Start Here: The Beginner's Guide to Cannonball GTM
Welcome to the methodology that's helping B2B companies achieve dramatically lower customer acquisition costs through pain-based targeting and permissionless value propositions.
What You've Just Discovered
If you're reading this, you're probably frustrated with your current marketing results. Generic messaging that doesn't resonate. High customer acquisition costs. Long sales cycles. Marketing campaigns that feel like you're shouting into the void.
You're not alone.
The traditional "spray and pray" approach is failing in today's AI-accelerated competitive landscape. Companies that continue to rely on demographic targeting are being outcompeted by those who've mastered pain-based segmentation.
That's where Cannonball GTM comes in.
The Core Methodology: F.I.N.D.
Cannonball GTM is built around four phases that transform everyday AI tools into a framework for developing highly targeted marketing campaigns:
Focus: Finding the Pain and Identifying Your Ideal Customers
Identify the Existential Data Point for your industry, the critical metric that separates thriving businesses from failing ones.
Map pain-based segments rather than traditional demographic profiles
Understand that companies don't buy because they fit a profile; they buy because they're experiencing acute pain
Investigate: Finding Data to Power Your Campaign
Combine 2-5 unique public data sources to create insights that prospects don't have
Use publicly available information (DOT permits, construction permits, licensing databases) to identify specific opportunities.
Build the foundation for creating Permissionless Value Propositions (PVPs)
Narrate: Crafting Messages That Get Attention
Create PVPs—messages so valuable that prospects would pay to receive them
Lead with their pain and opportunity, not your solution
Craft multi-channel campaigns that warm audiences before direct outreach
Deploy: Building Campaigns That Convert
Execute warming campaigns (Meta/Facebook ads) for 4-6 weeks
Follow with value-driven marketing sequences
Deploy highly personalized PVP outreach that converts outbound into inbound.
The Key Concepts You Need to Master
Pain-Based Segments
Unlike traditional firmographic targeting, pain-based segments group prospects by the intensity and specificity of business problems they're experiencing. For example:
Traditional segmentation: "5-physician cardiology practices with $3M+ revenue"
Pain-based segmentation: "Medical practices experiencing 20%+ revenue leakage with sub-20% gross margins"
Existential Data Points
The critical metrics that create genuine urgency and transform nice-to-have solutions into must-have requirements. Examples:
Equipment rental companies: 60% utilization rate
Medical practices: Revenue leakage rate × gross margin
SaaS companies: Customer acquisition cost relative to lifetime value
Permissionless Value Propositions (PVPs)
Messages that provide immediate, actionable value using publicly available data. A true PVP must:
Be independently useful (valuable without requiring a meeting)
Relate to your value proposition
Use public data sources
Create information asymmetry
Be concrete and specific
Go beyond just identifying pain
Important Reality Check: PVPs are the most potent part of our methodology, but they're also the most challenging to master. Even with our systematic approach, expect a steep learning curve. It can take 100+ hours to develop true proficiency.
Your Learning Path: Start Here
We’re marketing geeks, so of course, we’ve analyzed our content and how it’s being enjoyed by our subscribers. Based on our content performance analysis, here's the optimal sequence for new subscribers:
Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1)
Start with these three posts to understand the core concepts:
The Cannonball GTM Glossary: Essential Terms for Modern B2B SaaS Marketing - Master the vocabulary and key concepts.
Beyond the ICP: A Guide to Pain-Based Segmentation for Modern B2B Growth - Understand why traditional targeting fails and how pain-based segmentation works.
A Quick and Dirty Guide to the Cannonball GTM Methodology - See the F.I.N.D. framework applied to a real company (Texada)
Phase 2: Deep Dive (Week 2-3)
Once you understand the framework, dive deeper:
The Cannonball GTM Prompt Library and Guide: April 2025 Edition - Get the AI prompts you need to implement the methodology (Paid subscribers only)
The Guide to Creating Permissionless Value Propositions That Prospects Would Pay to Receive - Learn the step-by-step PVP creation process (Paid subscribers only)
Phase 3: Implementation (Week 3-4)
Start applying what you've learned:
Deploy or Die: Turning PVP Theory into Real Campaigns - Bridge theory and practice (Paid subscribers only)
The Science, Structure, and Strategy of High-Converting Campaigns - Understand campaign architecture and sequencing
Phase 4: Advanced Techniques (Month 2+)
As you gain experience, explore advanced applications:
Inside the Machine: How We Built an Automated PVP Generator - See how to scale PVP creation with AI and Clay
The Guide to Data Mining for PVPs: Scaling Your Approach - Advanced data sourcing techniques (Paid subscribers only)
Essential Resources
Free Resources:
Case studies showing how we've applied our methodology across industries
The Cannonball GTM framework basics (including our renowned PVP approach)
Select resources from our prompt library
Weekly livestreams where we build campaigns in real-time
Weekly thought leadership posts that push the edge of what’s possible with everyday AI
Paid Subscriber Benefits:
The Complete Cannonball Prompt Library: Monthly updates with our latest and greatest prompts
The Full Canon: Our entire archive of content + transcripts from our livestreams and training sessions
All PVP Messaging Resources: Not just the most recent, but our entire collection of pain-based value proposition frameworks
Training Sessions and Master Classes: Full recordings and prompts from our specialized training sessions, not just the summaries
Weekly Office Hours: Direct access to Jordan and Doug for questions and feedback
Live Learning Opportunities:
Weekly Livestreams - Watch the methodology applied to real companies
Category Rodeos - Deep dives into specific industry pain points
Office Hours - Get your questions answered by Doug and Jordan
Managing Expectations
The Reality: This methodology requires patience and practice. You won't master PVPs overnight, and that's okay. Focus on:
Learning the framework first - Understand F.I.N.D. before diving into advanced techniques
Starting with pain-based segments - This alone will improve your targeting dramatically
Practicing consistently - Like any skill, improvement comes through repetition
Measuring what matters - Track pain intensity and urgency, not just demographics
What's Next?
Your journey with Cannonball GTM starts now. Begin with the Foundation phase posts, join our community for live learning opportunities, and start experimenting with pain-based segmentation in your current campaigns.
Remember: The list is the message. When you accurately identify prospects experiencing specific pain, even imperfect messaging will resonate more than perfect messaging sent to the wrong audience.
Questions? Join our Friday Office Hours or drop us a line. We're here to help you master this methodology and transform your marketing results.
Ready to dive deeper? Consider becoming a paid subscriber for access to our advanced training materials, implementation guides, as you build your first Cannonball GTM campaigns.
Welcome to the revolution. Let's build something remarkable together.
About Your Guides
Doug Bell is a fractional CMO and partner with Chief Outsiders, specializing in go-to-market strategy for B2B SaaS companies.
Jordan Crawford is the founder of Blueprint GTM and a San Francisco-based growth hacker known for innovative approaches to customer acquisition.
Together, they've helped dozens of companies implement pain-based segmentation and develop permissionless value propositions that dramatically improve marketing performance.
Last Updated: May 28th, 2025
Next Update: Monthly refresh with new resources and refined guidance based on subscriber feedback
I am coming back to this with a renewed spirit to truly learn the Cannonball method. Grateful for this beginner's guide and breakdown into the phases!