EntreConnect

2/28, we brought together ~400+ founders and builders to explore how AI is reshaping growth on GTM, sales, marketing and customers. It was inspiring to see so many innovators leveraging AI to scale smarter and faster. A huge thanks to everyone who joined and Plug and Play Tech Center! ?? Keynote with David Pastrana (CEO, Spotlize; ex-CEO, Zara US & Canada) shared his 25+ YOE scaling global brands and how AI is driving modern marketing & customer acquisition: ?? AI-powered short-form videos outperform static ads, allowing brands to iterate quickly and optimize engagement in real-time. It analyzes consumer behavior, intent signals, and purchasing trends, helping brands deliver highly relevant product recommendations and customized marketing. ? AI-driven insights are changing ecommerce—businesses can now use real-time data to predict trends, optimize inventory, and make smarter purchasing decisions. ?? Fireside Chat with Aditya Murari (VP Growth, Salesforce) discussed ?explored how traditionally sales-led firms are embracing PLG and AI to acquire and retain customers. ?? Hybrid models are emerging—PLG for acquisition, SLG for enterprise expansion, with AI bridging the gap with automated insights and customer journey optimization. ?? AI allows companies to engage and convert users more efficiently without human intervention. This is reducing sales cycle friction and making self-serve models more scalable. ?? Panel Discussion with Arnie Katz (GoFundMe), Ally Liu (Influcio), Honglei Liu (TTofu), Kathryn Wu?? (Openmart), Iris Sun (500 Global), David and Aditya on how AI is transforming B2B and B2C growth, demand generation, and retention. ? AI in B2B vs. B2C growth – AI is powering lead qualification in B2B and scaling content and influencer marketing in B2C. ?? Arnie Katz: For PLG to succeed, it must be viral—new users should naturally add value to existing users. ? Scaling with AI: PLG & SLG – AI is automating onboarding, forecasting deals, and optimizing enterprise sales strategies. ?? Honglei Liu: AI-driven outbound sales enhances personalization, resulting in higher conversion rates and more effective engagement. ? AI in Marketing & Demand Generation – Businesses are automating hyper-personalized outreach and optimizing influencer marketing campaigns. ?? Ally Liu: AI helps brands run cost-effective and scalable influencer campaigns, making marketing more accessible even for smaller teams. ? Retention & Growth with AI – AI is predicting churn and enabling businesses to proactively engage customers. ?? Kathryn Wu??: AI-powered insights help segment high-value customers, allowing sales teams to focus on the most promising leads. ? Investors are focusing on how startups integrate AI into GTM strategies to scale efficiently. ?? Iris Sun: Startups that strategically adopt AI in sales & marketing gain a major edge in scaling and securing funding. #AIGrowth #ScalewithAI #Sales #Marketing #GTM #Innovation #SLG #PLG #EntreConnect #AIAgents

