Realign a Project After Conflicting Feedback using Get Who To By
Congratulations, your project is officially a mess. One stakeholder wants it 'edgy,' another wants it 'safe,' and the CEO just sent a 2 AM email about a trend they saw on TikTok. You're paralyzed by conflicting feedback and your deck looks like a ransom note. The Get Who To By framework is your emergency exit. It strips away the ego and the noise to find the one path that actually matters before you spend another forty hours in 'alignment' meetings that go nowhere.
The TL;DR
Stop trying to please everyone and start making sense. Use the Get Who To By framework to identify the one audience that actually moves the needle (GET), figure out the psychological block stopping them (WHO), deliver a message that makes the pivot undeniable (TO), and use a mechanism that forces action (BY).
Why Get Who To By Saves Your Sanity
When everyone is shouting different directions, this framework acts as a noise-canceling headset for your strategy.
The Four Steps
GET
Who is the one audience that actually saves this project?
Stop trying to appease every VP in the building. Pick the smallest, most critical group of people whose behavior determines if this project lives or dies. If you can't name them, you're just throwing expensive darts in the dark.
WHO
What is the psychological block stopping them right now?
They aren't just 'not buying.' They're scared of looking stupid, they're bored by your current pitch, or they're stuck in a habit that's easier than changing. Find the insight that explains their stubbornness.
TO
What is the one thing they need to hear to shut up and act?
Craft a message that makes the new direction painfully obvious. If your audience needs a PhD or a 20-minute presentation to understand your pivot, you've already lost the room.
BY
How are you going to physically force this change through?
Outline the actual mechanism. Is it a product trial? A brutal data point? A limited-time ultimatum? Hope is not a strategy - pick a lever that actually moves the person.
How to Ruin a Realignment
(Don't do these things unless you love failing)
- ×Trying to 'split the difference' between two stakeholders
- ×Choosing a 'GET' that is way too broad to be reachable
- ×Confusing a demographic with a behavior insight
- ×Writing a 'TO' message that sounds like corporate word salad
- ×Ignoring the person with the actual veto power
- ×Assuming the feedback you received was actually logical
- ×Adding more features to fix a fundamental strategy flaw
- ×Lacking a 'BY' mechanism that creates actual urgency
Realignment isn't about making everyone happy; it's about making the project work.
Real Examples
Product Pivot
A SaaS tool is stuck between 'pro features' and 'ease of use' feedback.
GET
Overwhelmed solo-founders.
WHO
They want the power of enterprise tools but are terrified of a 3-month learning curve.
TO
Get enterprise-grade automation in under five minutes.
BY
A 'one-click' setup wizard that delivers a win before they even enter their credit card.
Brand Campaign
A rebrand is stalled because the board thinks it's 'too bold' but the creatives think it's 'too boring.'
GET
Disenchanted Gen Z consumers who think the brand is 'for their parents.'
WHO
They don't hate the brand; they just don't see it as relevant to their current daily chaos.
TO
The only reliable thing in your chaotic schedule.
BY
A self-deprecating social campaign that highlights the brand's 'boring' reliability as a superpower.
Internal Strategy
A project is failing because stakeholders can't agree on the budget allocation.
GET
The CFO who is currently blocking the spend.
WHO
They aren't trying to be difficult; they just don't see the direct line between this 'brand play' and next quarter's revenue.
TO
This isn't a cost; it's an insurance policy against losing our top 10% of customers.
BY
Presenting a churn-reduction model that shows the exact cost of doing nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my stakeholders still disagree after I use this?
Then you don't have a strategy problem, you have a people problem. Use the GWTB to show them the logical path; if they still want to drive off a cliff, at least you have the receipts.
Can I have two 'GET' groups?
No. Pick one. Trying to target two groups with different behaviors is how you got into this 'conflicting feedback' mess in the first place.
How do I know if my 'WHO' insight is actually good?
If it makes you feel a little uncomfortable or calls out a dirty secret about your audience, it’s probably right. If it sounds like a Hallmark card, it’s trash.
What’s the difference between 'TO' and 'BY'?
'TO' is the promise you make to their brain. 'BY' is the shove you give to their feet. You need both to move anyone.
How fast can I run this framework?
You can do it in 15 minutes if you stop overthinking it. The best strategies are usually the most obvious ones you were too scared to say out loud.
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