Gone are startup fears of sharing products pre-launch
Startups now embrace pre-launch sharing through waitlists, social trials, influencer partnerships, and exclusive communities. Vansh Wadhwa, a master's student in NYU Tandon's Management of Technology program, highlighted the "founder-led marketing" trend among these strategies. Having followed Gen Z startups, Wadhwa observed that "audiences are not just searching for startups to support – they're searching for founders to believe in." Five interviewed founders confirmed this approach builds authentic trust and community before launch.
