If you’re a PE partner or portfolio manager backing B2B technology companies in the $5M–$50M revenue range, this article is for you.
Because in 2026, most value destruction does not come from bad markets or failed products.
It comes from default decisions.
- Decisions that feel reasonable.
- Decisions that have worked before.
- Decisions that pass IC discussion with minimal friction.
This is not the “grow at all costs” market.
It’s the “don’t light two quarters on fire” market.
And the biggest risk isn’t competition — it’s unexamined momentum.
1. Hiring a VP of Sales to “Install Process” Before the Motion Exists
This is one of the most common — and expensive — missteps in PE-backed B2B tech.
Why it feels rational
Sales feels messy.
Pipeline feels inconsistent.
The solution appears obvious: hire experience.
Why it quietly destroys value
Senior sales leaders scale existing motions. They do not reliably discover them.
When the underlying sales motion isn’t proven — consistent ICP, repeatable close mechanics, stable pricing — the VP becomes a high-cost diagnostic tool.
2. Repositioning to Enterprise Because One Deal Looked Big
Why it feels rational
Enterprise means:
- Higher ACVs
- Better multiples
- Stronger board optics
Why it quietly destroys value
Enterprise is not a segment. It’s an operating system.
Longer sales cycles, procurement gravity, political buying, proof burden, onboarding complexity — all arrive simultaneously.
Winning one enterprise deal is not validation.
It is often exceptional pull mistaken for repeatable demand.
The company rebuilds itself around a market that never fully commits.
3. Scaling Outbound Before ICP and Pricing Are Tight
Why it feels rational
Outbound is controllable.
Spend converts to activity.
Activity looks like progress.
Why it quietly destroys value
Outbound amplifies whatever already exists.
If ICP clarity is weak or pricing lacks durability, outbound scales rejection — not revenue.
Pipeline inflates.
CAC rises quietly.
Confidence erodes slowly.
The dashboard looks healthy right up until the maths stop working.
4. Adding Product Surface Area to Compensate for Weak Positioning
Why it feels rational
More features = more use cases = more buyers.
Why it quietly destroys value
This reverses cause and effect.
Markets don’t reward capability.
They reward clarity of outcome.
Feature expansion increases:
- Sales complexity
- Onboarding friction
- Roadmap debt
Without fixing positioning, product expansion just makes confusion harder to sell.
5. Cutting Prices to Hit Pipeline Targets (and Poison LTV)
Why it feels rational
Pricing feels tactical. Adjustable. Reversible.
Why it quietly destroys value
Pricing is downstream of positioning and value proof.
When those are weak, price cuts become a substitute for conviction.
Discounting moves deals forward while:
- Compressing margins
- Training buyers to wait
- Damaging renewal leverage
Short-term optics improve. Long-term economics rot.
6. Over-Investing in RevOps Tooling to Avoid Fixing the Offer
Why it feels rational
Better data.
Better forecasting.
Better control.
Why it quietly destroys value
Tooling optimises motion — it does not create one.
CRMs, attribution models, and dashboards cannot compensate for:
- Unclear value
- Fragile sales narratives
- Inconsistent buyers
This is instrumentation without integrity.
7. Chasing Partnerships as a Substitute for Distribution
Why it feels rational
Borrowed trust. Faster reach. Lower CAC.
Why it quietly destroys value
Partners do not fix weak demand. They expose it.
If the value proposition isn’t already compelling, partners deprioritise you silently.
Internal teams burn time managing “strategic” relationships that never convert.
Distribution cannot be outsourced before it exists.
8. “AI-Washing” the Roadmap Without Monetisation Clarity
Why it feels rational
AI relevance feels existential.
Why it quietly destroys value
AI capability without:
- Clear buyer value
- Explicit packaging
- Defensible pricing
…is not a growth strategy. It’s expensive R&D.
Interest spikes. Demos multiply. Decisions stall.
The organisation mistakes excitement for traction.
9. Pushing ARR at the Expense of Retention Signals
Why it feels rational
Growth metrics look healthy.
Why it quietly destroys value
Slow time-to-value creates deferred churn.
Customers stay — but they don’t expand, advocate, or defend the product internally.
Retention without expansion is not stability.
It is risk delayed.
The Common Failure Mode
Across all nine moves, the pattern is the same:
Two GTM domains break — often quietly:
- Product
- Positioning
- Pricing
- Sales
- Customer success
Momentum masks fragility.
Narrative substitutes for evidence.
Capital commits before clarity exists.
The company doesn’t fail.
It loses a year.
A Better Way to Fund Growth Decisions
In M&A, no PE firm would proceed without diligence.
Yet these internal commercial bets often carry comparable downside — and receive none of the same scrutiny.
The GTM Growth Verdict applies commercial due diligence to one high-stakes decision before capital, credibility, and time are committed.
One decision. 14 days. A board-ready answer:
- GO
- HOLD
- STOP
👉 Get the GTM Growth Verdict
https://techgrowthinsights.com/gtm-growth-leader/commercial-bet-due-diligence/
Because in 2026, the most dangerous enemy isn’t competition.
It’s default decisions made without evidence.
Before You Commit Capital, Credibility, or Momentum
Technology CEOs are increasingly using decision-grade GTM due diligence before high-stakes commercial bets — not to outsource judgement, but to ensure the decision stands up before it's made.
When a GTM decision is hard to unwind — a senior hire, a pricing change, a market entry — the cost of being wrong compounds quietly. Two quarters slip away before you know it failed.
Commercial Bet Due Diligence (CBDD) is a short, independent review used before commitment. It evaluates a single GTM bet across product, pricing, positioning, sales, and customer growth — and concludes with a clear verdict:
- Review a sample CBDD board memo — the artefact CEOs and boards use to govern these decisions
- Learn how the CBDD process works — and when it's applied
