Creators are a critical distribution channel for most AI startups.
But many don't know how to work with them effectively.
I spoke with dozens of the top creators at Google i/o - some lessons learned and tips for startups 👇
1. It’s increasingly creators vs. traditional media for launch distribution.
Last year, Google apparently invited ~25 creators and hundreds of press. This year, it was basically flipped: hundreds of creators, very little traditional press.
Why? Creators are driving more impressions and more conversion to product launches.
Traditional media can still matter for credibility, but a lot of launch coverage now turns into paywalled articles saying roughly the same thing as everyone else. Creators are often much better at making people actually care, click, try, and share.
2. Instagram is weirdly under-discussed for AI distribution.
Almost every creator I met - regardless of whether they started on YouTube, X, or TikTok - was heavily investing in Instagram. And a few said they’re now posting AI content there first.
The reason: it monetizes well, reaches a broad audience, and seems to drive more product curiosity with less reflexive hate than some other platforms. Also the cringey "comment ___ to get the link" format really works.
I’ve seen this myself: a lot of AI product content ends up reaching a much wider mainstream audience on IG. For startups, especially consumer or prosumer AI companies, I’d take Instagram much more seriously than the tech world usually does.
3. Creators are flooded with identical-sounding AI startup pitches.
Once creators found out I was an investor, one of the most common questions was: “How do you tell the difference between all these AI startups pitching the same agent / personal assistant / image generator?” That’s probably the biggest missed opportunity.
Most creator outreach seems to be written as if the creator is just a distribution slot. But the good creators actually care about the product and need to understand what makes it different.
For startups, it may be better to work with fewer creators who genuinely understand your wedge than to spray a generic campaign across a huge list.
4. Technical creators want to hear directly from the team.
I talked to several creators with large YouTube channels focused on more technical topics, and many were tired of getting outreach from agencies that couldn’t explain what the product actually does.
For the “big hitter” technical creators, founder / engineer / product lead outreach can matter a lot.
It doesn’t scale, but that’s partly the point. If someone is going to explain your product to a highly technical audience, they need more than a one-page brief and a promo code.
5. Startups need to get smarter about creator metrics.
I also heard a lot about how easy it is to manipulate the top-line numbers on your channel or account.
Views and comments can look impressive while driving very little real engagement or conversion.
A few metrics startups should probably ask for before paying meaningful dollars: % of viewers in the US / Canada, average view duration, link clicks, audience demographics, and examples of past campaigns that actually drove usage or signups.
