LightGTM – AI-powered GTM playbooks for B2B

Why custom GTM workflows matter

Every business has unique sales processes, data requirements, and automation needs. Off-the-shelf solutions can only take you so far. Building custom workflows gives you complete control over your GTM operations while maintaining the flexibility to adapt as your business evolves.

This guide shows you how to combine Supabase's powerful database and real-time features with n8n's visual automation builder to create sophisticated, custom GTM workflows that perfectly fit your business.

What you'll build

By the end of this implementation, you'll have:

Custom database schema designed for your GTM process
Real-time data synchronization across all tools
Automated workflow triggers based on business events
Custom dashboard and reporting capabilities
API integrations with your existing tech stack
Scalable architecture for future expansion

Prerequisites and planning

Supabase account (Pro plan recommended for production)
n8n Cloud account or self-hosted instance
Basic understanding of SQL and database design
Familiarity with APIs and webhooks
Clear documentation of your current GTM process
List of tools and systems to integrate

Step 1: Design your data architecture

Start by mapping your GTM process and designing a database schema:

Core entities

Leads: Individual prospects with contact information
Accounts: Companies/organizations
Opportunities: Potential deals in your pipeline
Activities: All touchpoints and interactions
Campaigns: Marketing campaigns and attribution
Users: Your team members and their permissions

Supporting tables

Lead_Sources: Where leads come from
Industries: Industry classifications
Stages: Pipeline stages and definitions
Products: Your products and services
Integrations: External system mappings

Example schema design

-- Leads table
CREATE TABLE leads (
  id UUID DEFAULT gen_random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY,
  email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
  first_name VARCHAR(100),
  last_name VARCHAR(100),
  title VARCHAR(200),
  account_id UUID REFERENCES accounts(id),
  lead_source_id UUID REFERENCES lead_sources(id),
  status VARCHAR(50) DEFAULT 'new',
  score INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

-- Accounts table  
CREATE TABLE accounts (
  id UUID DEFAULT gen_random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY,
  name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
  domain VARCHAR(255),
  industry_id UUID REFERENCES industries(id),
  employee_count INTEGER,
  annual_revenue BIGINT,
  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

Step 2: Set up Supabase database

Configure your Supabase project with proper security and performance:

Database setup

Create your Supabase project
Set up database tables with proper relationships
Configure Row Level Security (RLS) policies
Create database functions for complex operations
Set up database triggers for automated actions

Security configuration

Enable RLS on all tables
Create security policies for team access
Set up API keys with appropriate permissions
Configure JWT authentication if needed

Performance optimization

Add indexes on frequently queried columns
Set up database replication if needed
Configure connection pooling
Monitor query performance

Step 3: Build core n8n workflows

Create the foundational automation workflows:

Lead capture workflow

Webhook trigger for form submissions
Data validation and enrichment
Duplicate detection and merging
Lead scoring calculation
Assignment to sales team
Notification and follow-up triggers

Deal progression workflow

Stage change triggers
Automated task creation
Stakeholder notifications
Document generation
Revenue forecasting updates

Data synchronization workflow

CRM data sync (bidirectional)
Marketing automation platform sync
Customer support ticket integration
Product usage data ingestion
Financial system integration

Step 4: Implement real-time features

Use Supabase's real-time capabilities for live updates:

Real-time subscriptions

Live pipeline updates for sales dashboard
Real-time lead notifications
Collaborative editing of deal records
Activity feed updates

Webhook configuration

Set up database webhooks for external systems
Configure n8n webhooks for incoming data
Implement retry logic for failed webhook calls
Add webhook security and authentication

Event streaming

Stream database changes to analytics platforms
Real-time data backup and replication
Event-driven architecture for complex workflows

Step 5: Create intelligent automation rules

Build sophisticated business logic into your workflows:

Lead routing automation

Territory-based assignment
Round-robin distribution
Skill-based routing
Workload balancing
Escalation rules for hot leads

Lead scoring engine

Demographic scoring (company size, industry)
Behavioral scoring (website activity, email engagement)
Intent scoring (content downloads, demo requests)
Fit scoring (ICP match, budget qualification)
Dynamic score updates based on new data

Nurture campaign triggers

Stage-based email sequences
Behavioral trigger campaigns
Re-engagement workflows
Win-back campaigns for lost deals

Step 6: Build custom integrations

Connect your workflow to existing tools and systems:

CRM integration

// Example n8n node for HubSpot sync
{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "Supabase Query",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.supabase",
      "parameters": {
        "operation": "getAll",
        "table": "leads",
        "returnAll": true
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "HubSpot Create/Update",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.hubspot", 
      "parameters": {
        "resource": "contact",
        "operation": "createOrUpdate",
        "email": "={{$json.email}}",
        "properties": {
          "firstname": "={{$json.first_name}}",
          "lastname": "={{$json.last_name}}",
          "jobtitle": "={{$json.title}}"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