?? "If you want to win in B2B marketing, stop blasting generic emails. AI isn’t here to spam—it’s here to personalize." Last week, Honglei Liu (Co-Founder & CTO at Tofu) shared how AI-driven automation, Account-Based Marketing, and personalization are redefining B2B go-to-market strategies. ?? “The best outbound campaigns don’t feel like cold outreach—they feel like real conversations.” ?? 1?? Why B2B Marketing is Broken—And How AI Fixes It ? Spray-and-pray emails don’t work. ? AI-driven personalization turns cold outreach into high-value engagement. ?? AI tailors messaging to specific accounts, making outreach more relevant & engaging. ?? AI-powered ABM connects multiple marketing channels (email, LinkedIn, ads) into a seamless experience. ?? AI-generated dynamic landing pages customize content for each prospect in real time. ?? "Generic emails get deleted. Personalized, well-timed outreach converts." ?? 2?? The Future of Outbound: AI + Human Touch ?? "AI should help you start conversations, not replace them." ? AI helps you identify the right leads—but relationships still close the deal. ? Winning teams use AI to scale personalization, not spam. ? Hyper-personalized content increases engagement & conversion rates. ?? “The best outreach references something specific—your content, your background, your needs.” ?? 3?? Scaling B2B Growth: AI-Driven ABM ?? "ABM at scale used to require massive teams—AI makes it accessible to everyone." ? AI automates account-based targeting, multi-channel outreach & real-time engagement tracking. ? AI helps convert content between formats—turning videos into blog posts, whitepapers into email campaigns. ? AI ensures every touchpoint is personalized—so marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. ?? “ABM works best when content feels like it was created just for that customer.” ?? Honglei’s Advice for Founders & GTM Teams ?? Don’t spam—personalize. → “If you send bulk emails with zero personalization, don’t expect replies.” ?? AI isn’t magic—it needs data. → "Invest in the right signals—who’s engaging, when, and why." ?? ABM + AI = Scalable Growth. → "AI helps startups punch above their weight by automating account-based targeting." ?? Test, iterate, refine. → "What worked last month won’t always work today—keep experimenting." ?? Check out the full recap: https://lnkd.in/dD4YgbrA #AI #B2BMarketing #ABM #GTM #SalesStrategy #AIinMarketing #LeadGeneration #OutboundSales #EntreConnect

ServiceNow’s $2.85B (14x revenue multiple) acquisition of Moveworks isn’t just another AI deal—it’s a major shift in how enterprise software is evolving. This move signals that agentic AI is no longer experimental; it’s mission-critical. 1?? The AI-Native Enterprise Is Here For decades, enterprise software revolved around static workflows and rule-based automation. That era is over. With LLMs and agentic AI, workflows are becoming dynamic, contextual, and self-optimizing. Moveworks has already embedded AI copilots into IT, HR, finance, and sales—but this is just the beginning. ?? The shift: Companies that were once SaaS-first are now AI-first. Enterprise AI isn’t an “add-on” anymore—it’s the product. 2?? AI M&A Is Entering a New Phase A 14x revenue multiple (~$200M ARR) underscores the premium placed on AI-native platforms. The next wave of AI M&A will likely focus on: ?? LLM-powered automation – AI-driven infrastructure that enhances knowledge work ?? Enterprise search & copilots – Intelligent assistants that drive productivity ?? AI-powered developer ecosystems – Platforms where AI builds workflows, not just executes them ?? The takeaway: If you’re building an AI-first startup, expect more strategic buyers and higher valuations, but also higher expectations for real, scalable impact. 3?? The Developer Opportunity: AI as an OS ServiceNow isn’t just integrating Moveworks—it’s reshaping how enterprises build on AI. Moveworks’ MoveLM agentic AI engine + enterprise search capabilities could become a developer platform in itself. ?? Where’s the opportunity? AI copilots for highly specialized enterprise workflows Composable AI agents that adapt dynamically LLM-powered automation layers that go beyond basic chatbots ?? The bigger picture: As AI becomes the new enterprise OS, founders building AI-native developer tools and infra will have an outsized impact. #AI #EnterpriseAI #Founders #LLMs #Automation #AIStartups #AgenticAI #EntreConnect

