Every founder thinks they’re focused on growth. But too often, hidden mistakes in their go-to-market (GTM) strategy quietly erode their chances of success.

In this Making The Grade episode, we’re joined by Keji Mustapha, CMO at Partech, to unpack the 5 Silent Killers of Go-To-Market.

From undefined ICPs and premature scaling, to misaligned leadership and ignoring the voice of the customer, Keji shares practical advice founders can use today to avoid costly mistakes and scale more wisely.

If you’re a founder, operator, or investor looking to understand why so many companies fail to “make the grade” and why their GTM strategy has a lot to answer for, then this episode will be the one for you.

Episode Chapters

01:40 - Keji’s unconventional journey from law to tech and venture capital
05:10 - The day-to-day of a CMO in venture
07:30 - The biggest challenges founders face in 2025
09:15 - The 5 Silent Killers of GTM
15:40 - The misalignment trap
18:50 - Why hiring for shiny logos often backfires
23:45 - How to build customer obsession into your culture
28:00 - Keji’s predictions for GTM
32:40 - What really needs to change to improve startup graduation rates

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