Define the One Activation Goal in a SaaS Launch Brief using Get Who To By
Your SaaS launch brief is currently a 40-page suicide note of conflicting goals and 'market disruption' buzzwords. Nobody knows what success looks like, and frankly, nobody cares. The Get Who To By framework is the cold shower your strategy needs. It forces you to pick one activation goal so your team stops running in circles and actually ships something that moves the needle before the runway runs out.
The TL;DR
Stop trying to boil the ocean. Use Get Who To By to pin down a specific target (GET), identify why they're currently ignoring you (WHO), tell them exactly what to do (TO), and give them the mechanism to do it (BY). It’s not rocket science, but apparently, for most marketing teams, it's harder than it looks.
Why This Beats Your Current 'Throw Everything at the Wall' Approach
SaaS launches fail because they try to be everything to everyone. This framework is the filter that keeps the garbage out of your execution.
The Four Steps
GET
Who is the smallest group of people likely to actually pay for this?
Don't say 'SMBs' or 'Enterprise.' Pick a specific human with a specific problem who is currently suffering enough to try something new. If you can't describe them without using the word 'innovative,' you haven't thought about it hard enough.
WHO
What is the specific, annoying habit they have right now?
What are they doing instead of using your tool? Are they wrestling with a messy spreadsheet? Are they screaming into a pillow? Find the friction point that makes your solution a relief, not a chore.
TO
What is the one, stupidly simple thing you want them to do?
One action. Not 'sign up, explore, and invite five friends.' Just one. Make the message so clear a caffeinated toddler could follow it. If they have to think, you've already lost them.
BY
What is the actual button or hook that gets them there?
This is the plumbing. Is it a '1-click data import'? A '30-second security audit'? If the mechanism is clunky or requires a sales call for a basic trial, your strategy is just a nice dream.
SaaS Launch Blunders
(Try not to do these. Again.)
- ×Targeting 'all users' because you're scared of missing out on a single lead
- ×Setting 'engagement' as a goal without defining what that actually looks like in the database
- ×Writing a 'TO' message that sounds like it was generated by a corporate AI with a fever
- ×Ignoring the fact that people are inherently lazy and hate learning new software
- ×Creating a 'BY' mechanism that requires a 12-page manual to understand
- ×Assuming your features are the same thing as a strategy (they aren't)
- ×Forgetting that your audience is probably as burnt out and annoyed as you are
- ×Measuring 50 different KPIs instead of the one that actually indicates activation
Avoid these, and you might actually have a successful launch. Or at least one that doesn't end in a post-mortem of shame.
Real Examples
DevOps Tool Launch
Launching an automated error-tracking tool for high-growth startups.
GET
On-call engineers at Series A startups who are tired of being woken up at 3 AM.
WHO
They currently rely on generic logs that tell them everything and nothing at the same time, leading to 'alert fatigue'.
TO
Identify the root cause of your production crash before your boss even notices the site is down.
BY
A 2-minute CLI installation that provides a 'one-click' fix recommendation for their last 5 errors.
Project Management SaaS
A simplified task manager for creative agencies.
GET
Creative Directors who spend 4 hours a day manually updating status spreadsheets.
WHO
They hate 'heavy' project management tools like Jira but find Trello too chaotic for client billing.
TO
Stop babysitting spreadsheets and start actually designing again.
BY
Offering an 'Email-to-Timeline' feature where forwarding a client brief automatically builds the project schedule.
Sales Intelligence Platform
A tool that finds direct-dial numbers for B2B sales reps.
GET
SDRs who are currently hitting a wall of automated gatekeepers and 'info@' email addresses.
WHO
They spend 70% of their day dialing dead numbers and are failing to hit their monthly meeting quotas.
TO
Get straight to the decision-maker without talking to a single robot or receptionist.
BY
Providing 10 free 'verified direct dials' for their top-tier prospects upon Chrome extension install.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have three activation goals?
Then you have zero goals. Pick one. If you try to optimize for three things, you'll optimize for none and confuse the hell out of your users.
How do I know if my 'WHO' insight is actually good?
If you read it and it feels a little bit uncomfortable or 'too real' for a corporate slide deck, it's probably right. If it sounds like a LinkedIn post, it's garbage.
Is the 'BY' always a technical feature?
Usually in SaaS, yes. It's the bridge between the promise (TO) and the reality. It could be a template, an import tool, or a specific UI flow.
Can I use this for an existing product, not just a launch?
Absolutely. Use it to fix the features that everyone 'signed up' for but nobody is actually using. It's great for cleaning up your mess.
Why is the 'GET' so small?
Because a small, obsessed group of users is better than a million people who sign up and never come back. You can expand later; for now, just try to win one room.
Generate a Framework for your Product Launch Strategy
Use our framework generator to generate various Get Who To By, 4C, 4 Points Strategy, and other frameworks — all in one place and directly to editable Google SLIDES!
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