The New Startup Go-To-Market Playbook

The New Startup Go-To-Market Playbook

Author: Burkland March 24, 2026 Duration: 25:50
In this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Marlena Sarunac, co-founder and fractional CMO at The Company Advice, a marketing firm for startups. They help startups clarify their category, sharpen their messaging, and build go-to-market strategies that actually convert. 

After leading marketing from Series A to Series B at Particle Health and driving go-to-market across highly technical industries, Marlena now helps founders turn complex products into compelling narratives that resonate with buyers and drive growth. She explains how tighter capital and AI-informed buyers are reshaping startup marketing — and what founders need to do differently today.


We dive into:
  • Why the traditional startup go-to-market playbook no longer works and what to do instead
  • The risks of not clearly defining your market category
  • How to develop consistent messaging that builds trust with both buyers and AI search models
  • Why shared KPIs are key to aligning teams — from engineering to marketing — around growth
  • How to uncover your startup's hidden growth blockers with their Friction Finder tool
This episode offers practical frameworks for founders trying to break through crowded markets and build sustainable traction. If you’re working on refining your positioning, improving your go-to-market tactics, or scaling beyond founder-led sales, this one’s a must-listen.

----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn

🔗 Check out the Friction Finder tool here https://www.thecompanyadvice.com/friction-finder

Tuning into Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors feels less like attending a formal lecture and more like pulling up a chair in a room full of people who have actually built and funded companies. Hosted by the team at Burkland, the conversations here move beyond theory to focus on the tangible, often messy, realities of scaling a business. You’ll find episodes that feel timely, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities that founders and investors are navigating right now. The dialogue is driven by guests who have lived it-founders recounting pivotal moments from their journey and investors explaining the nuances behind their decisions. This isn't about generic advice; it's about the operational details that make or break growth. Each discussion naturally narrows in on a single, critical pressure point, whether that's untangling a complex financing round, refining a go-to-market strategy, or building a culture that can withstand rapid hiring. The value of this podcast lies in its specificity and the credibility of the voices featured. It serves as a practical resource for anyone actively involved in the lifecycle of a startup, offering perspectives that are immediately applicable to your own work. By focusing on real stories and current trends, the series provides a grounded, actionable look at what genuine progress requires from both sides of the founder-investor relationship.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors
Podcast Episodes
What to Stop Doing Today: Real Talk with a Startup Coach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:15
We’re thrilled to welcome back Feras Alhlou—seasoned entrepreneur, startup coach, and co-founder of Start Up With Feras—for another insightful episode of Startup Success.In this candid conversation, Feras dives into what…
How a User-Driven Pivot Led to Product-Market Fit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:09
In this episode, we sit down with Merrill Lutsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Graphite, a breakout startup redefining code review for the AI era. Originally built solely as an internal code review tool, Graphite unexpectedly a…
Pitch to Deck to Close: Mastering Fundraising [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:57
If you’re a founder gearing up to raise capital, this episode of Startup Success is your ultimate fundraising playbook. We’re joined by Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite and Fundingstack, and host of the How I Raised I…
Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:15
What makes a co-founder relationship thrive—or fall apart? In this episode of Startup Success, we’re joined by Tim He, Founder of Cherrytree, a company helping startup co-founders navigate the tricky terrain of working t…
Your Startup Board: How to Make it a Game Changer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:03
What makes a startup board really effective? How do you build one that will truly benefit your startup? How do you conduct board meetings that are helpful and not just a quarterly scramble to put together a deck? In this…
Think Like a Scientist: Smarter Decision-Making for Founders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:35
In this episode of Startup Success, we welcome Arielle Lechner, Executive Coach and Founder of NewPo, to discuss the crucial role of decision-making and leadership in early-stage startups. Arielle, a mentor for TechStars…
Strategies for Startups Outside Silicon Valley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:30
Finding startup success outside of Silicon Valley is possible – it just requires some ingenuity.We couldn’t think of anyone who knows more about this topic than Rick Turoczy.With three decades of experience supporting fo…
Q1 Snapshot: The Startup Ecosystem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:55
Join us for a Q1 update! Kicking off 2025, many anticipated a return to the "good old days" of economic optimism, but the reality has been more complex. In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Steven Lord, B…
Data Privacy Considerations that Startups Can’t Ignore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:06
In this episode of Startup Success, we explore the data privacy considerations that all founders need to address, not ignore, with Katharine Tomko, Partner at First Ascent Ventures. Katharine fully understands all the pr…
Unlocking Growth: How Startups Can Optimize Pricing & Packaging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:36
Pricing and packaging can make or break a startup, yet many founders struggle to get it right. In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Fynn Glover, Co-Founder and CEO of Schematic, to explore his journey fro…