Most B2B startups follow a predictable go-to-market playbook: raise venture capital, move to Silicon Valley, and expand into every possible vertical. But in a recent Category Visionaries episode, Immediate CEO Matt Pierce revealed a radically different approach that has led to zero customer churn and 60 deals in 100 days. Here are the key lessons.

1. Your Biggest Competitor Isn’t Who You Think

While most startups obsess over direct competitors, Matt identified a more fundamental challenge: “Our biggest competitor is priorities.” This insight came from recognizing that HR leaders’ hesitation wasn’t about competing solutions, but about implementation fears based on past experiences.

The solution? “Weaponizing hospitality” – turning their Southern location into a competitive advantage through high-touch customer service that has led to zero customer churn across hundreds of customers.

2. Let Data Drive Your Vertical Strategy

Instead of trying to serve everyone immediately, Immediate took a methodical approach to market focus. “In the first year or so of selling, we really took anything,” Matt explains. “Then what we started doing was evaluating the data and seeing areas, verticals and individuals and demographics that were enrolling and utilizing the platform the most.”

This data-driven approach led them to focus on healthcare and hospitality, where they see “as much as double or triple what we see in non healthcare, non hospitality companies.”

3. Challenge Implementation Assumptions

Rather than accepting the industry standard of lengthy implementations, Immediate redesigned the entire process. “We’ve seen people in as little as ten minutes from the time they open that email, log in and start making their first transaction,” Matt shares.

This focus on simplicity wasn’t just about user experience – it became a crucial sales advantage. As Matt notes, they regularly hear prospects say, “this was the easiest software that I’ve ever rolled out my entire career.”

4. Location Can Be a Strategic Advantage

Counter to conventional wisdom, Immediate moved from Atlanta to Birmingham, Alabama. “We moved here because we wanted to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond,” Matt explains. This decision yielded three key advantages:
– Access to top local talent
– Strong community support
– Maintained Atlanta presence for additional recruitment

5. Focus on Adoption Metrics That Matter

Instead of chasing total user numbers, Immediate focuses on meaningful adoption metrics. “87% of our users are earning less than $60,000 a year,” Matt reveals, demonstrating their product-market fit with their target demographic.

This focus on real usage metrics extends to their enrollment rates: “We don’t have any companies that have 100% enrollment, as you can imagine, but we do have some companies that have north of 50% enrollment.”

The Results Speak Themselves

These unconventional strategies have led to impressive results:
– Zero customer churn since launch
– Nearly 60 deals closed in 100 days
– Six-figure eligible employee base
– 24% average enrollment across industries
– 25-35% enrollment in target verticals

The Bigger Picture

Perhaps the most valuable insight from Immediate’s journey is the importance of challenging standard go-to-market assumptions. As Matt predicts, “by 2030 every company in the US is going to be offering some form of earned wage access.” But the winners in this space won’t be determined by who has the most features or the biggest marketing budget – they’ll be determined by who can execute most effectively on the fundamentals of customer success and user adoption.

For B2B founders, the lesson is clear: sometimes the most effective go-to-market strategy isn’t about following the standard playbook – it’s about writing your own.