxes.
Build Syntropy capacity model at $5M / $20M / $50M ARR
Capacity model: at $5M ARR, how many Scribes/Sculptors/Engineers/Navigators? At $20M? At $50M? Anchored on box-ownership map and 1:3 PMM:PM ratio benchmark per https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/state-of-product-marketing-report/. The capacity model is the artefact that anchors next year's hiring plan - without it, hiring stays opinion-driven and the maturity score reverts.
Final readout - graduation from project to BAU. Confirm councils are running, scorecard average >=3.5, KRs hit. Hand-off to ongoing PMM org. Final exec/board readout, retrospective, and graduation memo - closes the playbook. Three tasks - exempt from 8-task floor per Decision 2 (sign-off kind). Deliverables: final readout deck, graduation memo, retrospective.
Final readout to executive team and board
90-min readout covering: maturity uplift, KR achievement, council running status, capacity model, 6-month roadmap. Pre-read 48h ahead per board-pack standards. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Final readout is the artefact that locks board and exec endorsement of the playbook outputs - without it, the next CFO reset can defund the cadence.
Run installation retrospective; document lessons + 6-month plan
Cross-functional retro: what worked, what didn't, what's next. Output: retrospective document + 6-month plan to keep maturity score climbing. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Retro is the operating mechanism that converts lessons into the next 6-month iteration - without it, the playbook stops at end-of-installation snapshot.
Project graduation - hand-off to BAU
Sign-off graduation memo: project-mode -> BAU. PMM team owns ongoing 4 councils, maturity scorecard, STOP promotion. Final task - closes the playbook. Reference: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. Graduation is the formal hand-off artefact - without it, ownership stays ambiguous and the next leadership transition unwinds the cadence.
Synthesise transcripts into ranked market-problem statements
Code transcripts, cluster into market-problem statements, and rank by Pervasiveness x Urgency x Willingness-to-Pay (1-5 anchored per axis). Output: top-10 prioritised problems and a one-pager per problem. Reference Pragmatic Box 1: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/framework/. The PUR-WTP rank is the input to every downstream module - segmentation (M2), positioning (M3), personas (M4), use scenarios (M4), launch tiers (M5).
Run 5 W/L interviews (3 lost, 2 won) within 90 days of decision. Synthesise into a memo with reasons-to-buy, reasons-not-to-buy, and 3 actionable changes. Reference 30% closed-lost coverage benchmark per https://www.userintuition.ai/reference-guides/win-loss-ratio-benchmarks-saas-enterprise/. The first 5 interviews are the proof point that the W/L programme is operational - they unlock funding for the next quarter's volume.
Pilot Tier 1 launch using new playbook
Run the next Tier 1 launch fully through the new playbook (decision tree -> runbook -> readiness scorecard -> council go/no-go). Capture lessons. Reference: https://discover.gtmplaybook.co/product-launch-plan-template-b2b-saas. Pilot is the proof point that the tier playbook works in practice - without it, the playbook stays theoretical.
