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The new rules of early-stage go to market (hint: there are no rules) l Build Mode

In the season finale of Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Paul Irving, Partner and COO of GTMfund, to discuss go-to-market strategies for the AI era. Drawing from his work with over 120 portfolio companies and a network of 350+ operators from companies, Paul shares specific, actionable advice on how early-stage startups can win…

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In the season finale of Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Paul Irving, Partner and COO of GTMfund, to discuss go-to-market strategies for the AI era. Drawing from his work with over 120 portfolio companies and a network of 350+ operators from companies, Paul shares specific, actionable advice on how early-stage startups can win even when facing well-funded competitors who iterate at lightning speed. He also explains why distribution has become the final remaining moat when technical advantages disappear in months instead of years, and why every company needs a unique go-to-market motion tailored to their specific ICP.

If you just can’t get enough AI-native GTM strategies, check out this episode of the GTMnow podcast: Build your AI Outbound Machine with ChatGPT

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:44 Meet Paul Irving – GTM Fund

04:02 Finding Competitive Edge in Specific Channels

07:34 Matching Operators to Startups with AI

12:08 The End of the B2B SaaS Playbook Era

14:09 Creative GTM Strategies

16:18 The Power of Warm Introduction Mapping

25:25 Red Flags in Go-to-Market Strategy

27:29 Advice for Resource-Constrained Founders

31:22 When to Start Hiring a GTM Team

34:57 Outro

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Isabelle Johannessen is our host. Build Mode is produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience Development is led by Morgan Little. And a special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @PesumsSoftware

    January 8, 2026 at 9:44 pm

    Paul nailed it:
    in 2026, it’s all about the motion that fits your exact ICP.
    What’s the biggest red flag you’ve seen in GTM pitches at GTMfund lately? This series is becoming must-listen for operators.
    keep it coming!

    Reply

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The Nurse Who Can Smell Parkinson’s | Joy Milne | TED

What does Parkinson’s smell like? Ask nurse Joy Milne. Born with a hypersensitive nose, she spent a lifetime learning to recognize diseases through their scents. When she smelled Parkinson’s on her husband years before his diagnosis, she decided to put her gift to the test. Today, her extraordinary nose has been translated into a non-invasive…

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May 3, 2026

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What does Parkinson’s smell like? Ask nurse Joy Milne. Born with a hypersensitive nose, she spent a lifetime learning to recognize diseases through their scents. When she smelled Parkinson’s on her husband years before his diagnosis, she decided to put her gift to the test. Today, her extraordinary nose has been translated into a non-invasive test — helping researchers diagnose what was right under their noses all along. (Recorded at TEDxManchester on March 4, 2023)

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This Robot Looks Right Out of Star Wars

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The $25,000 Tron 1 from LimX Dynamics looks like a mini AT-ST from Star Wars: here’s what it actually can do.

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The Latest Folding iPhone Reports – April 30, 2026

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There’s still a lot of rumor, speculation, and alleged leaks around the possibility of Apple releasing a foldable phone, but who would this be for, anyway? One guess: it could be for people who miss the iPad Mini, if the apps can just work. #ipad #iphone #iphoneultra #iphonefold

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