?? "The best growth strategies feel like an escalator—each step delivers value before asking for more." At our recent event, Arnie Katz (CPO & CTO at GoFundMe) shared how AI, PLG (Product-Led Growth), and enterprise GTM strategies are evolving. GoFundMe operates in both PLG and SLG (Sales-Led Growth)—its consumer business is PLG, while its B2B SaaS arm for nonprofits follows SLG. ?? 1?? Why AI & PLG Are Reshaping Enterprise GTM ? AI Enables Smarter Customer Journeys → Personalized onboarding increases activation. ? PLG Lowers Acquisition Costs → Self-serve models drive user adoption at scale. ? AI + Sales = Hybrid Growth → AI-driven insights empower sales teams to focus on the right customers. ?? "Successful companies don’t just automate—they refine, optimize, and deliver real value at every step." ?? 2?? AI & Retention: The True Growth Lever ?? "It’s not just about getting new customers—AI should help you keep them by delivering continuous value." ?? Predictive AI flags churn risks early – identifying users likely to drop off. ?? AI-powered engagement – personalized nudges keep customers active. ?? Retention > Acquisition – Investors care more about retention at scale than just user growth. ?? "If you acquired zero new customers next year, how much would you still grow? That’s what matters." ?? 3?? PLG for Enterprise: Making It Work ?? "Slack is the perfect PLG case—one person starts using it, then the whole company adopts it. That’s virality at work." ? PLG works for enterprise when small teams see immediate value. ? AI helps expand usage by guiding new users, reducing friction & identifying upsell opportunities. ? Enterprise sales still matters – PLG & AI drive adoption, but high-value deals require human touch. ?? "PLG isn’t about replacing sales—it’s about making the sales process more efficient and scalable." ?? 4?? AI’s Next Leap: Autonomous Agents ?? "AI is already transforming how we generate content—next, it will take action." ? AI-powered agents will not only analyze data but also execute workflows—automating support, sales outreach, and decision-making. ? In engineering, AI will diagnose outages, test hypotheses & solve problems faster than humans. ? In GTM, AI will recommend pricing, identify high-value leads & automate onboarding experiences. ?? "AI is moving from being a tool to being an autonomous teammate." ?? Arnie’s Advice for Founders & GTM Leaders ?? Build trust with customers→ "Don’t sell vaporware. Be transparent about what you can deliver." ?? Retention is everything → "If your customers aren’t staying, your GTM motion is broken." ?? PLG + AI = Scalable Growth → Use AI to optimize adoption, but don’t forget the human touch. ?? Test, Learn, Iterate → "Winning companies don’t set and forget—they evolve constantly." ?? Check out full recap: https://lnkd.in/dD4YgbrA #AI #PLG #GTM #EnterpriseGrowth #SalesStrategy #AIinMarketing

?? Sales-led Growth to Product-led Growth: Why AI & PLG Are the Future At a recent panel event, Aditya Murari (VP, PLG at Salesforce) shared how AI & PLG are reshaping GTM strategies, customer retention, and enterprise sales. ?? "If Salesforce were founded in 2025, PLG would be a significant lever." With millennials & Gen Z driving B2B purchasing, buyers expect self-serve, AI-driven experiences, forcing SLG (Sales-Led Growth) companies to adapt or get left behind. ?? 1?? Why traditional SLG companies are Embracing PLG ? Faster Growth – Self-serve drives adoption at scale. ? AI-Driven Personalization – AI refines onboarding, engagement & retention. ? Lower CAC – PLG reduces reliance on expensive sales motions. ?? “Buyers now expect B2B software to feel like Netflix—instant, intuitive, and self-serve.” ?? 2?? The Challenges of Moving from SLG to PLG ?? "Sales often sees PLG like Uber drivers see autonomous cars—thinking it will replace them. But PLG is here to enhance, not eliminate.” ?? 3 Critical Success Factors: 1?? Leadership Buy-In – PLG takes time & patience. 2?? Sales Alignment – Sales must see PLG as an enabler, not a threat. 3?? Product Involvement – GTM strategy matters as much as innovation. ?? "The best companies blend PLG + SLG—AI-driven self-serve for volume, sales for high-value deals." ?? 3?? AI’s Role in Lead Gen, Retention & Expansion ? Mass AI-generated outreach is losing effectiveness. ? AI-assisted personalization → AI should enhance, not replace, relationships. ?? "AI won’t replace human touch—it will augment it. Enterprise customers want trust, not just automation." ?? Beyond acquisition, AI powers customer retention & upselling: ? AI flags churn risks & engagement dips early. ? AI identifies ideal moments for upsells/cross-sells. ?? "The best upsells happen when customers are already seeing value." ?? 4?? PLG for Enterprise: A Land-and-Expand Strategy ?? "DocuSign saw 60% of new logos from self-serve, but enterprise deals drove 89% of revenue." ? PLG isn’t just for SMBs – AI helps sales teams prioritize PLG accounts for expansion. ? Activation & engagement data signal enterprise-ready customers. ?? "PLG is the entry point—AI helps sales teams close larger deals." ?? Key Takeaways for Founders & GTM Leaders ?? PLG + SLG = The Best Growth Model – Self-serve scales, sales closes big deals. ?? AI Optimizes, But Humans Sell – AI improves engagement, but relationships drive conversions. ?? Data-Driven GTM Wins – Tracking engagement & activation is key to PLG success. ?? "Winning companies don’t just automate—they continuously test, learn, and refine." ?? Check-out the full recap here: https://lnkd.in/dD4YgbrA #AI #PLG #GTM #Salesforce #B2BSaaS #AIinMarketing #EntreConnect #GrowthStrategy

