FOR TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMS CEOs
Before You Hire, Scale Spend, or Reposition — Run Due Diligence on the Commercial Bet.
A 14-day CEO-only process that ends in a clear verdict: GO, HOLD, or STOP.
Serving Technology Companies Across North America & EMEA.
Owned GTM Decisions Across £1.8bn-£12bn Technology P&Ls
Pattern Recognition from High-Stakes, Irreversible Commerecial Bets
Engaged Before Capital, Hires, or GTM Commitments
The Game Has Changed
For years, growth was about execution: more outbound, more content, more spend, more hires.
That game has changed.
In fintech, SaaS, cybersecurity, and telecoms/IoT, the winners aren’t the busiest teams. They’re the teams making fewer, better commercial bets — and avoiding the expensive ones.
Because right now:
- Buyers are delaying, scrutinising, and defaulting to "not yet"
- Competitors are bundling, discounting, and reframing value without announcing it
- "Pipeline looks fine" is no longer a reliable signal — velocity and conversion break first
- A single wrong commitment can burn two quarters before you can unwind it
You don’t need more activity.
You need to know if the commercial bet you’re about to make is sound — before you lock in cost, time, and credibility.
The Confident Bet Made Without Due Diligence
Most CEOs don’t fail because they lack ambition.
They fail because they make one of these without proper due diligence:
- Hiring a senior GTM leader hoping it fixes the motion
- Doubling down on outbound because "it should work"
- Repositioning because the team is bored of the message
- Switching ICP because "mid-market is tough"
- Changing pricing because win-rates feel soft
Each one feels reasonable.
Each one becomes expensive when it’s wrong.
And the real cost isn’t just money — it’s trust: board confidence, leadership alignment, momentum, morale.
Treat Commercial Moves Like Investment Decisions
The best CEOs now treat major growth moves the way investors treat capital allocation:
One clear bet. Real diligence. Decision-grade output.
That’s what Commercial Bet Due Diligence™ is.
Not a strategy project. Not a workshop. Not a deck you’ll never use.
An investment-grade evaluation of a proposed commercial bet — run through a structured GTM Investment Lens — to determine a clear verdict you can stand behind.
At the End of 14 Days, You'll Know Which is True:
- GO - The bet is sound. Here are the guardrails to protect downside.
- HOLD - The bet has merit. Conditions aren't right yet. Here's what must change.
- STOP - This bet will likely fail. Don't proceed. Here's what to do instead.
The GTM Investment Lens
Every commercial bet is evaluated using a two-layer decision-grade lens. This is how boards think — CBDD makes it explicit.
Five GTM Domains
If one domain breaks, the bet weakens. If two break, the bet fails.
INVESTMENT LENS – LAYER 2
Seven Investment Filters
What You Bring
One thing only: the commercial bet you’re about to make.
- Should we hire a VP Sales / VP Growth / US leader now?
- Should we scale outbound or pull back?
- Should we reposition into X segment?
- Should we shift from mid-market to enterprise?
- Should we change pricing or packaging?
- Should we expand into a new geography?
If you have none, this isn’t the moment.
What You Get in 14 Days
CEO Diligence Interview (90 minutes)
A structured, confidential session to isolate:
- What you believe is true
- What must be true for the bet to work
- What you're not seeing because you're inside the company
- What you're trying to protect (cash, credibility, time)
No team politics. No theatre.
GTM Investment Lens Analysis
I pressure-test the bet across both layers:
- Five GTM Domains: Product, Positioning, Pricing, Sales, Customer Success
- Seven Investment Filters: Strategic Alignment, Evidence Strength, Execution Readiness, Economic Viability, Time-to-Impact, Risk Concentration, Opportunity Cost
This is pattern recognition built from real GTM leadership at scale — not “best practice” frameworks.
The Due Diligence Readout (board-ready)
A decision-grade document you can use immediately:
- The Commercial Bet — Stated precisely: what you're committing to, and what you're not
- Domain Analysis — Assessment across all five GTM domains — where the bet is strong, where it breaks
- What must be true — The assumptions this bet depends on
- Risk Catalogue — Explicit risks — not buried in caveats
- The verdict — GO / HOLD / STOP with clear rationale
- Conditions for Change — What must be true to move HOLD to GO
- Recommended Next Step — One obvious action aligned to verdict
Designed to be CEO-ready, board-ready, investor-ready.
Why "HOLD" Is Often The Win
Some CEOs secretly hope the right answer is “don’t touch it”.
They’re right to hope that.
Because the best outcome is often:
HOLD: your bet isn't justified yet. Don't spend. Don't hire. Don't reposition. Operate with discipline for 90 days and watch the right indicators.
That’s not “nothing”.
That’s capital preservation — the most underrated growth strategy in this market.
Is This Right For You?
This is for CEOs who are:
- Running B2B technology companies (3m–25m revenue)
- About to commit to something expensive and hard to unwind
- Facing a decision that will shape the next 12 months
- Accountable to a board, investors, or themselves
- Willing to be told "don't do it" if that's the truth
This is not for you if:
- You want a marketing team, agency, or execution help
- You want reassurance, not scrutiny
- You're pre-PMF, pre-revenue, or still searching
- You're not actually at a decision point
- The decision has already been made
Who Delivers This
Michael Williamson
GTM Growth Leader
Not advising from the sidelines — operating in the seat where the decisions get made and the outcomes get measured.
- former Chief Product & Markting Officer, Equifax
- former Global General Manager, Commercial Growth, Vodafone
- former General Manager, Commercial Growth & Revenue, Telefonica
- former Vice President Marketing, Symantec
- former Vice President Marketing & Analytics, Staples
- London Business School MBA
- Owned GTM Decisions Across £1.8bn-£12bn Technology P&Ls
- Board Advisor & Operating Partner to PE-Backed SaaS, Cyber, Fintech, Telecom & IoT Scale-Ups
Trusted by C-Suite Leaders in Global Tech
Former C-suite leaders and P&L owners who’ve worked with Michael under real commercial pressure.
100% Risk-Free Guarantee
If, at the end of the Due Diligence Readout, you do not feel materially clearer about whether to GO, HOLD, or STOP — and what that means for budget, headcount, and focus in the next 90 days — you don't pay.
No retainer pitch. No follow-on pressure.
The Next Step
If you have a commercial bet you’re about to commit to — and you want diligence before you lock in the cost:
Request a Commercial Bet Due Diligence intro call.
On that call we’ll do two things only:
- Define the bet precisely
- Confirm fit and timeline
If it’s not a fit, I’ll tell you directly.
Before You Commit, Get the Verdict
If it’s not a fit, I’ll tell you directly.
