Danylo Borodchuk, Co-founder & COO of Lopus AI at Y Combinator, social-media-led marketing and sales strategist.
According to GWI data, the average person spends around 2 hours and 21 minutes on social media a day—over the course of a year, that’s more than an entire month spent scrolling down a nearly endless stream of content. Some watch their favorite creators, some make friends online, some go shopping, some find their business partners, and some even find their significant other—all through the internet.
Needless to say, social media platforms have inevitably transformed the cultural landscape of our society, economy and the communities within it. However, I’ve noticed few companies have truly tapped into the full potential of social media engagement.
A New Dawn For Twitter/X
Many of us have heard of the PayPal Mafia and the legendary Y Combinator alumni, but not everyone knows about the million‐dollar deals happening between Silicon Valley founders on X—formerly Twitter. (Disclosure: My company is in the current Y Combinator batch.)
For example, Fast regularly shared updates on company milestones and progress through a “build-in-public” approach on X. By openly sharing progress and engaging followers, Fast created buzz in the tech community, which may have helped convince investors of Fast’s potential. Eventually in January 2021, Fast raised a whopping $102 million Series B, led by payments giant Stripe—bringing its total funding to $124 million.
Similarly, Gumroad founder Sahil Lavingia tapped into his Twitter community. Lavingia spent years openly sharing Gumroad’s journey (including failures and financials) on Twitter, which helped him earn trust among creators and followers. In March 2021, Lavingia announced Gumroad’s crowdfunding campaign to his audience (which included Gumroad creators active on Twitter). The response was enormous—Gumroad hit the $5 million maximum in just 12 hours! This made Gumroad one of the first startups to raise $5 million under Reg CF rules, essentially turning its user community into shareholders.
Twitter/X itself has been around for a while, but in recent years I’ve noticed it has picked up a lot of momentum among young entrepreneurs in the Bay Area. This transformation is not coincidental. As the platform’s user base has expanded, a concentrated pool of tech innovators and business leaders emerged, sparking an ecosystem where significant business deals are being negotiated online.
After talking to a multitude of other founders personally, I found that many of them had very similar experiences. Startups often rely on X to launch their product, be seen, get clients, etc. Doing business online is nothing new, but a potential outbound sales strategy to be used on the platform most definitely is, and it is slowly gaining traction within the Valley.
Building Community On The Front Page Of The Internet
However, X is not the only player on the field. Many modern startups are also increasingly harnessing Reddit, the self-proclaimed “front page of the internet,” as a go-to-market channel. Engaging authentically with niche communities is a strategy that has led some founders to increases in organic leads by contributing meaningful content rather than overt self-promotion.
Rather than blasting out product pitches, one founder recommends finding “questions your potential customers would ask, and answer it for them—either by DM or a comment.” Over a few months, your genuine contributions could lead to an increase in organic leads as community members start reaching out for guidance and, by extension, your solution.
Considerations For Startups
When startup founders aim to establish credibility online, they must first recognize that authenticity is their primary currency. Investors, partners and especially customers are drawn to transparency, which is why founders should regularly engage by sharing insights, lessons learned and—contrary to popular belief—their setbacks.
Talking about challenges that you’re facing not only humanizes your brand but also showcases strong resilience and problem-solving skills. In a social media landscape that’s often polished to perfection, vulnerability can be an extremely useful strategic advantage.
Most importantly, consistency and discipline matter: Developing a predictable cadence of authentic, valuable content helps to position the founder as both credible and genuine.
Ultimately, thought leadership isn’t about self-promotion or ego-driven bravado, it’s about generously sharing your expertise, sparking meaningful conversations and fostering a community that grows together. In a world of noise, the founders who lead with authenticity and consistency are the ones who truly stand out—and win.
However, there’s a critical balance to maintain. Founders should avoid using social platforms purely for transactional interactions or aggressive self-promotion. Constant pitching or overtly sales-oriented content risks alienating the very community they’re trying to cultivate.
Instead, focus on being helpful, responsive and genuinely invested in the conversations and interests of the audience. This approach organically attracts those aligned with your vision, laying the foundation for meaningful and long-lasting professional relationships.
A New Era Of Authentic Marketing
The lessons here are clear: No matter the platform, the most successful startups are often those that prioritize genuine, value-based interactions over aggressive self-promotion on social media. As other industry experts have also noted, the best marketing isn’t about selling—it’s about adding value to the conversation. By embracing this new approach, startups have been able to create a virtuous cycle of trust and growth around their company’s product and branding—effectively driving inbound sales through outbound interactions.
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