Founder: most consumer startups that hit $100M+ ARR did grow via ads and influencers
sahilypatel · x · 2026-09-08
sahilypatel quotes vatsalsanghvi's list of "what is NOT growth" (shouting on Twitter, performative stunts, ragebaiting, throwing money at influencers, random ads, cold DMs) and pushes back: paid influencer spend and ads DO count as growth — most consumer startups he knows that reached $100M+ ARR used them. The caveat: without knowing your ICP, why they should care, and what message resonates, doing any of it randomly won't get you users.
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