Today, marketing and sales teams have huge technological opportunities to help them go to market effectively, saving time and ultimately costs in the process.
Unfortunately, tools, data, campaigns, automations and handovers often multiply faster than targeted successes. At the same time, customers are becoming increasingly resistant to unstructured — and therefore often clumsy and impersonal — advertising strategies, which may result from poorly integrated software solutions.
Against this background, it is more important than ever to create the right processes, rather than simply using more modern programmes. The GTM engineer acts as a bridge between technology, strategy and systematic implementation within the company.
What is a GTM engineer?
A GTM engineer — often referred to as a go-to-market engineer, GTM systems engineer or revenue operations engineer — ensures that all technical processes in the go-to-market process are neatly interlinked. The GTM engineering process describes the systematic work on exactly the processes, automations and data flows, which decisively determine how a company acquires, qualifies and retains customers in the long term. Rather than simply completing individual tasks, these experts build technical infrastructures that enable modern, efficient and highly appropriate sales processes in large software architectures.e.
In practice, a GTM engineer primarily brings together scattered data sources, automates repetitive tasks and develops scalable workflows that reliably manage outreach, lead routing, lead nurturing, and follow-ups. This is not primarily about setting up individual tools, but about creating a consistent logic. Every step in the funnel must be comprehensible, automatable and measurable. The result is systems that work perfectly, but also learn and (can) be adapted very flexibly.
Many classic roles in sales cover only individual areas and are reaching their limits as complexity grows.
• SDRs often still work with manual research or with poorly connected tools.
• AEs focus on financial statements while relying on upstream teams.
• Sales engineers provide technical support but are unable to scale across large volumes.
• RevOps ensures stable systems, but is barely able to ensure the appropriate use of the technical infrastructure in day-to-day business.
A GTM engineer combines these perspectives, developing technical principles that enable personalised outreach, automatic data enrichment and a constantly filled pipeline.
The importance of GTM engineering for companies today
The demand for GTM engineers is increasing — and that is no coincidence, of course.
• One of the main reasons is clearly the massive increase in tools in marketing and sales: A typical B2B company now uses over 100 SaaS solutions. Many programs however, do not work cleanly, which leads to data gaps, unclear handovers and overall inefficient processes. GTM engineers therefore bring order. They create a uniform data foundation across the entire funnel and enable decisions based on real connections instead of fragmented insights.
• Without meaningful process automation The effort grows with every campaign, every new ICP and every additional channel. GTM engineers ensure that RevOps are scalable, not linear, with modern AI automation. Although it makes it possible to implement complex integrations more quickly today, without a good structure, this freedom still quickly leads to a veritable jumble of tools. A GTM engineer starts right here and ensures that technique is not only used, but act purposefully.
• Another reason for the increasing importance of GTM engineers lies in the rapid market dynamics. Only teams and companies that learn quickly, measure properly and readjust quickly win here. GTM Engineering makes this possible because it makes feedback loops technically representable and continuous optimization in everyday life. This creates a system that not only reacts to changes, but actively uses them.
• In all of this, do not forget the shortage of skilled workers, which is making it increasingly difficult for companies to find qualified professionals for sales or marketing. For this reason alone, we must embrace more automated processes. Even the most powerful marketing automation without a clear concept can produce more chaos than it solves. A GTM engineer can prevent this by clearly defining processes, setting rules, and ensuring that data and logic run consistently throughout the entire system.
When should you establish GTM engineering?
The right time to start GTM engineering depends heavily on your current phase of the company.
If you grow out of spreadsheets and manual processes, the effort quickly becomes confusing. In this situation, a systematic approach is crucial — the suitable tools, which RevOps has defined must then be perfectly orchestrated. Even though your go-to-market stack is growing and data is no longer flowing smoothly, this is a critical point. A GTM engineer can ensure these data flows are harmonised, allowing the system to be controlled again..
The role is also particularly useful if you leverage it instead of hiring more staff. Manual work doesn't scale. However, automating processes and clearly defining the logic behind them increases the entire team's productivity, even with a rapidly developing business. Companies that need to iterate faster also benefit greatly from GTM Engineering. In dynamic markets, flexible yet well-founded adjustments can be decisive in terms of competition. A clean, agile process framework makes this possible.
But GTM engineering doesn't always make sense, either. Without a repeatable sales process, you need a sturdy foundation first. Without an identifiable product-market fit, any automation would be premature. The same applies when fundamental CRM hygiene or process discipline is lacking. A GTM engineer can only reinforce what is already working. They will hardly be able (or willing) to repair defective foundations. Anyone expecting GTM Engineering to completely take over classic RevOps tasks will be disappointed. The role complements RevOps, but does not replace it.
