Building Data-Driven Go-to-Market Strategy: Insights from Inna Logunova for Early-Stage Startups

By Spencer Hulse Spencer Hulse has been verified by Muck Rack's editorial team
Published on October 21, 2024

Today, the role of revenue operations (RevOps) has never been more critical as businesses face increasing pressure to align their sales, marketing, and customer success teams. Recent Forbes industry reports reveal that the demand for RevOps professionals is growing rapidly, with more companies recognizing its importance in driving revenue growth and operational efficiency. In fact, the rise of RevOps highlights the need for businesses to build a robust, data-driven go-to-market (GTM) strategy to remain competitive in today’s fast-evolving market.

Inna Logunova, a highly skilled expert in GTM strategy and data analytics and a judge for influential industry competitions like the Globee Awards for Women in Business, has been instrumental in helping companies stay ahead in this competitive landscape. With years of experience in revenue operations and a deep understanding of client needs, she’s known for developing data-driven solutions that streamline processes and significantly boost business results. During our conversation, she offered valuable insights into building an effective analytics infrastructure to support GTM strategies, which will be discussed in this article.

Establish Proper Data Architecture and Select Your Tools Wisely

Building a robust data structure is a key challenge for many companies in today’s fast-paced business world. A well-designed database isn’t just a storage solution — it’s the foundation supporting a company’s analytics infrastructure. Without the right setup, businesses struggle to grow, manage increasing data complexity, and stay efficient. Many organizations hit roadblocks when creating a system that can handle future data demands, leading to wasted resources and operational inefficiencies.

Having spearheaded two major database migrations, Inna Logunova knows how crucial it is to get the architecture right from the start. As Inna explains, “The foundation of a strong analytics infrastructure starts with a database that is both efficient and cost-effective, supported by an ERD (Entity Relationship Diagram) that lets you work with data in a smart, streamlined way. Connecting all your tools via API and building reference datasets to meet your organization’s specific needs is key.” This well-organized setup is the backbone of successful GTM strategies.

Inna emphasizes that scalability is critical: “You need to anticipate future data growth and build a system that can handle increased volume and complexity over time.” Her experience leading these migrations, which took about a year each to fully complete, helped equip teams with the right tools to succeed. As a result, her team achieved a 24% reduction in month-over-month spending and simplified the previously complex architecture, allowing end users to finally leverage the system effectively. This transformation alleviated the burden on analytics engineers and paved the way for smarter, more data-driven decision-making.

 Ensure Quality Data Across Your Tech Stack 

Maintaining data quality across the tech stack is just as critical as building a solid infrastructure. In any go-to-market (GTM) strategy, companies rely on a variety of tools — whether for prospecting, intent signaling, forecasting, or contact management. However, even the best-laid plans can unravel without clean and accurate data flowing between these platforms. Inna Logunova has experienced firsthand how data inconsistencies can disrupt everything from decision-making to operations.

As the expert points out, “It’s not enough to just implement tools; you must ensure that the data moving through these systems is clean and synchronized. If the data is incomplete or mismatched, it can lead to errors that ripple across departments, impacting everything from sales forecasts to customer success metrics. Moreover, these issues significantly slow down processes for sales teams, as they become reluctant to use tools that constantly encounter errors.” The challenge, she explains, isn’t just about managing data but ensuring that all the tools communicate effectively and use the same reliable information.

To combat these challenges, Inna developed a series of processes focused on cleaning and deduplicating records, preventing common issues like missing data and incorrect inputs. She also implemented guardrails — specific measures designed to catch errors before they escalate into larger issues. “Setting up safeguards to maintain data quality makes all the difference. By having these checks in place, you can catch discrepancies early and avoid costly mistakes,” Inna says. Her approach led to a 10% reduction in reported issues across the board, a clear sign that her emphasis on clean data paid off. Beyond reducing errors, ensuring data quality streamlined operations, allowing teams to trust the data they were working with, and ultimately leading to better, faster decision-making.

Inna’s focus on data quality illustrates a larger truth: a well-oiled GTM strategy doesn’t just rely on powerful tools—it requires that those tools are fed the right data consistently and accurately. With clean data as a foundation, companies can unlock the full potential of their GTM strategies, driving growth and success in the long run.

 Determine Your KPIs and Align Cross-Functional Teams’ Requests

Determining the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is the cornerstone of any successful Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy, as it connects the efforts of various departments — marketing, customer success, sales, finance, and beyond — under one cohesive vision. With so many teams involved, ensuring everyone works toward the same goals is no small feat. The challenge lies in selecting metrics that reflect company-wide objectives and foster cross-functional alignment and transparency.

“The first step is defining North Star metrics — those guiding benchmarks that all leaders across functions can rally around,” Inna explains. Her approach to KPIs is refreshingly straightforward. She focuses on the essentials rather than overwhelming teams with endless data points. “I try to keep it simple with no more than ten major metrics. This keeps the teams focused, but we can always drill down to more detailed KPIs when needed. It’s about balancing focus with flexibility.”

This streamlined approach ensures that the entire organization stays aligned on what matters, whether tracking customer acquisition, optimizing sales processes, or evaluating financial performance. Each department knows how its efforts contribute to the broader company goals, fostering a sense of shared purpose and driving more strategic, data-informed decisions. Inna’s method of aligning cross-functional teams around clear, actionable KPIs sets the stage for long-term success. It helps businesses stay focused on growth while driving more effective execution across the board.

Reporting and Visualization Tools

Choosing the right reporting and visualization tools is about making data an integral part of your teams’ work. With so many advanced business intelligence platforms out there, including AI-driven forecasts, the real challenge is getting people to use them to drive meaningful decisions.

For our expert, embedding data into daily workflows is the key to success. “It’s not just about giving teams access to data; you have to weave it into their routines,” she explains. “Whether it’s integrating it into the CRM, setting up email alerts, or using messaging tools, the idea is to make data easy to access and impossible to ignore.”

Inna’s focus is on ensuring teams aren’t overwhelmed by metrics. “Keep it simple and actionable,” she says. The goal is to empower teams with clear insights, not flood them with too much information.” By establishing regular reporting rhythms, she ensures that data is consistently reviewed and acted on, building a habit that reinforces a data-driven culture. By embedding it into everyday processes and simplifying the way it’s presented, she helps teams build a natural habit of using data to make smarter, more informed decisions — ultimately driving better outcomes across the organization.

Data Governance and Security

Data governance and security are crucial when managing a Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy, especially with sales teams operating across different regions, product lines, and tiers; they require ensuring that only the right people have access to the information. If permissions aren’t set correctly, sensitive information could end up where it doesn’t belong, creating unnecessary risks.

Logunova underscores the significance of doing this correctly. “With a complex sales hierarchy, it’s essential to establish proper roles and permissions so that each team only has access to the data they need,” she says. By configuring access in your reporting tools and clearly defining roles within the database, you can keep sensitive information secure.

Inna’s strategy effortlessly integrates security into the dailyworkflow. By setting up clear permissions and protecting sensitive data, companies can work more confidently and efficiently, knowing that their data is safe and only accessible to the right people. It’s a straightforward but essential step in building a strong, reliable GTM strategy.

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By Spencer Hulse Spencer Hulse has been verified by Muck Rack's editorial team

Spencer Hulse is the Editorial Director at Grit Daily. He is responsible for overseeing other editors and writers, day-to-day operations, and covering breaking news.

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