"If your startup isn't a YC-backed B2B SaaS + GPT wrapper company, and you haven't hired an ABG as your Chief Marketing Officer, then you're basically doomed."

I've heard similar statements from countless AI company founders, each dreaming of finding the next Cluely: effortlessly gaining millions of views, always staying in the spotlight with buzz. (Editor's Note: Cluely is a highly controversial AI startup that pioneered a new paradigm of 'viral marketing,' detailed later.)

ABG = Asian Baby Girl. In Silicon Valley, it has become a term for young Asian women who are savvy at social media marketing. They are particularly skilled at creating eye-catching content, publishing viral posts, and marketing in a highly personalized way. Suddenly, all AI startups are scrambling to hire them as Chief Marketing Officers.

Why? Because one viral post can be more effective than a $50,000 advertising campaign.

Months of painstakingly building a 'thought leader' persona on LinkedIn can garner less attention and engagement than one sharp commentary or a selfie posted on X.

Are Asians naturally good at marketing?

No, and I want to clarify: this has nothing to do with race (people of every race are equally capable). This reveals some deeper issues in the evolution of the startup market.

The Feedback Loop in the Tech Market

Looking at past viral success stories (like @cluely), we can see that VCs chasing 'traffic signals' has surpassed traditional financial metrics, leading more capital to flow into more personality-driven, social-first projects.

Now, more college students are choosing to be content creators rather than taking $200,000 salaried jobs at big tech companies. Consequently, more startups are hiring "ABGs" for marketing, raising the overall standard of tech marketing, and thus creators gain access to better market resources.

Social media engagement data has become the sole standard for marketing effectiveness.

And this feedback loop is accelerating: more attention means more funding, which raises the bar higher, attracting more talent to shift careers, until it forms a stronger monopoly on attention.

Likes, views, and reposts are no longer just vanity metrics; they have become the new standards for investment due diligence.

The core issue isn't ABG; it's the attention economy.

How to Capture Hearts and Minds? Cluely Submitted the Perfect Answer Sheet

· Narrative: "Cheat on Everything" — perfectly aligned with founder @im_roy_lee's story (expelled from Columbia University/Harvard). This wasn't just a slogan; it was a carefully crafted origin story.

From "a complete loser" to "using AI to cheat his way into big tech, Y Combinator, and A16Z." This underdog-to-top-dog narrative often ignites both aspiration and outrage simultaneously.

· Industrial-Grade Viral Machine: They recruited over 700 "editors" — mostly micro-creators from TikTok/Instagram. The model was: pay-for-performance. $1 per thousand views. Zero upfront cost.

· Formulaic Content: Nonsense tweets + attractive looks/borderline content + lifestyle flexing. Party videos (like the shutdown "$1.5 million rager"), the "genius Intern" persona of founder Roy Lee, flaunting wealth, scoffing at traditional education. This marketing makes you think: "I really want to join these cool kids."

· Full-Platform Domination: X for building the thought leader persona (150k+ followers), TikTok/Instagram as the main battleground, LinkedIn/Reddit for generating native controversy.

The result? Over 10 million daily views, garnering 1 billion views in 3 months, at a cost far lower than traditional advertising. Traditional CPM (Cost Per Mille) is around $4; they only needed about $1.

But the fatal flaw was: The investment in marketing far exceeded the product; they essentially didn't develop a decent, market-ready product. Viral spread wasn't a byproduct; it was their only product.

When Cluely pivoted to an "AI note-taking tool," the entire web mocked them. People wondered where all that money had gone.

Some even suggested: since they're so good at this, why not just become a marketing agency for other AI companies?

But the most incredible part is: They did capture a certain truth. In an era of scarce attention, "any publicity is good publicity."

The irony: Everyone laughs at Cluely, everyone wants to be Cluely.

(If you hate me but still keep up with my updates, then you're my fan)

What Is the Truth, Really?

Attention is winning the world.

Capital flows to companies that capture consumer mindshare, not just market share. Nowadays, the best product doesn't necessarily win; the product with the best story does.

Every founder must also be their own CMO, building their own IP. The product is important, but if you neglect marketing, no one will know about your product.

The next wave of successful startups won't be built by the best engineers. They will be created by those who "can code and market."

Welcome to the new game.