15 Moats That Define Modern GTM Strategy
Stop competing on tactics. Start building durable advantages your competitors can’t touch.
Most GTM teams obsess over tactics:
the right outbound script
the latest LinkedIn ad format
the perfect onboarding email sequence
But here’s the truth: tactics are table stakes.
Anyone can copy your ads. Anyone can rip your sequences. Anyone can mimic your landing page.
What they can’t copy—at least not easily—are the moats you build into your go-to-market.
Moats are what keep you standing when competitors come after your territory.
They create stickiness, trust, and compounding advantage.
Here are 15 GTM moats you can build today:
Narrative Moat (Differentiation)
Features don’t create categories. A strong GTM narrative reframes the problem, names the category, and positions you as the inevitable solution. When people start repeating your language, you’ve built a moat.
Pricing Moat (Model & Packaging)
Smart pricing isn’t just revenue strategy—it’s a competitive barrier. Usage-based models, freemium tiers, or reverse trials lower friction, expand TAM, and make it harder for competitors to undercut you. (See the full Reverse Trial Playbook for how to turn free users into sticky, paying customers.)
Free Tool Moat (Top-of-Funnel Gravity)
Offer something valuable for free—a grader, a benchmark report, a lightweight AI copilot. Free expands your funnel, creates data loops, and earns trust before the first sale. (For a deeper dive, listen to GTM Vault 22 | Freemium in the Age of AI.)
Community Moat (Owned Distribution)
Communities outlast campaigns. When your buyers learn, share, and grow inside your ecosystem, they become your unpaid distribution and retention engine.
Data Moat (Proprietary Insight)
Proprietary insights—usage benchmarks, market data, anonymized intelligence—turn your GTM into more than features. They make you the authority in your category.
Founder Brand Moat (Credibility & Trust)
In early GTM, the founder’s credibility often matters more than the logo. A visible, trusted founder accelerates trust, distribution, and talent acquisition in ways no ad budget can.
Distribution Moat (Channels That Compound)
Channels compound. Whether it’s a newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel, or exclusive partner pipeline—own a lane that competitors can’t easily buy. (See When Product Becomes the Channel for how AI scales these invisible loops.)
Workflow Integration Moat (Switching Costs)
If your product becomes a nerve ending in a customer’s daily workflow, leaving you is painful. Deep integrations, automations, and embedded value raise switching costs. (See GTM Vault 21 | The GTM Engineer: Why Clay Is Eating RevOps for how revenue systems built by GTM engineers—rather than manual tools—automate outcomes at scale and make retention effortless.)
Ecosystem Moat (Network Effects)
Platforms beat products. Integrations, templates, and partner add-ons expand your orbit and make the ecosystem itself your competitive edge. (See The Beachhead Strategy Playbook for how thoughtful segmentation and focused expansion lay the foundation for ecosystem moats.)
Activation Moat (User Experience)
The new GTM KPI: time to value. If you can get a user to their “aha!” moment faster than competitors, you win adoption—and adoption is the real conversion metric. (See In AI, GTM Is the Only Moat That Lasts for how viral loops and data flywheels turn activation into a go-to-market edge.)
Expansion Moat (LTV Engine)
Land and expand isn’t a sales tactic—it’s a growth OS. Cross-sell, upsell, and multi-product expansion drive LTV compounding while CAC flattens.
AI + Automation Moat (Speed & Innovation)
AI isn’t a feature. It’s an accelerant. Teams who wire AI into prospecting, content, personalization, and reporting now will outscale rivals who wait until it’s commoditized. (See GTM Vault 26 | From PLG to AI Agents in 40 Days.)
Trust Moat (Brand & Reputation)
Trust takes years to build—and it compounds. Customer proof, thought leadership, and consistent delivery create reputational moats no competitor can erase overnight.
Operator Moat (Execution & Efficiency)
Talent and execution compound just like revenue. A lean, aligned GTM team that iterates faster can outmaneuver a better-funded competitor.
Proprietary Moat (IP & Defensibility)
Sometimes the moat is the tech. Unique algorithms, proprietary workflows, or patented methods give you a defensive layer that strengthens every GTM motion.
The Playbook
Don’t try to build all 15 at once. Pick 1–2 moats that match your current stage and strengths. Build them deep. Then layer in the next.
Because tactics give you spikes.
Moats give you staying power.
👉 Want to explore why motion—rather than features—is your most resilient moat in AI-first GTM? Book a free 15-minute intro call with Rick Koleta →