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Greg Isenberg recently shared a goldmine of a strategy on X for growing startups in 2025: leverage AI, automate the boring stuff, and embrace vibe marketing to connect emotionally with your audience. His approach is a masterclass in using modern tools to scale efficiently while building a loyal community. Let’s dive into his advice, add some 2025 context, and explore how you can apply it with a design-first mindset.

Read Greg’s full post on X to see the original strategy.

Build a Lead Gen Machine with AI

Greg kicks off with creating a lead generation machine using tools like Gumloop and ChatGPT-4o. Gumloop, fresh off a $3.1 million seed round in late 2024 led by Y Combinator, is a no-code platform perfect for building directories like “companies using X.” Pair this with ChatGPT-4o’s advanced vision capabilities (released in early 2025) to analyze customer questions and build a knowledge base. For example, a startup targeting freelance writers could create a directory of “top freelance writing tools” and use AI to answer common queries like “best invoicing software for freelancers.”

Automate the Boring Stuff

Greg’s next step is automation. Tools like Lindy AI for email follow-ups and Gumloop for referral flywheels can save hours. In 2025, the global AI marketing market is projected to hit $40.09 billion, growing at a 29.7% CAGR since 2020, according to MarketsandMarkets. Automating tasks like posting customer milestones to X (using Zapier and ChatGPT-4o) lets you focus on strategy. For instance, a SaaS startup could automate sharing user success stories, boosting social proof without manual effort.

Vibe Marketing: Connect Emotionally

Greg’s concept of “vibe marketing” is about emotional connection, a trend in 2025 where 67% of marketers use AI for personalized content, per HubSpot. Create “content triplets” (thread → blog → video) from winning posts, and amplify them with paid ads to lookalikes. For B2B, Greg suggests “reverse webinars”—solving audience problems live. A 2025 Zoom study found that 72% of B2B marketers see higher engagement from such interactive formats. Use tools like MidJourney for scroll-stopping visuals to make your content pop.

Become a Testing Machine

Greg advises shipping 10+ hooks daily and letting the algorithm decide the winner. This aligns with 2025 data from Sprout Social: X now boosts posts with high initial engagement by up to 40%. Below is a “Tested Hook Card” component to showcase winning hooks, styled with a subtle tilt animation on hover.

Lead Magnets: Give Value First

Greg suggests dropping 2+ lead magnets monthly, like niche communities or AI-powered reports. Platforms like Skool saw 150% user growth in 2024 by focusing on creator-led spaces—proof this works. Below is a “Lead Magnet Showcase” component to highlight your offerings, styled with a clean, inviting design.

Repurpose Like Crazy

Greg’s repurposing strategy—turning one insight into a blog, video, tweet, template, and microsite—is a game-changer. A 2025 Content Marketing Institute study shows multi-channel distribution increases engagement by 83%. Use tools like Opus Clip to turn a webinar into five formats, and Typedream to create persona-specific microsites. For example, a single customer testimonial could become a tweet thread, a blog post, and a video highlight.

Explore the Original Post

Greg’s full strategy is packed with more insights. Check out his X post below: