# Startups can win customers through tailored marketing and sales

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/startups-dont-need-to-go-viral-to-win-customers/
- Published: 2026-10-23T23:07:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T23:22:44+00:00
- Original publisher: TechCrunch
- Original article: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/23/startups-dont-need-to-go-viral-to-win-customers/
- Topics: Art, Business, Celebrity, Companies, Culture, Entertainment, Trending, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- Startups do not need viral attention to gain customers.
- Gamma targeted creators to reach distinct customer groups.
- Engine reached $150 million in bookings through offline sales.

## Summary

Startup founders and an investor say companies can win and keep customers without going viral, and that marketing should suit the product and its audience. Their examples show that targeted creator partnerships and traditional sales can both work when founders invest time in explaining a product’s value.

Gamma used an ambassador programme to reach different customer groups, but its founder Grant Lee cautioned that simply paying influencers is not enough. Travel startup Engine built up $150 million in bookings before taking outside funding, relying on events and phone calls rather than a visible social media strategy. Engine’s founder Elia Wallen also described hiring a magician to draw prospective clients to the company’s event booth.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.