[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":306},["ShallowReactive",2],{"site-settings":3,"insight-stop-selling-to-everyone-why-every-founder-needs-an-icp":33},{"name":4,"created_at":5,"published_at":6,"updated_at":7,"id":8,"uuid":9,"content":10,"slug":24,"full_slug":24,"sort_by_date":25,"position":26,"tag_list":27,"is_startpage":18,"parent_id":28,"meta_data":25,"group_id":29,"first_published_at":30,"release_id":25,"lang":31,"path":25,"alternates":32,"default_full_slug":25,"translated_slugs":25},"Site Settings","2026-08-11T23:57:11.458Z","2026-09-03T23:47:20.114Z","2026-09-03T23:47:20.123Z",208089216888663,"a39b65e3-46fd-4011-80f2-74ab1466afff",{"_uid":11,"favicon":12,"component":19,"hubspot_portal_id":20,"zoominfo_websights_site_id":21,"google_analytics_measurement_id":22,"google_tag_manager_container_id":23},"7827dd1b-cc4e-47d1-96ce-e047a4eb6cf7",{"id":13,"alt":14,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":14,"source":14,"filename":15,"copyright":14,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":17,"is_external_url":18},208677301879514,"","https:\u002F\u002Fa.storyblok.com\u002Ff\u002F293813301494376\u002F180x180\u002F5008d266be\u002Fsticky_note_favicon.svg","asset",{},false,"site_settings","243307040","35e58408c41712102760","G-KBXJEWDEHG","GTM-W72X9QJR","site-settings",null,-20,[],0,"c029b672-c701-468e-90b6-3e6212c1d64b","2026-08-11T23:57:11.498Z","default",[],{"name":34,"created_at":35,"published_at":36,"updated_at":37,"id":38,"uuid":39,"content":40,"slug":297,"full_slug":298,"sort_by_date":25,"position":299,"tag_list":300,"is_startpage":18,"parent_id":302,"meta_data":25,"group_id":303,"first_published_at":304,"release_id":25,"lang":31,"path":25,"alternates":305,"default_full_slug":25,"translated_slugs":25},"Stop Selling to Everyone: Start With an ICP","2026-07-16T22:55:52.523Z","2026-08-12T01:27:29.015Z","2026-08-12T01:27:29.034Z",198872893569444,"a62ce15d-09fa-4b89-9ac9-5fc8c546d35b",{"_uid":41,"body":42,"title":34,"excerpt":290,"category":291,"og_image":292,"component":294,"seo_title":295,"published_date":296,"seo_description":290},"06a7eed7-e793-4a88-84e5-588e1de384a2",{"type":43,"attrs":44,"content":45},"doc",{"backgroundColor":25},[46,53,69,76,88,93,98,104,141,146,181,192,203,215,232,237,242,247,270,283],{"type":47,"attrs":48,"content":49},"paragraph",{"textAlign":25},[50],{"text":51,"type":52},"Early-stage founders often try to sell to “whoever will pay.” It feels like traction, but it actually slows you down.","text",{"type":47,"attrs":54,"content":55},{"textAlign":25},[56,58,67],{"text":57,"type":52},"Every new segment you chase means ",{"text":59,"type":52,"marks":60},"new messaging",[61],{"type":62,"attrs":63},"link",{"href":64,"uuid":25,"anchor":25,"target":65,"linktype":66},"https:\u002F\u002Fstickynotestrategy.com\u002Finsights\u002Fmessaging-framework-for-startups-a-simple-cheat-sheet-to-align-your-team","_self","url",{"text":68,"type":52},", new content, new sales motions. A small team simply can’t run three playbooks at once and win.",{"type":70,"attrs":71,"content":73},"heading",{"level":72,"textAlign":25},2,[74],{"text":75,"type":52},"What Is an ICP (and Why It Matters)?",{"type":47,"attrs":77,"content":78},{"textAlign":25},[79,81,86],{"text":80,"type":52},"ICP stands for ",{"text":82,"type":52,"marks":83},"Ideal Customer Profile",[84],{"type":85},"bold",{"text":87,"type":52},". It’s a simple description of the type of company that gets the most value from your product and, in turn, gives the most value back to your business.",{"type":47,"attrs":89,"content":90},{"textAlign":25},[91],{"text":92,"type":52},"Think: industry, size, common pain points, and what makes them a great fit.",{"type":47,"attrs":94,"content":95},{"textAlign":25},[96],{"text":97,"type":52},"Without an ICP, you end up chasing anyone with a budget, which usually leads to long sales cycles, wasted effort, and “meh” customers.",{"type":70,"attrs":99,"content":101},{"level":100,"textAlign":25},3,[102],{"text":103,"type":52},"Why an ICP Matters",{"type":105,"content":106},"bullet_list",[107,119,130],{"type":108,"content":109},"list_item",[110],{"type":47,"attrs":111,"content":112},{"textAlign":25},[113,117],{"text":114,"type":52,"marks":115},"Focus",[116],{"type":85},{"text":118,"type":52},": Easier to explain what you do and why it matters.",{"type":108,"content":120},[121],{"type":47,"attrs":122,"content":123},{"textAlign":25},[124,128],{"text":125,"type":52,"marks":126},"Faster wins",[127],{"type":85},{"text":129,"type":52},": Shorter sales cycles because your message fits like a glove.",{"type":108,"content":131},[132],{"type":47,"attrs":133,"content":134},{"textAlign":25},[135,139],{"text":136,"type":52,"marks":137},"Efficiency",[138],{"type":85},{"text":140,"type":52},": Less wasted effort on prospects who were never a good match.",{"type":70,"attrs":142,"content":143},{"level":72,"textAlign":25},[144],{"text":145,"type":52},"A Lightweight Way to Define Your