?? AI is Transforming Retail & E-commerce—Brands Must Adapt to Win At our recent panel, David Pastrana (CEO / Cofounder of Spotlize, ex-CEO of Zara US & Canada) shared how AI is redefining content creation, consumer engagement, and brand growth. ?? The Shift from Traditional Retail to AI-Powered Commerce ?? “In 2012, Zara’s e-commerce strategy was as simple as handing customers shopping bags that said ‘zara.com.’ Today, if your brand isn’t on short-form video, you’re invisible.” ? AI-Generated Content is the Future → AI creates, tests, and optimizes marketing variations at scale. ? Short Video = Consumer Attention → With TikTok users spending 1.5+ hours/day, brands must iterate constantly. ? AI-Driven Decision Making → AI predicts what will resonate—color, texture, format, audience targeting—at a scale no human could match. ?? 1?? AI Isn’t Just Scaling Content—It’s Cutting Costs ?? "Many brands struggle with limited talent—AI fills that gap by automating decisions once made by entire teams." AI is reducing creative costs by handling content generation, targeting & optimization. Instead of hiring massive marketing teams, AI helps brands execute high-quality campaigns with fewer people. AI-powered automation makes execution 10x more efficient, letting teams focus on strategy. ?? 2?? AI + First-Party Data = The Ultimate Competitive Edge ?? "The best brands merge AI with their own data to create truly unique customer experiences and maximize ROI." AI is only as strong as the data it has access to. Brands that rely solely on Meta, TikTok, or Google algorithms risk losing long-term control. First-party data is key to owning customer relationships & making AI work for you. ?? 3?? AI-Driven Experimentation is the New Norm ?? "In the AI era, more content = more learning. Brands that experiment the fastest will win." ? AI enables rapid A/B testing → Brands test hundreds of variations in real time. ? Experimentation mindset matters → The best brands aren’t guessing—they’re learning from AI. ? AI scales personalization → Tailoring content for different audiences boosts engagement & conversions. ?? David’s Advice for Founders Scaling with AI ?? Keep it clear & simple → “Define a focused strategy & communicate it often.” ?? Execute relentlessly → “Results matter. Start with test pilots & simplify execution.” ?? Expand your perspective → “Engage beyond your usual circle.” ?? Stay passionate → “Challenges are inevitable. Loving your mission keeps you going.” ?? Persevere → “Push forward despite setbacks—resilience is key.” ?? Check out the full recap: https://lnkd.in/dD4YgbrA #AI #Ecommerce #RetailTech #AIinMarketing #GenAI #ContentMarketing #AIWorkflow #MachineLearning #AIInnovation #AIinRetail #EntreConnect

