There is no way around that GTO or Game Theory Optimal strategies are the foundation for any exploitative plays you might make. All poker pros should learn GTO play since that’s the baseline strategy you should stick to before you have reads on your opponents to make exploitative plays. But, GTO is only used as a starting point vs good players or unknown players. Instead of trying to balance your ranges in each spot, you should aim to punish your opponents to the maximum for their particular mistakes. That’s where exploitative strategies come into play: The players who make the most money in poker are very good in exploiting their opponents. Don’t leave money on the table by blindly following GTO or solver-based plays!