GTM engineering: the rise (and reality) of process-driven growth systems

‍You need processes, not only hustle

As I often put it bluntly, “you need processes.” Not more tools. Not more hustle. Processes.

I see that in go-to-market teams, chaos happens fast and easily. Campaigns, tools, handoffs, data, and automation scripts…all of this ends up multiplying faster than results. Everyone on the team is “doing more,” but the results are not following.

That’s where a new kind of operator has emerged: the GTM Engineer. But before we all jump on the next buzzword, let’s be clear: in my opinion, GTM engineering isn’t a replacement for Revenue Operations (RevOps). It’s a role within it.

If RevOps is the factory that builds and maintains your revenue system, GTM engineering is one of the specialized machines inside that factory, focused on automation, AI, and efficiency.

What is GTM engineering?

GTM engineering (Go-to-Market engineering) is the structured, technical discipline of designing and maintaining the processes, automations, and data flows that drive how a company attracts, converts, and retains customers.

Think of it as RevOps with an engineering mindset: a sub-discipline focused on building scalable, AI-driven systems inside the broader RevOps function.

A GTM engineer bridges strategy and execution: part RevOps, part data architect, part growth operator. They build the infrastructure that powers modern revenue engines.

In practice, GTM engineering means:

• Connecting marketing, sales, and customer success data into one system
  
• Automating repetitive bottlenecks
  
• Building scalable workflows for outreach, lead routing, nurturing, and engagement
  
• Instrumenting everything for learning and iteration

While RevOps focuses on efficiency, governance, and enablement, GTM engineering focuses on technical leverage. That means using AI, no-code tools, and automation to make growth systems faster and smarter.

As Clay (one of the companies that coined the term) describes it:

“GTM Engineers build revenue engines using AI and automation. Instead of coding software, they’re coding revenue.”

Why GTM engineering emerged

GTM engineering didn’t appear out of nowhere. It evolved from a perfect storm of complexity, technology, and necessity.

1. Too many tools, too little structure
   The average B2B company now uses 100+ SaaS tools across sales and marketing, most of which don’t talk to each other. GTM engineering brings order to this chaos.
   
2. Fragmented data and disconnected teams
   GTM engineers unify data across the funnel, creating a single source of truth for revenue teams.
   
3. Manual work and operational debt
   Without process automation, every new campaign or ICP adds busywork. GTM engineers help RevOps scale non-linearly.
   
4. The rise of no-code, AI, and automation
   Tools like Clay, Make, n8n, and AI copilots made complex integrations accessible to business users. Suddenly, “ops” could build without waiting for engineering.
   
5. Competitive speed
   Markets evolve faster than org charts. The teams that can learn and adapt fastest win. GTM engineering supports that by making feedback loops measurable.

But again, this doesn’t replace RevOps. It really extends it. Where RevOps builds the system, GTM engineering optimizes it. RevOps defines the process; GTM engineers make it scalable through automation and AI.

The process problem (and why it matters)

Processes. This to me captures the essence of the GTM engineering movement.

Many companies confuse activity with progress. We see it all the time: they run campaigns, switch tools, hire “ops” people. But without documented, repeatable processes, they can’t scale what works.

As I often say “Build your growth like a factory.” That means structured workflows, clear handoffs, and ownership across the revenue chain.

A GTM engineer, in that sense, isn’t just automating tasks. They are engineering processes which is making sure data, triggers, and logic flow consistently across the entire GTM system.

Processes are the foundation; automation and AI are accelerants. Without process, automation just amplifies chaos.
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Challenges GTM engineering solves

1. Broken handoffs between teams
   Marketing generates leads; sales ignores them. GTM engineers fix this with automated scoring, routing, and notification systems.
   
2. Poor data quality
   GTM engineers standardize and enrich data so that dashboards and decisions are based on reality.
   
3. Slow campaign execution
   Modular workflows turn campaign setup from weeks to hours.
   
4. Lack of experimentation infrastructure
   GTM engineers build learning loops: systems that make every experiment improve the next one.
   
5. Reactive operations
   Traditional ops reacts to problems. GTM engineers design against them, but they do so within the RevOps framework that defines governance, alignment, and accountability.

When GTM engineering makes sense (and when it doesn’t)

It makes sense when:

• You’ve outgrown spreadsheets and manual ops.
  
• Your GTM stack is expanding, but data doesn’t flow.
  
• You want leverage, not headcount.
  
• You need faster iteration.
  
  

It doesn’t make sense when:

• You don’t yet have a repeatable sales process.
  
• Your product-market fit is still shifting.
  
• You lack basic CRM hygiene or process discipline.
  
• You expect GTM engineering to “own RevOps.” It doesn’t. It supports it.
  
  

GTM engineering multiplies existing strengths. It can’t fix broken fundamentals

The core pillars of GTM engineering

In the RevOps “factory,” these pillars sit under different specialties. GTM engineers typically own automation, data integration, and experimentation. But RevOps leadership still owns architecture, process design, and governance.‍

The debate: is GTM engineering just RevOps 2.0?

Critics say GTM engineering is just a rebrand of RevOps, another hype wave.
There’s truth to that I think.

RevOps is not a person. It’s a function filled with multiple skill sets:

• Strategic (governance, alignment, operating rhythm)
  
• Process-driven (system design, enablement, forecasting)
  
• Technical (automation, AI, integrations: the GTM engineering side)
  
  

The difference is one of orientation, not ownership:

In short: RevOps manages the factory. GTM Engineering builds the machines.

They’re not competitors. They’re interdependent.

Future of GTM engineering

The field is moving fast, and the next evolution will make GTM Engineers even more strategic.

1. AI-Native revenue systems

LLMs will soon act inside GTM systems, making real-time decisions.

2. GTM OS platforms

One data and workflow layer to control the full funnel.

3. Specialized roles

Signal engineers, AI orchestrators, workflow architects.

4. Systems thinking as a core skill

Future sales and marketing leaders will need to think like engineers.

5. Culture of continuous learning

The best GTM teams will move faster and they’ll learn faster.

I would like to add a nuance: the future isn’t about replacing RevOps with GTM engineers. It’s about elevating RevOps with engineering capabilities: connecting AI, data, and process design into one cohesive growth system.

Conclusion: the process is the product

GTM engineering is not a revolution against RevOps. We need to see it as rather an evolution within it. It’s how we bring automation and AI into the process-first world of revenue operations.

At the end of the day, growth is about structure which is something that I emphasise all the time.

The teams that build disciplined, learning-driven systems and maintain them through strong RevOps will own the next decade of go-to-market.

This is something that I say to my team and our clients very often: “You don’t scale chaos. You scale structure. That’s what RevOps, and now GTM engineering, are here for.”

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