Post Written by Vasily Alekseenko

We’re told innovation drives the future. But is that really true? Most of what the world adopts today is driven by influence, not invention. The challenge for startups isn’t inventing something new but rather getting people to care.

Last year, I spoke to hundreds of founders. They were smart, ambitious, and building great products. But most of them were stuck. Why?

They couldn’t find customers.

They were trapped in “innovation purgatory,” iterating endlessly, hoping better features or performance would solve their problem. It didn’t.

The problem wasn’t their product. The problem was attention. They were so focused on innovating, they missed the bigger challenge: making people notice, trust, and want what they’d built.

This is the shift happening in startups today. It’s not that innovation doesn’t matter but influence matters more. Innovation is how you build something. Influence is how you make it matter.

How AI Accelerates the Shift

AI is driving this shift faster than ever. By making innovation more accessible, AI has created a surge of products competing for attention. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, and no-code platforms like LaunchLemonade enable startups to create complex products with minimal resources. What once required entire teams can now be done by a few founders and an AI stack.

AI lowers the barriers to entry and it accelerates execution. Startups can iterate, test, and refine ideas faster than ever, but so can their competitors. Standing out in this crowded space requires influence.

AI is redefining influence itself. It enables hyper-personalised marketing, helping startups connect with audiences in deeply tailored ways. AI-driven tools also provide real-time insights, refining messaging to build trust and connection.

Most importantly, AI scales consistency. It automates communication tasks, freeing founders to focus on strategy and storytelling. Now more than ever, startups need to focus on distributing their narrative that will make people care.

Influence in Action

Take Clubhouse. At its peak, the app was everywhere. Early adopters like tech leaders and celebrities gave it credibility and buzz. But when the excitement faded, so did its users. Why? Because Clubhouse didn’t sustain its influence.

Now consider Tesla. Elon Musk didn’t just build electric cars…he built a movement. Tesla’s mission to accelerate sustainable energy resonated with investors and buyers. Every product launch became an event. Every tweet became a headline. That sustained influence drove loyalty and market dominance.

The Bottom Line

AI has fundamentally changed the game. It’s made innovation faster and easier, but that also means the real challenge isn’t innovation anymore.

It is influence.

Influence is what keeps you in the game. It’s the difference between creating something cool and building something that matters. The startups that win aren’t just the ones with great products—they’re the ones people can’t stop talking about.

If you’re a founder, ask yourself: How can I make people care? How can I tell a story that resonates? How can I build trust that lasts? These answers will determine your success far more than any feature or algorithm.

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