Annual planning can feel overwhelming, especially for smaller startups or those in rapidly changing fields like AI. The article breaks down the planning process into three key questions that marketers will inevitably face: what marketing initiatives will drive growth, how much budget is needed, and can the revenue targets be met. It emphasizes the importance of having a clear plan instead of vague responses, which can lead to random marketing efforts that lack focus. To answer the growth question, marketers should identify 3–5 significant bets aligned with their strategy, using a framework called GACCS Brief™ (Goals, Audience, Creative, Channels, Stakeholders). The article provides tools, including a Marketing Decision Dashboard™ and GACCS brief templates, to help streamline this process for paid subscribers. For budget planning, it advises starting with marketing efficiency metrics to establish a realistic budget range, supplemented by a free budget calculator. Lastly, for revenue targets, a bottom-up forecast is recommended to ensure that top-down goals are achievable. The piece also introduces several tools and resources, including a new video series called MKT1 Unboxing, which aims to simplify the exploration of marketing tools. The author emphasizes the need for marketers to codify their strategies and leverage these resources to create a solid foundation for their annual plans. By approaching planning with these structured insights, marketers can tackle annual planning with greater confidence and clarity.