Inside Olivine #37
AI GTM lessons, launch strategies, and fresh PMM insights.
Launching something new, especially in AI, feels a bit like being handed the mic at a live show... without a script. Everything moves fast, expectations are high, and your window to make a lasting impression is small.
This month, we're diving into how early-stage AI teams can go to market without burning out or blending in. It's for the founders refining their pitch decks at 2 a.m., the PMMs crafting stories that stick, and the sales teams turning those stories into revenue. In other words, it’s for anyone bold enough to hit "launch" before everything feels perfect.
PMM Tips: 4 GTM Lessons for Early-Stage AI Products
In one of our most-shared blog posts of the year, Arielle Shnaidman outlines four smart, scrappy, and strategic lessons for gen AI startups going to market. Here’s a quick hit of what we learned:
Go back to first principles
Focus on a narrow set of personas and start your messaging from scratch, based on real conversations, not assumptions. Understand their Jobs to Be Done and the switching costs they face.
Differentiate beyond features
If you’re building in a crowded space (and who isn’t?), don’t just compete on functionality. You can carve out a winning position through brand, use cases, platform integrations, customer experience, or pricing strategy.
Double down post-launch
Your launch is just the beginning. Sales calls, website performance, and nurture campaigns are your best feedback loops; use them to tighten your GTM motion, fast.
Balance being reactive with being strategic
Fire drills will happen. But don’t let them replace intentionality. Strategic PMMs know when to react, when to pause, and when to steer the ship.
Olivine Success Story: SketchUp Goes to Market with a Future-Ready AI Offering
SketchUp, a global leader in 3D modeling software for architecture and design, had something big in the works: a new AI-powered product designed to supercharge workflows with generative design, photorealistic rendering, and conversational assistance. They turned to Olivine to bring it to life.
For five months, we partnered with their product and marketing teams to build a launch-ready strategy, from naming and messaging to pricing and design. The result? A differentiated AI offering that fits cleanly within SketchUp’s brand and product ecosystem.
What we delivered:
A naming strategy framework for scalable AI offerings
Competitive pricing evaluation and sensitivity survey
Product brand architecture for seamless integration within the SketchUp ecosystem
GTM strategy and content, with clear phases, owners, and KPIs
Validated positioning and messaging across key personas and features
Visual identity options and moodboards to support launch and beyond
"Another very stimulating, very helpful engagement that stretched us beyond our typical bounds. The quality of input has been incredible and we're very grateful—it's been a great run." — Sumele Adelana, Product Marketing Manager
"I've learned a lot working with the Olivine team. We've come a long way and done a lot of things. I'm going to miss our meetings—we've really accomplished something special together." — Michael Tadros, Director of Product Management
Planning to launch your next big bet? Let’s build the GTM together.
PMM Toolkit: Tool, Template, Trend
Tool: Tofu Pages
Ranked #1 on Product Hunt for good reason, Tofu Pages lets you generate infinite personalized landing pages from your existing website, no new tool, no extra dashboard. Whether you want pages for individual prospects, personas, or ad keywords, Tofu makes hyper-relevant landing pages in minutes.
✨ Bonus: Chrome extension included.Template: Landing Page Content Template
If you're not using Tofu, use this no-fluff template to define the content and copy it for your next landing page, ready to hand off to design. From headlines and product assets to testimonials and feature callouts, this one keeps you structured and conversion-focused. Get the templateTrend: Strategic restraint in feature marketing
We're seeing a shift among early-stage startups, especially in AI, toward showing less, better. Instead of overwhelming audiences with every capability, companies focus on a smaller set of compelling use cases and crisp messaging. It's not about hiding features, it’s about packaging your value in ways people can quickly understand and act on. Less noise, more clarity. And it’s working.
Meme of the Month 🎉
When everyone has a different idea of what PMMs actually do
From Mad Men dreams to cash-burning nightmares, we know the truth lies somewhere between messaging workshops and enablement decks. This gem was spotted on LinkedIn via Stefan Gladbach. Thank you for the end-of-the-week laugh!
Have a meme that made you feel seen? Tag us on LinkedIn or reply to this email with your favorite. We just might feature it next month.
Until next time,
The Olivine Team
We're excited to hear from you!