A founder recently told me their plan for next quarter.
“We’re launching outbound. And a webinar series. And a referral program. And a new vertical. And maybe a podcast. And—”
You get the idea.
They didn’t have a strategy problem. They had a prioritization problem.
I’ve seen this at startups, PE-backed rollups, and $50M service companies. Teams don’t struggle with creativity, but they do struggle with choosing which ideas are worth placing a bet on.
See… ideas aren’t the issue. We all have them. Some good. Most bad. But, we all have them.
However, to fix this issue you need to address your decision model.
And that’s exactly why predictable growth feels elusive.
On a recent podcast episode of Predictable B2B Growth, I said something that hits this point directly:
“Ideas are just concepts until you put them inside a duplicatable framework. And every idea needs to be measurable and aligned before you give it resources.”
Most companies skip this part entirely.
They jump straight to campaigns.
They don’t validate.
They don’t frame the hypothesis.
They don’t model the outcome.
They just… do stuff.
And “doing stuff” is the fastest way to burn money.
The 3 Filters Framework
Here’s the system I use with clients to decide which GTM bets are worth making (and which ones need to die on the whiteboard.)
These filters have saved my teams months of wasted energy and helped them build predictable revenue engines.
Filter 1: Strategic Fit
Does this idea actually move the business toward the future we’re trying to create?
In Episode 85, I talked about how every marketing initiative should tie back to a forecast, a revenue model, or a capacity reality. If it doesn’t connect to where you’re going, it’s a distraction.
A good bet accelerates strategy. A bad bet distracts from it.
Ask yourself this: What strategic outcome does this support? And how do we measure the results?
Filter 2: Evidence
What data, insight, or signal tells us this idea is worth testing?
When I shifted a past company’s budget from Google to Facebook, we didn’t do it based on vibes and ‘gut feelings’. We did it based on conversion signals, CAC modeling, quality feedback, and revenue outcomes.
Evidence doesn’t mean certainty. It means there’s enough signal to justify a test.
Ask yourself this: What do we know today that reduces risk tomorrow?
Filter 3: Capacity
Do we actually have the people, time, and operational bandwidth to do this well?
Most GTM bets fail long before the results come in. They fail because the team never had the capacity (or team!) to execute at the level the idea required.
Proper execution isn’t optional — it’s part of the strategy.
Ask yourself this: Can we execute this with excellence for the next 90 days? If not, it’s not a bet — it’s a fantasy.
A Quick Story
A CEO once handed me a list of twelve “must-do” marketing ideas for the quarter.
After running them through the 3 Filters:
10 died immediately
1 needed refinement
1 passed every filter and became their focus
That one idea became the driver of the next 6 months of predictable pipeline.
Great companies aren’t great because they do more. They’re great because they stay focused and choose better.
Your Turn
This week, take your list of ideas (yes, the messy one in your Notes app) and run them through the 3 Filters:
Does this move our strategy forward?
Do we have evidence it’s worth pursuing?
Do we have the capacity to do it well?
Anything that fails two filters? Kill it.
Anything that passes all three? Commit to it for 90 days.
Predictability comes from disciplined bets, not scattered effort.
Want More?
This is the kind of systems thinking I break down every week — the frameworks, decision models, and operator lessons behind predictable B2B growth.
If you want deeper examples (and the backstory behind the Google → Facebook shift), check out Episode 85 of my podcast.
And if you’re not subscribed yet… now’s a good time.
Next week: “When Brand and Sales Finally Shake Hands”. (yes… it can happen!) I give a breakdown of how brand clarity lowers CAC and increases sales velocity.
Talk soon,
– Javy