What should you pay particular attention to when it comes to a GTM engineer?
If you're planning to hire a GTM engineer or work with an external specialist, a closer look at the capabilities is extremely important.
A true expert quickly recognizes technical relationships, thinks in terms of systems and has a clear idea of how go-to-market processes are logically structured. Particularly important is a deep understanding of best automation tools. Platforms such as n8n, Clay, Make and Zapier are the backbone of many companies' processes, but only work reliably if someone understands exactly how data flows between systems, where typical errors can occur, and how to construct Workflows that are stable in the long term. In practice, a GTM engineer does more than just fix symptoms when problems arise; they also find and solve the root cause of the problem permanently.
In addition, a GTM engineer should be able to code, or at least be familiar with low-code and no-code approaches. Not every process can be put together with a single click. Common are small scripts or even major adjustments necessary to correctly transform data or expand integrations. Anyone who has mastered both can react flexibly and ensures that your system is not reaching its limits. A typical example is cleaning up incomplete data from forms or incoming leads. An experienced GTM engineer builds small functions that automatically correct such errors before they distort the pipeline.
Just as central is a profound understanding of B2B sales funnels and relevant customer profiles. Technical processes are only valuable if they support real business goals. A GTM engineer must therefore know how leads are evaluated, which signals indicate willingness to buy and how to address different ICPs. A practical advantage is that if that person understands the logic of the pipeline, they can define the routing, scoring and nurturing rules much more precisely.
A good GTM engineer is also someone who loves products and gives critical feedback. Such people not only think technically, but also about usability, (customer) behavior and (long-term) impact. They review tools, question workflows and test new ideas quickly and systematically. This growth DNA is an important differentiator. Instead of resting on the status quo they are constantly looking for potential for improvement. For example, if an outreach process generates too many uninterested leads, a good GTM engineer not only changes the trigger but also checks ICP criteria, data quality, messaging, and channel selection.
Conclusion
Today's technological diversity requires even clearer structures so that it can fully exploit its advantages and not even become a harmful burden. Companies are increasingly moving towards modular workflows, scalable playbooks, and fully integrated tool landscapes. Real-time data is becoming more important because it enables better decisions and faster action.
A good GTM Engineer combines all of this with an engineering-like look. He develops processes that work reproducibly, experiments with new solutions and transforms manual processes into automated, value-creating systems that work effectively in the long term. The result is a more organized pipeline, fewer silos, and a sovereign growth model, which works regardless of the number of employees.
FAQ
What education should a good GTM engineer have?
Many GTM engineers hold degrees in computer science, engineering or a related technical subject. Some also have master's degrees or certificates clearly connected to automation technologies or artificial intelligence. However, practical experience is more important than qualifications. Ensure that your chosen professional can confidently and comprehensively use automation tools, has a deep understanding of the B2B sales funnel and demonstrates a strong growth mindset. While technical skills are important, it is the combination of systems thinking and analytical expertise that truly makes this role valuable.
Does GTM engineering make sense for my company?
Whether or not GTM Engineering is worthwhile depends primarily on your current situation. If you have outgrown manual processes, use a lot of tools or need to automate more quickly or efficiently, the input of a GTM engineer could be extremely helpful. However, if you lack clear sales processes, well-maintained data or a stable product-market fit, it is too early to consider deployment. GTM Engineering builds on existing strengths, but does not establish fundamental structures.
What does a GTM engineer do?
A GTM engineer integrates processes within an existing technical infrastructure to maximise the efficiency of the go-to-market process. They combine data from marketing, sales and customer success, automate recurring processes, develop scalable workflows, and ensure that all steps in the funnel are measurable and comprehensible. The goal is to create a system that is more reliable, faster-acting and significantly more scalable.
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Jens ist Mitgründer von bakedwith, einer Boutique-Beratung für smarte Automatisierung und KI. Er unterstützt mittelständische Unternehmen und Konzerne dabei, Prozesse zu optimieren, manuelle Arbeit zu reduzieren und durch effiziente Workflows Wachstum zu erzielen. Zuvor war Jens Growth Lead bei OMR und begleitete als Freelancer zahlreiche Unternehmen bei der Optimierung ihrer CRM- und Automationssysteme. Seine Leidenschaft gilt der Verbindung von Wachstum und Effizienz – damit Teams sich auf das Wesentliche konzentrieren können.
