Ecosystem is the next big growth channel
TL;DR: Emily Kramer identifies a pattern across fastest-growing AI and B2B startups: they grow by building ecosystems of partners who already have trust and access to their target audience, rather than fighting for attention through traditional channels. Companies like Supabase, Clay, Lovable, Gamma, and ElevenLabs achieved explosive growth by activating ecosystem partners (developers, creators, agencies, voice actors) who create content, drive adoption, and amplify the product. This flywheel—where partners create content, companies amplify it, new customers/partners join, strengthening the cycle—transforms ecosystem into a force multiplier for lean GTM teams. The shift is driven by AI making content creation easier (flooding traditional channels), buyers seeking trust from known voices over brands, and smaller GTM teams needing leverage. Success requires identifying the right partners (creators, integrations, communities, customers), activating them with incentives and support, then repurposing and amplifying their content across channels.
Key Insights
- Ecosystem partnerships (creators, integrations, communities) are outperforming traditional B2B channels as AI saturates inbound, outbound, and content marketing
- Companies leveraging ecosystems achieve outsized growth: Gamma attributes 50%+ growth to influencers, Supabase went 1M→4.5M developers in under a year via open source community + integration partners
- Ecosystem creates a flywheel: partners create/distribute content → company amplifies → drives reach/credibility → attracts new customers/partners → cycle strengthens
Actionable Takeaways
- Map who already has trust and access to your target audience (influencers, integration partners, communities, agencies, customers)
- Build a creator/partner program with clear incentives (rev share, bonuses for virality, early access, co-marketing budget)
- Create workflows to repurpose partner content across your owned channels (paid ads, social, lifecycle emails, events) to amplify reach
- Start with one ecosystem type and prove ROI before expanding: e.g., 5 micro-influencers for 3 months, track attributed signups and CAC