Email platform integration

Sync contact data to email platforms
Track email engagement back to database
Trigger automated sequences
Update lead scores based on email activity

Calendar and meeting integration

Sync meeting data from calendar apps
Automatically create follow-up tasks
Update deal stages based on meeting outcomes
Generate meeting preparation briefs

Step 7: Implement analytics and reporting

Build comprehensive reporting on your custom data:

Custom dashboard views

Real-time pipeline health metrics
Lead source performance analysis
Sales team productivity tracking
Conversion funnel optimization

Advanced analytics queries

-- Lead conversion by source and time period
SELECT 
  ls.name as lead_source,
  COUNT(l.id) as total_leads,
  COUNT(o.id) as converted_opportunities,
  ROUND(COUNT(o.id)::numeric / COUNT(l.id) * 100, 2) as conversion_rate,
  AVG(o.value) as avg_deal_size
FROM leads l
JOIN lead_sources ls ON l.lead_source_id = ls.id
LEFT JOIN opportunities o ON l.id = o.lead_id AND o.status = 'won'
WHERE l.created_at >= CURRENT_DATE - INTERVAL '90 days'
GROUP BY ls.name
ORDER BY conversion_rate DESC;

Automated reporting

Daily pipeline snapshots
Weekly performance summaries
Monthly revenue forecasts
Quarterly business reviews

Step 8: Advanced workflow patterns

Implement sophisticated business logic:

Multi-touch attribution

Track all touchpoints in customer journey
Implement attribution models (first-touch, last-touch, multi-touch)
Calculate marketing channel ROI
Optimize spend allocation

Account-based workflows

Account scoring and prioritization
Multi-contact orchestration
Account-level activity tracking
Buying committee mapping

Predictive analytics

Deal close probability modeling
Churn risk prediction
Lead quality scoring
Revenue forecasting

Step 9: Performance optimization

Scale your workflows for high-volume operations:

Database optimization

Query optimization and indexing
Database connection pooling
Read replicas for analytics
Partitioning for large tables

Workflow efficiency

Batch processing for bulk operations
Asynchronous processing for heavy tasks
Error handling and retry logic
Monitoring and alerting

Caching strategies

Cache frequently accessed data
Implement Redis for session storage
CDN for static assets
Application-level caching

Step 10: Security and compliance

Ensure your custom workflows meet security standards:

Data security

Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit
Implement proper access controls
Audit trails for all data changes
Regular security assessments

Compliance requirements

GDPR compliance for EU data
CCPA compliance for California data
SOC 2 controls if applicable
Industry-specific regulations

Backup and disaster recovery

Automated database backups
Point-in-time recovery capabilities
Disaster recovery procedures
Business continuity planning

Common challenges and solutions

Data consistency issues

Problem: Duplicate records across systems
Solution: Implement master data management with unique identifiers

Workflow complexity

Problem: Overly complex workflows become hard to maintain
Solution: Break down into smaller, focused workflows

Performance bottlenecks

Problem: Slow database queries affecting user experience
Solution: Implement proper indexing and query optimization

Integration failures

Problem: API limits and connection timeouts
Solution: Implement retry logic and rate limiting

Monitoring and maintenance

Keep your custom workflows running smoothly:

Monitoring setup

Database performance monitoring
Workflow execution tracking
API response time monitoring
Error rate and failure alerts

Regular maintenance tasks

Database cleanup and archiving
Index maintenance and optimization
Security patch updates
Performance tuning

Continuous improvement

Regular workflow audits
User feedback collection
Performance optimization
Feature enhancement planning

Scaling considerations

Plan for growth and increased complexity:

Microservices architecture for complex workflows
API-first design for easy integrations
Event-driven architecture for loose coupling
Containerization for deployment flexibility
Multi-environment setup (dev, staging, production)
Automated testing and deployment pipelines

ROI measurement

Track the business impact of your custom workflows:

Efficiency gains: Time saved on manual processes
Data quality: Reduction in duplicate and incomplete records
Process speed: Faster lead processing and follow-up
Conversion improvement: Better lead nurturing and scoring
Team productivity: More time for high-value activities
Revenue impact: Increased deal velocity and win rates

Next steps and advanced implementations

Once your core workflows are established:

Implement machine learning for predictive analytics
Add natural language processing for email classification
Build custom mobile apps with Supabase
Create marketplace integrations for third-party tools
Develop custom reporting and dashboard solutions
Implement advanced security features like SSO and MFA

The combination of Supabase's powerful backend and n8n's flexible automation creates endless possibilities for custom GTM workflows. Focus on solving real business problems, maintaining clean data architecture, and continuously optimizing based on user feedback and performance metrics.

Build custom GTM workflows with Supabase and n8n