AI and startups? It just makes sense.
![](https://www.hubspot.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Featured%20Image%20Template%20Backgrounds%20%2813%29-2.png?width=595&height=400&name=Copy%20of%20Featured%20Image%20Template%20Backgrounds%20%2813%29-2.png)
Between the of single-person billion-dollar companies, and the pinch felt by founders as VCs , startups are counting on AI for a winning go-to-market strategy.
It’s a smart bet, too.
In 探花精选’s survey of over 1,000 startup founders, 86% said AI has had a positive impact on their GTM strategy. Those with the highest growth and most funding are more likely to attribute their growth to AI.
Here are some more interesting tidbits from the :
1. AI Jobs Are Hot
The report shows that 71% of startup founders already have a designated person or team that specializes in using AI in their GTM strategy, and 66% plan to hire more AI specialists in the next year.
If you can’t beat it, join it. Source: Google Trends, six-month rolling average
But the cost of hiring these folks is a top challenge for startups, along with , both in current employees and in integrating with existing systems.
Source:
Those pain points mean multiple opportunities for well-timed business builders. You could:
?? Help startups source AI talent more affordably;
???♀? Provide AI bootcamps as a benefit for current employees;
?? Offer AI integration consulting services;
?? Create teaching startups how to get the most out of AI tools.
2. AI Kicks Ass in Customer Segmentation
When plugging AI into their GTM strategy, 51% of startups report using it for customer segmentation — the most common answer.
From predictive analytics and smart pricing to personalized content, AI is helping companies turn customer targeting into an exact science.
And they’re gettin’ results:
- 57% of startups surveyed see increased conversion rates
- 52% see enhanced customer engagement
Don’t take our word for it. Head on over to the , where you’ll find examples like:
? How gen AI helps Stitch Fix stylists provide personalized product recs by interpreting customer feedback
?? How startups that use Accenture’s dynamic pricing are boosting revenue and cutting promo spend
? How Intercom’s AI bot helped Frame.io score a near-perfect customer satisfaction rate
3. AI Is A Marketer’s Best Friend
While AI gives a power-up to all functions of GTM, marketing is seeing the most impact, according to 43% of founders surveyed.
Source:
Marketers are creative folks always on the prowl for new things, so of course they’re to their advantage. Marketers say they tap AI for:
- Creating content (48%)
- Data analytics and reporting (45%)
- Learning how to do things (45%)
… and saving 12.5 hours per week!
Curious? Watch my colleague and marketing maven, Caroline, use AI to beef up her writing.
Learn three ways I use ChatGPT to supercharge my professional writing on 探花精选's Blog team.
4. AI Will Make Businesses More Human
Today’s entrepreneurs should think not only about how to improve results with AI, but also how to liberate and elevate their with it.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Daniela Amodei – she’s the co-founder of , the company that made Claude, one of the leading large language models.
“As we’re working on these powerful generative AI tools… [we want to] make sure humans are still at the center of that story. We hope people use Claude as a partner and collaborator that helps humans do the things they want to do and live the lives they want to live.”
There’s so many more gems in this report, so go check it out, and start using AI to supercharge your own business! ?