Startups don't need to go viral to win customers, experts say
Insights from TechCrunch Disrupt featuring leaders from Engine, Gamma, and Google Ventures on alternative customer acquisition strategies beyond social media.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Startups do not necessarily need viral social media presence to attract early customers
- Gamma scaled to a multi-billion dollar valuation using its tailored 'Gambassador' influencer program
- Engine grew to $150M in bookings via traditional sales and offline tactics before taking outside funding
- Google Ventures emphasizes that analyzing existing customer usage patterns drives massive value
Acquiring initial customers is widely regarded as one of the most grueling challenges in business. Even when companies manage to secure early interest, retaining those customers over the long term remains a significant hurdle.
At TechCrunch Disrupt last week, Elia Wallen, founder and CEO of travel startup Engine, Grant Lee, founder and CEO of Gamma, and Crystal Huang, general partner at Google Ventures, shared practical tips on how to attract and retain customers effectively.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
In an era where young AI startups like Cluely and Instinct build massive audiences through both products and their founders' vibrant online presence, social media can appear to be a silver bullet. However, Grant Lee noted that founders looking to elevate their business strategy with modern marketing must approach it strategically.
Gamma, which develops AI-powered presentation software, managed to scale exponentially by deploying a social media strategy utilizing influencers through its Ambassadors or "Gambassador" program. The company adopted this model before influencer marketing became a standard playbook for smaller companies, eventually reaching a multi-billion dollar valuation.
"Founders seem to treat creator marketing or influencer marketing as a sort of set it and forget it thing."
Grant Lee
Despite this success, Lee cautioned that simply giving influencers a platform to promote a brand does not automatically translate into sales. There are deeper operational layers required to make creator-led marketing work effectively.
Modern influencer marketing requires genuine alignment and community building rather than superficial endorsements. Programs that cultivate dedicated brand advocates, much like Gamma's approach, tend to outlast traditional one-off sponsored posts in terms of long-term customer retention and brand equity.
Elia Wallen offered a contrasting perspective with Engine, a company managing lodging and travel bookings for midsize businesses. Engine bootstrapped its way to $150 million in bookings before accepting any outside capital, entirely without a visible social media strategy. For Wallen, traditional sales tactics proved far more effective than viral online content.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Wallen highlighted a scrappy offline tactic deployed during the company's early days: hiring a magician named David to perform tricks at industry events to draw prospective clients to Engine's booth. This demonstrated that old-fashioned personal engagement can perform just as well as modern digital marketing tricks.
Meanwhile, Crystal Huang from Google Ventures advised that once a startup acquires a customer, deeply analyzing how they utilize the product unlocks considerable business value.
Source: TechCrunch
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