Navigating uncharted waters: Innovative GTM strategies for private equity and portfolio companies 

Market disruption has become a constant. Supply chain instability, tariff fluctuations, inflationary pressure, and persistent recession signals are driving a new wave of caution in the boardroom. For private equity firms and their portfolio companies, this environment intensifies the pressure to hit growth targets while maintaining EBITDA discipline. 

What has changed is the terrain. Go-to-market leaders, particularly CMOs and CROs, are being asked to accelerate outcomes under tighter scrutiny and with fewer resources. The goal hasn’t changed. The path to achieving it has.

The stakes for GTM leaders have shifted

Private equity firms often seek to accelerate EBITDA growth during relatively short hold periods, though typical annual growth targets are closer to high single digits or low double digits. That mandate hasn’t softened, even as budget constraints, hiring freezes, and rising execution risk reshape GTM plans. But the standard approaches—adding headcount, layering on agencies, or expanding teams linearly—are increasingly at odds with operational constraints.

Legacy GTM models are rigid, resource-heavy, and slow to adapt. They lock in fixed costs, delay response to market shifts, and dilute capital efficiency. That’s a risk few portfolio companies can afford.

The new mandate: Growth with precision

Meeting pipeline goals while managing tighter budgets, shifting buyer behavior, and the growing role of AI is a complex balancing act. Leaders need a model that improves speed and scalability without compromising quality.

This requires a modern operating model: one that flexes with market dynamics, aligns costs with actual business needs, and enables speed without compromising execution quality.

Marketing-as-a-service: Built for this environment 

Marketing-as-a-Service (MaaS) delivers on this need. Instead of relying on full-time hires or costly retainers, portfolio companies tap embedded, on-demand execution teams with expertise across demand generation, ABM, campaign ops, content, and analytics. 

For the cost of a single U.S. hire, companies gain access to a team of three offshore specialists, enabling them to:

• Shift fixed GTM costs to a more variable structure 
• Scale execution based on business needs or market signals
• Reinvest savings into high-impact initiatives like MarTech, data ops, or tiered ABM 
• Reduce operational drag and move faster without adding complexity

This approach takes a step further than just getting savings. You’re building capacity for decisive, high-velocity execution when it matters most. 

Accelerating value creation across the portfolio

We’ve seen Marketing-as-a-Service adopted across a wide range of portfolio companies, supporting faster campaign execution, protecting margins, and reducing reliance on fixed-cost structures that don’t scale with market conditions.

By shifting from fixed overhead to flexible execution support, GTM leaders gain the agility to respond quickly to shifting market signals and reallocate budget to the areas that generate the greatest enterprise value. Whether it’s ramping up ABM, accelerating product launches, or investing in analytics, this model allows portfolio companies to modernize without overspending or stalling growth. 

Well-designed GTM frameworks do more than improve marketing performance. They unlock enterprise value by eliminating bottlenecks, enabling sales alignment, and accelerating go-to-market orchestration at the pace private equity expects.

Building for what’s next

Uncertainty in the market isn’t a reason to pause progress. It’s a signal to re-evaluate how execution happens. Companies that adjust their operating models now are better positioned to move with speed, contain costs, and deliver the outcomes private equity firms expect. 

MaaS is a strategic shift to modernize GTM execution, contain cost, and keep growth plans intact when conditions are far from ideal. Don’t fall for the misconception that it’s about pushing internal teams harder. It augments them, surgically, intelligently, and with speed. 

If your portfolio company is rethinking how to sustain momentum under pressure, this model deserves a look. The winners in this cycle won’t be those that freeze. They’ll be the ones that flex and execute smarter than their peers. 

Ready to pressure-test your GTM strategy? 

Let’s talk about how a flexible execution model can help your portfolio company grow faster with less friction.

Author

Rick DeMare

Rick DeMare is Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships for Private Equity at 2X. With over two decades of experience in data analytics and enterprise software, he specializes in building strategic partnerships and developing high-performing sales teams that drive growth. Prior to 2X, Rick held leadership roles at Starburst, ThoughtSpot, and Okta, where he led go-to-market strategy and OEM partnerships with global impact.