Julian Rauch · GTM · B2B · Commercial
I build
demand.
Then I convert it.
Founder-operator with a GTM focus. I build go-to-market for B2B companies — from brand and community to scalable revenue processes.
~€1M
Revenue generated
13
Events in 2024
€850k
Pre-seed raised
Brands & Partners
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Portfolio
Selected Work.
13 cases across 3 contexts — as a founder, as an employee, as a freelancer.
Community · Demand Creation
Event Series
From 100 people at the first event in 2022 to 1,200+ at the Founders League Conference in 2024. Community as the primary demand engine — no cold outbound.
Partnerships · Revenue
Enterprise Sponsorship
Built an enterprise sponsorship program from zero. Low six-figure total volume — deals in the €20–30k range — with partners including American Express, Polestar, and Alibaba.
Performance · Funnel · Revenue
Consulting Funnel
€250k in 12 months through a multi-channel funnel — Meta, LinkedIn, and Events feeding one sales process. Done-With-You coaching for e-commerce founders.
Investor Relations · Strategy
Pre-Seed Fundraising
€850k pre-seed raised from 40+ angels via CLA. Built the deck, led every conversation, closed the round.
Content · Distribution · Reach
Social Media & Content
30,000+ followers across LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Individual clips reaching 400K+ views. Built the full content engine — strategy, production, and distribution — without an agency.
Partnerships · Launch Strategy · D2C
Rolltop Relaunch + Mystery Box
Developed the launch strategy for the GOT BAG Rolltop relaunch. The offer: Rolltop + Mystery Box with products from 20+ sustainable brands. 250+ bundles sold in 16 hours.
Performance · Paid Media
Creative Strategy
Systematic creative testing on Meta at €10–50k/month spend. CTR consistently above 2%, overall CTR +45%, CAC –25%.
Coming soon
Brand · Art Direction
Content Production
Content · Campaign
VfL Wolfsburg
Content campaign for the men's and women's first team, including Media Day production. Full project coordination as freelancer.
Content · Event
Cupra
Direct client. Content production and aftermovie for a Cupra event — full creative execution as freelancer.
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Performance Marketing · D2C
6040
Meta performance marketing for a D2C wine spritzer brand. Built the paid channel from scratch — six-figure revenue generated.
Performance · Creative Strategy
E-Commerce Funnels
Meta ad creative and funnel builds for D2C e-commerce brands. Multiple clients — supplements, lifestyle products, sustainable goods. Ads, landing pages, full-funnel execution.
Coming soon
Current Project
Coming Soon
AI & Work
How I work with AI.
The question isn't whether AI replaces us. It's who adapts faster. I've been building with it — not just prompting it. This site was built entirely with Claude Code. I write my own tools, build my own automations, and apply all of it directly to GTM work.
What changed in the last few months isn't the concept — it's the capability. Things that needed a developer, an agency, or a three-week sprint now take an afternoon. That changes how fast a small GTM team can move.
ICP analysis in hours, not weeks
Customer interview synthesis, competitive positioning, messaging frameworks — work that used to take weeks now takes a day. The thinking is still mine. The grunt work isn't.
One idea, ten formats
A LinkedIn post becomes a newsletter, a script, a hook framework, an ad variant. I build the system once and run it. No agency, no coordinator.
Building tools I used to commission
Landing pages, lead scoring logic, CRM automations, reporting dashboards. Things that needed a developer six months ago. I build them myself now — with Claude Code.
n8n workflows for GTM ops
Lead enrichment, Slack alerts on pipeline movement, automated follow-up sequences, weekly performance digests. The ops layer runs without manual input.
Tools I use
How I Work
What you can expect.
Not a list of soft skills. A few things that are actually true about how I operate.
Revenue first, not marketing first
I measure everything against pipeline and revenue. Brand, content, and community are inputs — closed deals are the output.
Structure before scale
I don't pour budget into a channel until I understand why it works. Nail the unit economics first, then push.
Systems over sprints
One-off campaigns don't compound. I build processes, playbooks, and automations that keep working after I set them up.
Founder-speed execution
I move fast and make decisions with incomplete information — because that's what early-stage requires. I've been that founder.
Remote-ready by default
Clear documentation, async decisions, written processes. I don't need a daily standup to stay aligned.
I build with AI, not around it
Claude Code, n8n, automations. I build tools myself that used to need a developer. It changes how fast a small team can move.
Recommendations
What people said.
"For me the biggest win of Founders League: Julian's growth. He had by far the toughest challenge of the four of us. Getting Benjamin, Marcus, and me on the same page is no small thing. And Julian still pulled it off — got the thing live."
Johannes Kliesch
CEO, Snocks Group
"Julian shaped Founders League like no one else. He is the face of it — and I could always count on him. Without him, Founders League wouldn't be where it is today."
Marcus Diekmann
CSO, Sanicare
"Founders League was my first investment. The fit was perfect — connecting startups with investors is exactly what I was looking for. I learned an enormous amount through it, and a big part of that I owe to Julian."
Luca Waldschmidt
Professional Footballer, 1. FC Köln · Angel Investor
GTM Framework
How I think about GTM.
Not tool by tool. As a system — from first question to first million.
ICP & Positioning
Who actually buys? Why? What problem do we solve better than everyone else?
Demand Creation
Build demand without cold outbound — through brand, community, and content.
Demand Capture
Intercept existing demand and convert it into pipeline.
Revenue & Conversion
Close the funnel with a structured sales process that runs without the founder.
First 90 Days
What happens when I start.
No onboarding theater. Structured execution from day one.
Day 1–30
Understand.
Before I build anything, I understand the situation.
- → Sharpen the ICP: who are the best 20% of customers — and why?
- → Audit existing channels and funnel performance
- → Map the buyer journey from first touch to close
- → Test messaging: what actually resonates?
- → Understand the competitive position
Day 31–60
Build.
Structure before scale.
- → Define the demand strategy: which channels, in which order
- → Run first performance tests (paid or content)
- → Set up CRM and tracking properly
- → Design and implement funnel architecture
- → Structure and document the sales process
Day 61–90
Optimize.
Learn, iterate, scale.
- → Review first conversion data and adjust the model
- → Document GTM Playbook v1
- → Define team setup and next hiring decisions
- → Align on Q2 roadmap with the founding team
About
I come from marketing.
I think in revenue.
I didn't learn GTM from a textbook. I built it under real revenue pressure — from zero, with no brand, no budget, and no guarantee it would work. That's where I learned what actually drives demand: brand, community, and content, not cold calls.
Before founding Founders League, I worked at GOT BAG building partnerships and running performance campaigns. Before that, internships at Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Schmidt Media — brand activations at Berlinale, Rio Olympics. Since 2016, parallel freelance work for companies like VfL Wolfsburg and Cupra.
Education
University of London
Postgraduate · with distinction
Mainz University of Applied Science
B.A. Business Administration · 1.7
Outside work
Certified snowboard instructor
Road cycling · CrossFit · Football
Let's talk.
You're building demand — not with an SDR team, but with a system. Let's figure out if I'm the right person to build it.