Go-to-Market Strategy (Validated)
GTM Philosophy
Section titled “GTM Philosophy”Open-source wedge → Community-led growth → PLG → Sales-assisted expansion
- Win developer trust with a free, open-source security scanner (like early Snyk, Semgrep)
- Build community through security reports and thought leadership
- Convert to platform with discovery and trust score features
- Expand into enterprises through bottom-up adoption
- Layer on commerce only when the market supports it
Key revision: Prior GTM assumed launching all layers simultaneously. Validated approach: lead with security (most validated), defer commerce (least validated).
Target Segments & Personas
Section titled “Target Segments & Personas”Personas (Prioritized by Validation Level)
Section titled “Personas (Prioritized by Validation Level)”| Persona | Description | Pain Point | Entry Product | Validation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security-Conscious Dev | Senior dev / team lead evaluating skills | ”Is this MCP server safe to install? 32% have critical vulns.” | Findable Shield (free scanner) | HIGH |
| Discovery-Frustrated Dev | Developer overwhelmed by fragmented registries | ”Skills are scattered across 9+ registries with no unified search.” | Findable Search (free) | MEDIUM-HIGH |
| Enterprise IT Admin | IT/Security manager at company using AI agents | ”We need governance for what agents can discover and use.” | Enterprise governance | EMERGING |
| Skill Builder | Individual developer building MCP servers | ”How do I get discovered and build trust?” | Free publishing + trust scores | MEDIUM |
| SaaS Vendor | Product manager wanting agent discovery | ”How do agents find and choose our product?” | Agent SEO (DEFERRED) | LOW |
Segment Sequencing
Section titled “Segment Sequencing”| Phase | Primary Segment | Revenue Model | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (Mo 1-4) | Security-conscious developers | Free (community) | Now |
| Phase 2 (Mo 4-8) | Discovery-frustrated developers | Free (funnel) + API subscriptions | Now |
| Phase 3 (Mo 8-14) | Enterprise IT/Security | Enterprise license ($30-80/user/mo) | 6-12 months |
| Phase 4 (Mo 14-24) | Skill builders + SaaS vendors | Commerce + Promote | 12-24 months |
Channel Strategy
Section titled “Channel Strategy”Developer Channels (Phase 1-2)
Section titled “Developer Channels (Phase 1-2)”| Channel | Tactic | Expected Impact | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub | Open-source scanner CLI; star the repo; contribute to MCP ecosystem | HIGH | Core developer channel |
| Hacker News | Security report launch; “Show HN” posts | HIGH | Viral potential for security data |
| Developer docs / blog | ”State of Agent Skills Security” report + tutorials | HIGH | SEO + GEO + thought leadership |
| X/Twitter | Security findings, ecosystem analysis, developer tips | MEDIUM | Visibility + community |
| DEV Community | Deep-dive technical articles | MEDIUM | Long-tail traffic, developer trust |
| Discord / Slack | Active presence in Claude Code, MCP, OpenClaw communities | HIGH | Direct engagement |
| Product Hunt | Launch day for scanner | MEDIUM | One-time boost |
Channel ranking (validated): Documentation/Blog > HN > GitHub > X > DEV Community > Discord > Product Hunt. This matches the Resend/Supabase open-source playbook.
Content Strategy
Section titled “Content Strategy”Content pillars:
-
Security Reports — Data-driven, publishable findings
- “We scanned 10,000 MCP servers. Here’s what we found.”
- Monthly “Agent Skills Security Digest”
- Quarterly deep-dive reports
- Purpose: PR, authority, urgency
-
Developer Tutorials — Practical, hands-on content
- “How to secure your MCP server”
- “Building a trust-worthy agent skill”
- Purpose: Organic traffic, developer acquisition
-
Ecosystem Analysis — Market intelligence
- “Skills ecosystem growth report”
- “Registry comparison: which one should you use?”
- Purpose: Authority, newsletter-worthy
-
Enterprise Guides (Phase 3+)
- “CISO’s guide to AI agent security”
- “Agent skills governance playbook”
- Purpose: Enterprise pipeline, lead gen
Partnership Channels
Section titled “Partnership Channels”| Partner Type | Target Partners | Value Exchange | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent Platforms | Claude Code team, OpenClaw foundation, Codex team | We provide scanning → they drive discovery to us | P0 |
| Existing Registries | Smithery, PulseMCP, Glama | We add trust scores to their listings → they drive traffic | P0 |
| Security Ecosystem | OWASP MCP project, CoSAI | Standards participation → credibility | P1 |
| Enterprise Security | Identity/governance vendors | Co-marketing → enterprise pipeline | P2 |
Critical note on Snyk partnership: Snyk acquired Invariant Labs. They are a competitor, NOT a partner. Do not pursue Snyk partnership — they will build competing features.
