Why the CEO-Led Growth Model Breaks at Scale

Why the CEO-Led Growth Model Breaks at Scale

Tue, Feb 10, 2026 | Posted by The Chief Outsider

Series Overview

As companies grow, GTM breakdowns rarely show up as sudden failures. They emerge as friction. Progress slows, pipelines become less predictable, and confidence in forecasts declines, even as teams work harder and act with good intent. Written from both the marketing and sales lens, this six-part series, Building a Unified GTM Operating Model, explores why scale exposes weaknesses in informal GTM systems and how an intentional operating model restores clarity, alignment, and scalable growth.

Executive Takeaways

 CEO-led, informal GTM models break predictably as scale introduces complexity.
 Early GTM failure shows up as friction, not collapse.
 Sales–marketing misalignment is a structural issue, not a performance problem.
 A unified GTM operating model is required to restore growth, confidence, and value.

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