Hello Friend,

In this issue, we have:

• RESEARCH: How focusing on growth loops can unlock new opportunities
• IN PRACTICE: Where AI flywheels are showing up in the real world
• EVENTS: US Summit, SF Roadshow, SPICED AI webinar — coming this Spring
• AI IN GTM SURVEY: Contribute for early insights
• REVENUE ACADEMY COURSES: Enroll in upcoming courses across the Bowtie

RESEARCH: The Difference Between Growth Engines and Growth Amplifiers

One of the most common mistakes in go-to-market strategy is confusing what creates growth with what accelerates it.

Research from the Winning by Design Growth Institute separates growth systems into two layers:

Growth Engines (First-Order Loops)
These are the mechanisms that generate growth. They create demand, convert customers, and expand value over time.

Examples include:

• Customer education

• Word-of-mouth

• Retention

• Advocacy

• Expansion

When these loops are weak, growth slows—no matter how many tactics are added.

Growth Amplifiers (Second-Order Loops)

These mechanisms increase the output of the system.

Examples include:

• SEO

• Partner ecosystems

• Marketplaces

• Pricing optimization

Amplifiers do not create growth on their own. They strengthen an existing engine.

Why Companies Misdiagnose Growth Problems

Many organizations try to fix stalled growth by adding more amplification.

They invest in SEO when education is weak.
They launch partner programs when demand generation is broken.
They redesign pricing when expansion value is unclear.

The problem is structural: second-order loops multiply the output of the core system—they don’t replace it.

If the underlying growth loop is weak, amplification simply scales inefficiency.

The Rule of Growth Systems
You cannot amplify zero. Growth systems are built in layers:

1. Design the core growth engines.

2. Then add amplifiers to increase scale and efficiency.

Companies that reverse this order often scale activity— but not growth.

– Bottom Line –

Growth engines create momentum.

Growth amplifiers increase it.

Design the engine first.

This research was completed by members of the Winning by Design Growth Institute and is compiled into a comprehensive working paper which can be downloaded here.

Figure 1: Structural representation of the Bowtie growth system and first-order growth loops (conceptual model).

IN PRACTICE: Turning AI Into a GTM Flywheel

If growth compounds through reinforcing loops, the question becomes simple: how do you operationalize them?

Most companies begin their AI journey with isolated pilots—automating emails, summarizing calls, or drafting follow-ups. Useful, but limited. These improvements rarely change the underlying growth engine.

The real shift happens when AI becomes part of the GTM operating system.

In that model, every interaction—meetings, emails, product signals, and deal updates—feeds a shared system that learns what drives conversion, engagement, and expansion. Playbooks become dynamic. Execution improves with every cycle.

Where the Flywheel Shows Up
AI-native GTM teams are already applying this model across key parts of the revenue cycle:

• Buying signals: AI surfaces intent signals across product usage, engagement, and market activity—helping teams prioritize the highest-value opportunities.

• Inbound qualification: Accounts are automatically enriched, profiled, and routed to the right motion.

• Sales execution: Agents handle research, follow-ups, and coordination so reps can focus on complex conversations and strategy. 

• Deal progression: AI helps track momentum across stakeholders and next actions, reducing friction in the sales cycle.

Each improvement strengthens the next cycle of the system—faster learning, better targeting, and more consistent execution.

– Bottom Line –
AI doesn’t just automate tasks. When embedded into GTM operations, it creates a learning flywheel where every interaction improves the next cycle of growth.

These insights are adapted from an article authored by Marjorie Janiewicz, Chief Revenue Officer at Mistral AI and Justin Shriber, Chief Executive Officer at Terret. The full piece can be found in our Growth Journal - subscribe here (or read here if already subscribed).

Figure 2: AI-native GTM organizations now operate on unified data, real-time AI-augmented decisions, adaptive self-optimizing execution loops, and integrated roles.

EVENTS: US Impact Summit Approaching + Roadshows, Webinars, & More

⭐ IMPACT SUMMIT 2026 IS 2 MONTHS FROM TODAY! | SAN FRANCISCO | MAY 12, 2026 / The Impact Summit is back May 12 in San Francisco—bringing together top CROs, CEOs, and GTM innovators to decode the next era of AI-native growth. The agenda is dropping in the coming days (stay tuned via email), outlining a day packed with high-impact keynotes, operator roundtables, and brand-new research designed to help revenue leaders turn AI from hype into a compounding competitive edge.

Seats are limited. Request an invite.

Nominations for our Growth Awards—with winners to be unveiled at the Impact Summit in May—are still OPEN, but closing soon on March 18th! These awards spotlight leaders who are shaping where GTM is going next.

Awards include:

• Bowtie for Growth Momentum

• SPICED for Growth Acceleration

• AI Innovator

Finalists will be invited to Impact Summit 2026!

Nominate a Growth Star. Nominations accepted through March 18.

Want to get in front of GTM Executives of industry-defining companies? Sponsorship slots are still open!

- IMPACT SUMMIT EUROPE DATE SET | 6 OCTOBER 2026 | GHENT, BELGIUM / For our European operators, Impact Summit Europe lands 6 October in Ghent, Belgium—a curated, one-day gathering of senior GTM leaders focused on designing growth systems that compound across markets and embedding AI into the operating logic of revenue teams.

If you’re based in Europe and want to join, you can now request an invite.

- OUR IMPACT ROADSHOW IS IN FULL SWING! | UP NEXT: SAN FRANCISCO / The Impact Roadshow lands next in San Francisco on March 19, bringing together a curated group of CROs, RevOps leaders, and GTM operators for an invite-only half-day of research insights, operator panels, and practical discussions on how AI is reshaping the revenue engine.

If you’re in the Bay Area and want to join the conversation, you can now request an invite.

- OPEN WEBINAR: SPICED AI: TURN YOUR FRAMEWORK INTO A REVENUE ENGINE | MARCH 25, 2026 / Join our upcoming SPICED + AI webinar with Chief Learning Officer, Dan Smith, to see how modern GTM teams are turning customer conversations into structured revenue intelligence. Built around the SPICED framework, the session explores how AI can operationalize discovery signals, improve deal qualification, and drive more predictable outcomes across the revenue cycle.

Register for the March 25th webinar here.

AI IN GTM SURVEY: Contribute for Early Insights

AI is rapidly entering go-to-market teams. What’s still missing is clear data on how SaaS companies are actually implementing it.

Most conversations focus on tools.

We want to understand the system changes behind them.

Our AI in GTM Survey explores how SaaS operators are applying AI across their revenue architecture:

• Where AI investment is going

• Who owns the strategy

• Which use cases are producing measurable impact

• How GTM systems are evolving

The findings will be shared at Impact Summit on May 12, with contributors receiving early access to the insights.

If you're applying AI inside a SaaS GTM organization, your input will help shape a clearer picture of where GTM is heading.

REVENUE ACADEMY COURSES: Uplevel your skills across the GTM

Sign up for Revenue Academy Open Courses —next cohorts are kicking off on April 7th (with more scheduled throughout Q2).

Cheers to a great month ahead! And remember, growth doesn’t happen by chance—it happens by design.

To impact!

The crew @ Winning by Design