GTM Playbook: The Smartest Growth Plays of 2025
The new systems and stories redefining how attention compounds in 2025.
The Bay Area doesn’t run on paid ads anymore.
It runs on execution that markets itself.
Across the new wave of AI-native startups, the sharpest founders aren’t just hacking growth — they’re designing distribution into the product.
Each of these teams found leverage not by spending more, but by designing systems where every action feeds the next — attention that compounds by design.
From YC rockets to indie operators, every company here proves the same truth — the future of GTM is system design, not spend.
From Delve’s donut drop to OpusClip’s watermark flywheel, Lovable’s storytelling, HockeyStack’s emotional resonance, and Hyperbound’s sales competitions, these are the GTM systems redefining how attention compounds in 2025.
1. Delve (YC W24) — The Art of Physical Virality
Founders: Selin Kocalar & Karun Kaushik | Category: AI-Native Compliance
Delve made compliance unforgettable.
10,000 donuts labeled “The only hole in your security we approve of.”
Doormats that read “Your shoes look good. Do your SOC 2?”
A plane flying over a major conference with banner copy like “Delve — SOC 2 made plane and simple.”
Each stunt hit thousands in person but millions online once amplified on LinkedIn.
The brilliance wasn’t the gimmick — it was the amplification.
Playbook takeaway: Creativity is easy. Distribution is hard.
Design your campaign for screenshots before logistics.
Related episode: Selin Kocalar on Delve’s AI Compliance Playbook
2. FPV Ventures — The Human Billboard
Partner: Nikunj K. | Category: Venture Capital
“Why pay SF billboards when you can just send me your startup’s swag? I walk 7 miles a day.”
It was ironic, self-aware, and founder-native — perfect for Bay Area humor.
Hundreds liked it because it felt like an inside joke only operators would get.
Playbook takeaway: The best growth hacks make your audience feel like co-conspirators.
3. Lovable — Storytelling as a Growth Engine
Founders: Anton Osika & Fabian Hedin | Category: AI App & Website Builder
Lovable didn’t grow through ads — it grew through narrative and public building.
CEO Anton Osika turned vibe-coding demos, product drops, and rapid iteration into a movement. By mid-2025, Lovable had become Europe’s breakout AI builder, backed by top-tier investors at a unicorn-scale valuation.
The audience followed the story first, then the software.
Playbook takeaway: People buy momentum before they buy product.
Founder storytelling compounds faster than performance marketing ever could.
4. HockeyStack (YC S23) — Turning Storytelling Into a Pipeline Engine
Founders: Buğra Gündüz, Emir Atlı & Arda Bulut | Category: Revenue Analytics
HockeyStack turned pain into narrative.
Their viral LinkedIn posts read like the inner monologue of GTM leaders — frustration with data chaos, attribution debates, and board pressure.
They didn’t sell dashboards; they told the emotional story of revenue clarity.
Each post educates, entertains, and ends with a subtle invite to see what better feels like.
Playbook takeaway: Storytelling isn’t fluff; it’s friction removal.
When you describe your buyer’s world better than anyone else, you win their trust by default.
5. Pylon (YC W23) — Founder-Led Media
Founders: Marty Kausas, Advith Chelikani & Robert Eng | Category: B2B Support / Customer Intelligence
Marty turned his LinkedIn feed into a live GTM journal for Pylon.
He shares raw lessons about data leaks, pipeline blind spots, and SaaS alignment — not polished content, but operational reality.
The consistency built authority; the honesty built audience.
Playbook takeaway: The founder is the media channel.
Authenticity and repetition outperform ad spend.
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