Introduction: Why Your Pre-Seed GTM Stack Matters

Q: What is the ideal GTM stack budget at pre-seed?

Most early-stage founders keep their monthly stack under $200, using free tiers and combining low-code tools like Airtable and Zapier.

Q: How do I choose between PLG and founder-led growth?

If users can self-serve value early, go PLG. If the product’s too early or complex, rely on founder-led outreach for feedback and traction.

Q: Do I need a CRM at the pre-seed stage?

Not necessarily. Airtable, Notion, or Google Sheets offer flexible alternatives that work well for early lead tracking and prioritization.

Introduction: Why Your Pre-Seed GTM Stack Matters

When you’re building an AI startup at the pre-seed stage, few decisions are as foundational as assembling your go-to-market (GTM) stack. Choosing the right tools early doesn’t just help you reach customers faster—it can catalyze learning, fuel growth experiments, and reduce burn. In this guide on how to build a pre-seed GTM stack, we walk through the exact toolkit founders are leveraging to validate demand, build an audience, and delight early users—without over-engineering the stack.

Step 1: Define Your GTM Strategy First

Product-led vs. founder-led vs. sales-led

Before picking tools, you need to answer a fundamental question: how do you plan to reach your first dozen users? Founders should consider three GTM models:

Product-led: Users self-serve onboarding from a live product or MVP. Tools like Checkly, Webflow, and PostHog support this.
Founder-led: You manually reach out via cold inbound, community engagement, or networks. Airtable, Notion, and Typeform shine here.
Sales-led (early): Uncommon for pre-seed, but viable if you’re rolling out enterprise pilots. Requires scheduling, CRM, and demo tooling.

Set one core conversion goal

All your tools should funnel toward one achievable early goal—like email capture, sign-ups, or demo requests. With limited resources, aligning all touchpoints to this goal ensures clarity and efficiency.

Step 2: The Must-Have Tools for a Pre-Seed GTM Stack

Website + landing pages

Use Webflow, Framer, or Carrd to launch a responsive, branded site quickly. These platforms allow early pivots with minimal dev effort. Carrd is ideal for link-in-bio MVPs.

Email collection & onboarding

Tools like ConvertKit or Mailchimp provide affordable options to start building an audience. Beehiiv is also gaining traction for newsletter-led growth. Use embedded forms or pop-ups to move visitors into your funnel.

Analytics

PostHog offers product analytics with heatmaps, while Plausible or Simple Analytics are strong for privacy-first traffic data. Early founders often just need basic pageviews, CTR, and session duration data.

CRM-lite

Instead of jumping into HubSpot or Salesforce, resourceful founding teams prefer hacks like Airtable + Zapier for lead tracking. Notion can also double as a CRM with basic status pipelines and linked databases.

Customer support

Crisp and Intercom (starter tier) are great for live chat or async help, especially during closed beta cycles. They help turn user friction into product insight rapidly.

Step 3: Stack Integration, Not Complexity

Low-code/no-code integrations to reduce engineering strain

Prioritize tools that talk to each other simply. For example, form fills on Webflow can auto-populate Airtable records, which trigger ConvertKit sequences—all without writing code.

Use Zapier, Make, or built-in options

Avoid custom backend integrations this early. Zapier and Make are your glue. Many tools also provide native connections—for example, PostHog to ConvertKit or Crisp to Slack.

Step 4: Test, Iterate, and Measure What Works

Heatmaps & session recording

Install Hotjar or Smartlook to visually understand how users interact with your MVP or site. Pay attention to rage-clicks and drop-offs.

CRO basics

Start with one experiment at a time. Try A/B testing your headline or CTA button color using tools like Google Optimize (while still available) or split-test via Webflow clones.

Feedback loops

Capture qualitative insights through Typeform, Google Forms, or in-app prompts. Ask friction-centric questions like “What stopped you from signing up today?”