We built a secure AI product for experts. Buyers compared it with basic AI tools.
A launch date, a waitlist that wasn't growing, and buyers who thought a basic AI tool could do the same job. Here's how we gave specific buyers a reason to choose it, and lifted pre-launch sign-ups by 45%.
We need sign-ups before launch. But buyers think a free AI assistant does the same job.
The company was launching a GenAI product when buyers had a new AI tool to consider every week. Launch was close, sign-ups weren't coming, and the risk was a launch that created attention without real demand.
But the way the startup described itself was the way every GenAI tool does: “AI-powered”. That gave buyers no reason to choose it over the next tool, or over doing the work themselves with a general AI assistant. Launching louder with the same story would only have reached more people who couldn't see why to sign up.
The question changed from “How do we get more sign-ups at launch?” to “Why this, when AI can do so much already?”
This is where the company could have spent its launch budget on reach. More reach with the same story would only have found more people who couldn't see why to sign up.
Win the build-vs-buy decision.
Buyers weren't choosing between us and another vendor. They were choosing between us and doing it themselves with a general AI assistant. So I recommended winning that build-vs-buy decision: pick the buyers and use cases where the product clearly beat doing it yourself, and lead with those instead of “AI-powered”.
Worked with the founders to define the product's point of view and its promise to the first audience.
Showed what doing the job with a general AI assistant really costs in time and effort, and the specific use cases where buying won. AI became the how, not the why.
Set what to say first, second and third across the landing page, pitch deck and onboarding.
Gave the founders storytelling assets to test the new story with users on social, and with investors.
A reason to choose it. Before it even launched.
Pre-launch sign-ups and engagement, before and after the new story. Early proof of demand, not yet revenue.
After the messaging refresh.
Using the new narrative.
Founders now pitched users and investors with one consistent story.
More promotion isn't the first answer.
If you're launching an AI product and struggling to create real demand, the fix is rarely more promotion. I find the buyers most likely to value your product, give them a clear reason to choose it, and build the launch around that.
Your homepage leads with “AI-powered”, buyers ask how you're different from a general AI assistant, and the launch story still feels generic.
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