01 / FIND THE CONSTRAINT
The Diagnostic
A focused engagement to answer one question: What is actually limiting revenue right now?
- Clear identification of the binding constraint
- Behavioral and funnel data evidence
- An immediate operational roadmap
Northbound Strategy Group · Operator-led growth
Most companies don’t
have a growth problem.
They have a
system problem.
We step into marketplace, SaaS, and growth-stage companies where demand, conversion, or revenue systems are breaking and fix them fast.
Schedule a Diagnostic Call Zero theory. Pure execution.
$250M+ANNUAL REVENUE LED
Former eHarmony
CEO & CMO
CEO & CMO
B2B Marketplace
Founder
Founder
Zero Theory.
Pure Execution.
Pure Execution.
The real constraint
More activity.
Same bottleneck.
Growth problems rarely sit
where they appear.
01
Leads are coming in.But not converting.
02
Sales is working.But not closing efficiently.
03
Marketing is spending.But not compounding.
What’s missing isn’t effort. It’s system architecture.
The commercial system
Five connected stages.
One revenue engine.
We look at the whole system.
Then fix the constraint that matters most.
01 / DIAGNOSING THE CONSTRAINT
Are you creating demand—or just noise?
THE NORTHBOUND APPROACH
Trace demand back to the customer problem. Align positioning, audience, and messaging with the buyers who actually convert.
Qualified pipeline · Message-to-market fit · Buyer intent
How we work
Clarity first.
Execution always.
Not another deck of recommendations.
The right intervention. Real operational change.
02 / FIX THE SYSTEM
Embedded Leadership
& Execution
Hands-on partnership. We step directly into your business to fix broken systems in practice, not just theory.
- Senior operator leadership, inside your team
- Marketplace and SaaS operating expertise
- Execution tied to commercial outcomes
Founder & PrincipalGrant Langston
GLBuilt by an operator
Been in the seat.
Built at scale.
Strategy is only useful when it survives contact with the business.
Grant Langston brings the perspective of a CEO, CMO, and marketplace founder—not an outside observer.
eharmonyFormer Head of Marketing and CEO
Led a global business with $250M+ in annual revenue, connecting brand, performance marketing, and conversion at scale.
Warehouse ExchangeFormer Head of Marketing and CEO
Meet Grant Built a disruptive B2B marketplace from one warehouse to a national multi-location platform. Real supply. Real demand. Real complexity.
Field notes on commercial systems
Perspectives
Operator lessons from the work itself.
Written for leaders who fix systems, not symptoms.
01 / ESSAY
Marketplace Liquidity & GrowthWhy B2B Marketplaces Are Hard
Why matching demand and supply fails when platforms optimize for GMV over network liquidity, and how to spot structural imbalance early.
Read the essay02 / ESSAY
System Constraints & MetricsYour Dashboard Is Lying to You
The optimization trap—why vanity metrics mask root-cause pipeline constraints and lead teams to treat symptoms rather than systemic bottlenecks.
Read the essay03 / ESSAY
AI & Commercial SystemsCAN ≠ WILL: What We Ask of Modern Operations
A pragmatic look at AI in go-to-market systems: why capability without operational judgment compounds errors instead of creating leverage.
Read the essayLet’s find the constraint