--- name: tidb-gtm-brief description: >- Synthesizes a time-bound TiDB GTM brief from ICP research, competitive intelligence, product context, and market signals. Outputs motion selection (PLG/SLG/CLG), ICP segment priorities, channel mix, launch scope, and success metrics — the single document that aligns GTM Strategy, PMM, PM, Sales, and Field before execution begins. Use when planning a new product release, entering a new market segment, or resetting quarterly GTM focus. --- # TiDB GTM brief **Role:** GTM Strategist. You synthesize inputs from multiple functions (research, product, sales, marketing) into a single actionable brief that resolves ambiguity and prevents divergent execution. A brief that says "target enterprise database buyers" is not a brief. A brief that says "target fintech engineering leads at Series B+ companies running > 50M rows MySQL who've hit a replication lag SLA breach in the last 6 months" is a brief. --- ## Required inputs before writing Confirm these exist before starting. Missing inputs produce a hypothesis brief — label it as such. - [ ] ICP Card from `tidb-icp-synthesis` (minimum: Core ICP segment identified) - [ ] Competitive map from `tidb-competitive-map` (minimum: primary competitive displacement known) - [ ] Product context from `@tidb-gtm-brain/knowledge/product.md` (version, tier, capabilities in scope) - [ ] Sales pipeline data: which segments are converting, which are stalling (get from CRM/Sales lead) - [ ] Pricing/tier context: which tier does this motion target (Cloud Starter / Cloud Essential / Cloud Dedicated / Self-Managed)? --- ## 1. Match horizon to decision cadence | Horizon | Brief precision required | |---------|--------------------------| | **1 week** | Concrete tactic: one post, one reply thread, one copy test, one outbound sequence — executable today | | **1 month** | Campaign slice: content series, event program, partner motion — assign owners | | **1 quarter** | Initiative: new segment entry, launch program, multi-asset motion — needs cross-functional alignment | Do not produce a quarterly initiative plan when the ask is a weekly tactic — or vice versa. --- ## 2. Growth motion selection | Motion | Choose when TiDB signals show... | |--------|----------------------------------| | **PLG (Product-Led Growth)** | Self-serve trial intent; developers finding TiDB through GitHub / community; TiDB Cloud Starter as the entry point; short time-to-value on small workloads | | **SLG (Sales-Led Growth)** | Enterprise evaluation; buying committee (DBA + SRE + Procurement + Legal); compliance/security requirements; large migration scope (>500GB, production-critical) | | **CLG (Community-Led Growth)** | Open-source contributor energy; conference presence (KubeCon, CNCF); developer trust-building through technical content; China local community | | **MLG (Marketing-Led Growth)** | Both IC technical evaluation AND business buyer in same account; requires content that bridges technical proof and business case | **TiDB motion reality check (2025 AI-Native positioning):** - **AI agent builders** → PLG entry via TiDB Cloud Starter + MCP/SDK; SLG upgrade when workload scales - **AI SaaS multi-tenant** → PLG evaluation → SLG close (architecture consultation required at >100 tenants) - **Enterprise scale-out / HTAP** → SLG primary (6-12 week evaluation cycle); MLG for mid-market - **TiDB Cloud Starter** → PLG entry point for AI developers; free tier is the primary developer motion - **TiDB Cloud Dedicated** → SLG primary, MLG for mid-market - **TiDB Self-Managed (OSS)** → CLG + SLG for enterprise support contracts - **TiDB X** → SLG for hyperscale/enterprise AI workloads; not self-service - **China market** → CLG + SLG (PingCAP's strongest channels are community events and field sales) --- ## 3. Pre-brief diagnostic questions Answer all six before writing the brief body: 1. **What is the single most consequential external change for TiDB right now?** (Competitive move? Product release? Market shift? Customer pain spike?) 2. **Who exactly do we target in the named window?** (Role + company type + pain signal + urgency indicator — not "enterprise database teams") 3. **What is one concrete action completable by a defined date?** (Not "increase awareness" — but "publish a case study on fintech HTAP migration by [date]") 4. **What are we uncertain about and what evidence would resolve it?** (Be explicit about unknowns rather than hiding them in confident language) 5. **If there's prior strategy: what materially changed since then?** (TiDB v8.x features? Competitive response? Economic conditions? ICP shift?) 6. **What are 2-3 grounded opportunity threads?** (Each must cite a real signal — a customer quote, a community post, a sales pattern — not invented) --- ## 4. GTM Brief output format ```markdown ## TiDB GTM Brief — [Quarter/Date] — [Scope: Launch/Segment/Campaign] ### Context [1-2 paragraphs: what changed, why this brief now, what it unlocks] ### ICP Priority - Primary segment: [name from ICP card] - Secondary segment: [name, if applicable] - Explicit exclusions: [who we're NOT targeting this cycle, and why] ### Motion selection - Primary motion: [PLG / SLG / CLG / MLG] - Entry point: [TiDB Cloud Starter / Dedicated / Self-Managed] - Rationale: [2-3 sentences citing ICP fit and competitive context] ### Channel mix | Channel | Role in motion | Owner | Timeline | |---------|---------------|-------|---------| | [channel] | [awareness / consideration / conversion] | [team] | [date] | ### Near-term moves (this window) 1. [Concrete action] — Owner: [name/team] — By: [date] 2. [Concrete action] — Owner: [name/team] — By: [date] 3. [Concrete action] — Owner: [name/team] — By: [date] ### Success metrics | Metric | Baseline | Target | Window | |--------|---------|--------|--------| | [metric] | [current] | [goal] | [days] | ### Risks and unknowns - [Risk 1]: [mitigation or decision trigger] - [Unknown 1]: [what evidence would resolve it] ### Explicit decisions for owners - [Decision] — Owner: [role] — Deadline: [date] ``` --- ## 5. What makes a brief fail | Failure mode | Example | Fix | |-------------|---------|-----| | **Audience vagueness** | "target database teams at mid-market companies" | Add: role, company stage, specific pain signal, urgency indicator | | **Motion mismatch** | PLG motion for an enterprise compliance use case | Check: does this ICP self-serve? What's the buying committee size? | | **Uninstrumented success** | "increase awareness" | Require: named metric, baseline, target, time window | | **Missing cross-functional sign-off** | Brief goes to content team without PM or Sales input | Require: PM confirms product readiness; Sales confirms deal signal | | **Stale competitive assumption** | Brief written before checking latest CockroachDB / Aurora moves | Require: competitive map is dated within 30 days | --- ## Pairs with - `tidb-icp-synthesis` — required upstream input; motion selection uses ICP card segment fit - `tidb-competitive-map` — competitive context informs motion choice and channel language - `tidb-strategy-review` — brief goes through review gate before execution unlocks - `tidb-messaging-platform` — brief sets the strategic direction; messaging translates it into copy - `tidb-launch-brief` — GTM brief is the parent; launch brief is the execution-level detail - `@tidb-gtm-brain/knowledge/product.md` — product capability facts for the brief body