The Divine Comedy of Business Planning: Why Market Research and Go-to-Market Strategy Matter More Than Ever
Written by Sergio Armani, Founder of ACG-Clinical
My grandmother once shared some important wisdom with me that’s stuck through the years:
“If you want to give God a belly laugh, make a plan.”
This captures a fundamental truth about entrepreneurship—no plan survives first contact with the market unchanged. But that doesn’t mean we should abandon planning altogether.
Instead, it highlights why thorough market research and a robust go-to-market (GTM) strategy are essential—not as rigid roadmaps, but as living documents that guide us through the inevitable pivots and adjustments every business faces.
The Cost of Flying Blind
In the clinical research industry, I’ve seen countless promising companies stumble — not because their technology wasn’t innovative or their team wasn’t talented, but because they built solutions for problems the market didn’t prioritize, or they communicated value propositions that didn’t resonate with their intended buyers.
Consider:
The tech entrepreneur who develops groundbreaking patient recruitment software — only to discover too late that sponsors are prioritizing regulatory compliance this year due to shifting FDA guidance.
The site network that expands into a new therapeutic area — only to find it saturated with competitors who already hold sponsor relationships.
The consultant-turned-founder who builds an offering based on past experience — only to learn their real decision-maker sits three rungs higher in the organization.
These aren’t failures of execution.
They’re failures of market understanding.
The Myth of “Build It and They Will Come”
Too many organizations equate innovation with inevitability.
But innovation without insight is just invention — and invention without adoption isn’t a business.
Even great solutions die quietly if no one knows they exist, or worse, if the market doesn’t yet believe they need them.
That’s why true go-to-market strategy isn’t about the launch — it’s about the listening that happens before it.
Market Research Is Your Compass
The best companies I’ve worked with — from early-stage startups to mid-sized vendors — invest deeply in understanding:
Who their buyers really are (by title, not just company type)
How those buyers make decisions and what triggers change
Where they get their information and whom they trust
What pain points they’re trying to solve right now
Armed with that insight, they build positioning and messaging that meet the market where it already is — and then guide it toward where it’s going.
Strategy as a Living System
Your GTM plan should evolve as your market evolves.
It’s not a 30-page deck that collects dust — it’s a system of feedback, reflection, and recalibration.
Ask yourself regularly:
What assumptions have changed since we launched?
Where are we seeing resistance or misalignment in our conversations?
Which client segments are showing faster adoption — and why?
Markets shift. Sponsors reprioritize. Regulatory winds change.
The companies that thrive are those that adapt with intention, not panic.
From Comedy to Clarity
There’s truth in my grandmother’s humor.
Plans might make God laugh — but the absence of a plan makes investors, partners, and employees nervous.
The real art is learning how to plan with humility:
to test, to listen, and to pivot without ego.
Because in the end, business success isn’t about predicting the future — it’s about preparing for its variability.
Call to Action
If your company is rethinking its go-to-market strategy, repositioning after slow growth, or preparing for expansion, now is the time to get it right.
At ACG-Clinical, we help clinical research vendors and site networks translate insight into action — building data-driven sales and marketing strategies that adapt as fast as the industry does.
📩 Reach out to me at sergio@acg-clinical.com or visit www.acg-clinical.com to schedule a strategy session.
Let’s make your next plan one worth laughing with — not at.
Disclaimer
The information in this publication is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or regulatory advice. Armani Consulting Group, LLC, doing business as ACG-Clinical, disclaims any liability for errors, omissions, or actions taken in reliance on this content. Please consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.