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- ♞ What is Manufactured Traction?
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Manufactured Traction
Let’s jump into the “Catch-22” of traction. You need capital to build the product and get traction. But you need traction to convince an investor to give you the capital.
If you’re waiting for "perfect" revenue numbers before you start your raise, you’re already behind. Today, we’re looking at how to manufacture momentum before the product even exists.
The market has shifted. We’ve moved into an era where cinematic launch trailers, waitlists, and building in public aren't just marketing—they are survival tactics.
These are lower-cost, faster and effective ways to signal to an investor that you aren't a risk—you’re an inevitability.
We call this Manufactured Traction.
It’s the data that exists in the "fuzzy middle" between having an idea and solid financial traction.
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Take the recent trend of high-end, cinematic launch videos. Some founders scoff at spending $20k–$50k on a two-minute spot before the code is even finished.
They’re missing the point.
For a DeepTech or Hardware founder, waiting for a physical prototype to show "real" traction might take 18 months. That’s 18 months of burning personal cash and losing top-tier talent.
A viral video that racks up 2M views on X or LinkedIn does three things:
Validates Demand: It proves people actually care about the problem.
Signals Execution: It shows you can build a GTM engine that actually moves the needle.
Hacks the Social Brain: High-quality production creates perceived status. If it looks like a billion-dollar company, investors start treating you like one.
If you need to go further in proving “traction” to raise, then you can also set up a waitlist or start taking pre-orders based on your video to demonstrate the consumer demand.
This idea of Manufactured Demand is especially important as we cycle towards investments in fundamental infrastructure and away from easy, cheap-to-build SaaS applications. When development timelines are 1+ years and the cost to innovate is $1M+, suddenly $20k on a video that proves demand seems like a reasonable investment.
This strategy won’t make much sense at that cost for those that can still build quickly and cheaply, but increasingly those companies are being replaced by AI, and markets are gravitating towards more deeptech companies where this strategy could save them from bankruptcy.
Are you looking to fundraise? Here is how I can help:
📱 Book a Strategy Call to get 1:1 feedback on your pitch, pitch deck and/or fundraising strategy.
Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays
Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.
Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.
Onwards and Upwards,
