Playbook Mapping
Build Stage | $0-1M ARR | 1-10 headcount
Main challenge: Proving the business works. Founder-led everything.
Playbook Mapping: Build Stage
Essential (Do These)
| Playbook | Why Now |
|---|---|
| Growth Model | Need to validate unit economics hypothesis |
| GTM Lifecycle | Foundation for all future process |
| Lead Lifecycle (basic) | Track where leads come from and go |
Recommended (If Time/Budget)
| Playbook | Why Consider |
|---|---|
| Automated Inbound Data Enrichment | Frees founder time, validates enrichment approach |
| Website Lead Capture | Capture inbound interest properly |
Premature (Avoid For Now)
| Playbook | Why Wait |
|---|---|
| Territory Design | No sales team |
| Forecasting Process | Too little data |
| CPQ | Overkill for flexible pricing |
| ABM/ABS | Too early for account-based |
| Sales Engagement Platform | Volume too low |
| Customer Success Platform | Too few customers |
What to Skip at Build Stage
These aren't worth the investment yet — they'll distract from finding product-market fit:
Sales:
- Territory Design — No sales team to assign territories to
- Commission Plans — Founder is selling, no reps to compensate
- CPQ/Quote Automation — Pricing is flexible, still learning what customers will pay
- Sales Engagement Platforms — Volume too low (Apollo, Outreach, etc.)
- Sophisticated Forecasting — Not enough data to forecast
Marketing:
- ABM/Account-Based Marketing — Too early for targeted account programs
- Marketing Ops — No marketing team to support
- Partner Marketing — No partners to co-market with
- Expensive Paid Programs — CAC optimization requires volume
Customer Success:
- CS Platform — Too few customers for Gainsight/ChurnZero/etc.
- Health Scoring — Not enough data to calibrate
- Expansion Playbooks — Find PMF before systematizing expansion
Operations:
- BI/Analytics Platforms — Built-in CRM reports are enough
- Enterprise Tools — Salesforce, Marketo, etc. — overkill
- Multi-system Integrations — Adds maintenance overhead
All of these become relevant at later stages. See the Playbook Mapping for stage-by-stage guidance on all 68 LeanScale playbooks.