Launch Plan (Security-First)
Section titled “Launch Plan (Security-First)”Pre-Launch (Month 1-2)
Section titled “Pre-Launch (Month 1-2)”| Week | Activity |
|---|---|
| Week 1-2 | Build scanner MVP; start batch scanning major registries |
| Week 3-4 | Private alpha with 30-50 developers from MCP/Claude communities |
| Week 5-6 | Iterate on scanner based on feedback; compile security report |
| Week 7-8 | Prepare launch materials; seed report with tech journalists |
Launch (Month 3)
Section titled “Launch (Month 3)”| Day | Activity | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Day -7 | Tease security findings on X/Twitter | Social |
| Day -3 | Send embargoed report to tech journalists | PR |
| Day 0 | Publish “State of Agent Skills Security” report | Blog |
| Day 0 | Open-source scanner CLI on GitHub | GitHub |
| Day 0 | Post on HN: “Show HN: We scanned 10K MCP servers for security” | HN |
| Day 0 | Post in MCP, Claude Code, OpenClaw communities | Discord/Slack |
| Day +1 | Launch on Product Hunt | PH |
| Day +3 | Deep-dive article on DEV Community | DEV |
| Day +7 | Follow-up: “What we learned from our first 1,000 community scans” | Blog |
Realistic launch targets:
| Metric | Target | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| CLI downloads (first week) | 1,000-3,000 | Conservative; mcp-scan baseline |
| GitHub stars (first month) | 300-500 | Security tools with data-driven launches |
| Press mentions | 2-3 | Security data stories get coverage |
| Community engagement | Active discussion | Validated by recent MCP security discourse |
Prior targets revised: Prior plan assumed 5,000+ CLI downloads in first week and 3+ TechCrunch-level mentions. Those are aspirational, not expected.
Post-Launch Growth (Month 3-8)
Section titled “Post-Launch Growth (Month 3-8)”| Activity | Cadence | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Security Digest newsletter | Monthly | Build email list, establish authority |
| New feature announcements | Bi-weekly | Momentum |
| Batch scanning new registries | Monthly | Grow indexed skills |
| Partnership announcements | As landed | Credibility + distribution |
| Conference talks / meetups | Quarterly | AI security conferences |
Pricing & Packaging GTM
Section titled “Pricing & Packaging GTM”Free Tier (Acquisition — generous)
Section titled “Free Tier (Acquisition — generous)”- Unlimited free skill searching
- 10 security scans per month (CLI)
- Basic search across all registries
- Public developer profile
- Trust score viewing
Upgrade Triggers
Section titled “Upgrade Triggers”| Trigger | Upgrade Path |
|---|---|
| Developer wants unlimited scanning | Pro ($29/mo) |
| Developer wants verified publisher badge | Pro ($29/mo) |
| Team wants private registry | Team ($30/user/mo) |
| Company needs policy engine | Business ($60/user/mo) |
| Company needs compliance reports + SLA | Enterprise (custom) |
Geographic Strategy
Section titled “Geographic Strategy”Phase 1: US + India (Months 1-12)
Section titled “Phase 1: US + India (Months 1-12)”- US: Largest AI developer concentration; VC ecosystem; enterprise budgets
- India: 2nd largest developer population; engineering hub; cost advantage
Phase 2: + EU (Months 12-24)
Section titled “Phase 2: + EU (Months 12-24)”- GDPR compliance creates demand for governance tools
- Large enterprise market
Metrics & KPIs
Section titled “Metrics & KPIs”North Star Metric
Section titled “North Star Metric”Monthly Active Skill Consumers — unique users (humans or agents) who discover, evaluate, or scan a skill through Findable each month.
Funnel Metrics (Realistic)
Section titled “Funnel Metrics (Realistic)”| Stage | Metric | Month 6 Target | Month 12 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Monthly website visitors | 10K | 50K |
| Acquisition | New signups | 1K/mo | 5K/mo |
| Activation | First scan completed | 500/mo | 2K/mo |
| Revenue | Paying customers | 0-20 | 50-100 |
| Retention | Monthly active users (30-day) | 2K | 10K |
Prior targets revised: Month 6 was 50K visitors / 5K signups. Month 12 was 200K / 20K. These assumed viral distribution that isn’t guaranteed.
Competitive Response Playbook (Updated)
Section titled “Competitive Response Playbook (Updated)”If Snyk launches a registry/discovery product:
Section titled “If Snyk launches a registry/discovery product:”- They’ve already acquired Invariant Labs — this is likely
- Response: Double down on cross-platform (Snyk is enterprise security, not discovery). Emphasize integrated trust + discovery + governance vs. scanning-only. Position as the “developer-friendly” alternative.
If Vercel skills.sh adds trust scores / security:
Section titled “If Vercel skills.sh adds trust scores / security:”- 110K installs in 4 days shows their distribution power
- Response: Differentiate on cross-platform (they’re SKILL.md/Mastra-focused). Emphasize MCP + SKILL.md coverage. Go deeper on enterprise governance.
If Composio adds a public discovery layer:
Section titled “If Composio adds a public discovery layer:”- They have $2M ARR and 200+ enterprise customers
- Response: Emphasize open/cross-platform vs. their managed infra approach. They’re platform-specific; we’re neutral.
If Anthropic expands the official registry:
Section titled “If Anthropic expands the official registry:”- Currently “deliberately minimal” — but could change
- Response: Position as the independent, cross-platform layer that works with ALL platforms including Anthropic’s. Enterprise governance and trust scores are differentiators Anthropic won’t build.
If the market doesn’t grow as expected:
Section titled “If the market doesn’t grow as expected:”- 40% of agentic AI projects may be canceled by 2027 (Gartner)
- Response: Reduce burn; focus on profitable enterprise governance segment. Consider becoming the security scanning layer that integrates into existing platforms (B2B2B model).