ICP",{"type":105,"content":147},[148,159,170],{"type":108,"content":149},[150],{"type":47,"attrs":151,"content":152},{"textAlign":25},[153,157],{"text":154,"type":52,"marks":155},"Look at your best customers (or high-velocity\u002Fengaged targets) — ",[156],{"type":85},{"text":158,"type":52},"Who’s happiest? Who renews? Who refers you? If you don’t have a big customer base yet, look at which prospects are moving fastest through the funnel or showing the most engagement.",{"type":108,"content":160},[161],{"type":47,"attrs":162,"content":163},{"textAlign":25},[164,168],{"text":165,"type":52,"marks":166},"Spot the patterns",[167],{"type":85},{"text":169,"type":52}," — Industry, company size, pain points, tech they already use.",{"type":108,"content":171},[172],{"type":47,"attrs":173,"content":174},{"textAlign":25},[175,179],{"text":176,"type":52,"marks":177},"Pick one beachhead",[178],{"type":85},{"text":180,"type":52}," — Double down there before chasing new markets.",{"type":70,"attrs":182,"content":183},{"level":100,"textAlign":25},[184,190],{"type":185,"attrs":186},"image",{"id":187,"alt":14,"src":188,"title":14,"source":14,"copyright":14,"meta_data":189},199891854323935,"https:\u002F\u002Fa.storyblok.com\u002Ff\u002F293813301494376\u002F1200x1200\u002Ff92011c820\u002Fideal-customer-profile-icp-bullsye.png",{},{"text":191,"type":52},"What’s a Beachhead Market?",{"type":47,"attrs":193,"content":194},{"textAlign":25},[195,197,201],{"text":196,"type":52},"You might hear marketers talk about a beachhead. All that means is: ",{"text":198,"type":52,"marks":199},"pick one tight starting point before you expand",[200],{"type":85},{"text":202,"type":52},".",{"type":47,"attrs":204,"content":205},{"textAlign":25},[206,208,213],{"text":207,"type":52},"Instead of trying to win ",{"text":209,"type":52,"marks":210},"all manufacturers",[211],{"type":212},"italic",{"text":214,"type":52},", maybe you focus on mid-sized discrete manufacturers in the Midwest first.",{"type":47,"attrs":216,"content":217},{"textAlign":25},[218,220,224,226,230],{"text":219,"type":52},"A beachhead isn’t your ",{"text":221,"type":52,"marks":222},"forever",[223],{"type":212},{"text":225,"type":52}," market. It’s ",{"text":227,"type":52,"marks":228},"your starting line",[229],{"type":85},{"text":231,"type":52},"; it's the niche where you prove your message works, get early wins, and build momentum before expanding outward.",{"type":70,"attrs":233,"content":234},{"level":100,"textAlign":25},[235],{"text":236,"type":52},"Pro Tip: Anchor GTM With Decision Stories",{"type":47,"attrs":238,"content":239},{"textAlign":25},[240],{"text":241,"type":52},"Once you’ve picked your ICP, don’t just tell your team “this is our target.” Show them what it looks like in practice.",{"type":47,"attrs":243,"content":244},{"textAlign":25},[245],{"text":246,"type":52},"Decision stories are short, real-world examples of why a customer chose you over the alternatives. They create momentum because they:",{"type":105,"content":248},[249,256,263],{"type":108,"content":250},[251],{"type":47,"attrs":252,"content":253},{"textAlign":25},[254],{"text":255,"type":52},"Give sales a narrative they can reuse in live conversations",{"type":108,"content":257},[258],{"type":47,"attrs":259,"content":260},{"textAlign":25},[261],{"text":262,"type":52},"Give marketing copy rooted in real pain points and proof",{"type":108,"content":264},[265],{"type":47,"attrs":266,"content":267},{"textAlign":25},[268],{"text":269,"type":52},"Build confidence across the team that you’re chasing the right accounts",{"type":47,"attrs":271,"content":272},{"textAlign":25},[273,275,281],{"text":274,"type":52},"Collect 1–2 of these ",{"text":276,"type":52,"marks":277},"stories for your ICP",[278],{"type":62,"attrs":279},{"href":280,"uuid":25,"anchor":25,"target":65,"linktype":66},"https:\u002F\u002Fstickynotestrategy.com\u002Finsights\u002Flet-em-talk-a-low-lift-customer-insight-strategy-for-lean-teams",{"text":282,"type":52},", and you’ll see alignment across sales, marketing, and product come much faster.",{"type":47,"attrs":284,"content":285},{"textAlign":25},[286,288],{"type":287},"hard_break",{"text":289,"type":52},"\nNot sure how to pick your ICP, or turn it into stories your team can use? That’s exactly where I help founders focus. Let’s build something that moves.","Founders slow growth by trying to sell to everyone. Learn why defining your ICP speeds up sales cycles and keeps your GTM focused.","Strategy & Positioning",{"id":187,"alt":14,"name":14,"focus":14,"title":14,"source":14,"filename":188,"copyright":14,"fieldtype":16,"meta_data":293,"is_external_url":18},{},"blog_post","Stop Selling to Everyone: Start With an ICP| Messaging & GTM for Early-Stage Businesses","2025-09-10 00:00","stop-selling-to-everyone-why-every-founder-needs-an-icp","blog-posts\u002Fstop-selling-to-everyone-why-every-founder-needs-an-icp",-100,[301],"Go-to-Market Strategy",198184223050460,"086d85a4-2194-4df7-9d46-de6b5acbaaea","2026-07-19T20:06:24.484Z",[],1788480115295]