What you might have missed on #GenAI Video, #WorldModel & #Robotics EntreConnect event last week, pioneers dropped mind-blowing reveals: ?? SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS ?? ?Bichen Wu?(Stealth AI Startup, ex-Meta GenAI): ??Teased a?next-gen AI storytelling product?launching soon! ??Diffusion models might not be the only way for the next-gen of AI storytelling. ??Call to Talent: Hiring researchers, MLEs, engineers, and designers Hiring researchers, engineers, and designers?now?for his “well-funded stealth rocket ship. ?Peter Lin?(Researcher, Seaweed-APT & AnimateDiff-Lightning): ???Revealed?post-training hacks?to slash video generation from minutes to?real-time?– think gaming, simulations, and AI that reacts?as you interact. ?Jiannan Xiang?(Generalist Embodied Agent Research Intern at NVIDIA, ex-Deepmind student researcher): ???Broke down?#Pandora, a model that simulates environments via video + language – a blueprint for future robotics and autonomous systems. ?Helena Zhang?(OpenArt AI): ???Dropped OpenArt’s?$12M ARR playbook?after hitting #1 on Product Hunt. ???How OpenArt provides creators superpowers. Sylvia Tong #GenAI #VideoGeneration #AIStorytelling #WorldModels #TechInnovation #Robotics #AI

At?#EntreConnect’s “Ultra-Efficient AI” event, experts underscored the massive (and overlooked) opportunity in?Edge and on-device AI—reshaping industries, and everyday tech. ??Yubei Chen?(UC Davis & AIZIP): ??Edge & Endpoint devices generate?100x more data and offer 100x more compute capabilities than the cloud. ??AI Efficiency gap: Human brains use?~100M tokens?vs. Llama3’s 13T—closing this gap is key to scalable AI. AIZIP’s ultra-efficient AI (voice, vision, SLMs) is closing the?efficiency gap. ??Brandon X.?(Analog Devices): ???Why edge wins: Low latency, privacy, and?60x compute growth since 2017?enable “God’s view” proactive intelligence. ??Interesting use cases: Noise-canceling AI, Rokid AI+ AR glasses, and hyper-personalized assistants. ? The next frontier? Systems as efficient as the human brain. ?–Sylvia Tong (moderator) Follow?#EntreConnect?for more on AI’s ultra-efficient future! ?? #AI #EdgeAI #OnDeviceAI #TechInnovation #FutureOfTech

?? Join Us for an Exclusive AI Gathering During NVIDIA GTC 2025! As NVIDIA GTC 2025 unites the global AI community, we are bringing together top AI pioneers, founders, and industry leaders for an exclusive side event. We'll dive deep into scaling LLMs, AI app & infrastructure advancements, deep tech, and robotics with some of the brightest minds in the industry. ?? Date: Tuesday, March 18 | ?? Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM ?? Location: Plug and Play Tech Center, Sunnyvale, CA ??RSVP: https://lu.ma/feuwm3cz (free, no GTC ticket required) Thanks to our venue host / sponsor Plug and Play Tech Center, and sppnsors / partners Hattrick Capital and Alibaba Group Global Initiatives for helping make this event successful! ?? Our Speakers: ?? Jonathan Siddharth – CEO & Co-founder, Turing (Series E); former CEO & Co-founder, Rover App (acquired by Revcontent) ?? Roman Chernin – Co-founder & CBO at Nebius (NASDAQ: NBIS); ex-CEO Yandex Geo at Yandex ?? Howie Xu – Chief AI & Innovation Officer, Gen (NASDAQ: GEN); ex-SVP AI/ML at Palo Alto Networks, ex-VP AI/ML at Zscaler, ex-CEO/Co-founder at TrustPath ?? Lindon Gao – CEO & Co-founder at Stealth Robotics Startup; ex-CEO & Co-founder of Caper (acquired by Instacart) ?? Erik Norden – Chief AI Strategy Officer at Zyphra; ex-Lead AI Architect at Google ?? Ning Ge, Ph.D., MBA – CEO & Co-founder at TetraMem - Accelerate The World (AI Chip); ex-Master Technologist at HP ?? What You’ll Gain: ? Scaling LLMs & AI Infrastructure – Tackling compute, cost, and latency challenges ? AI Applications – Real-world enterprise, robotics, and automation impact ? Deep Tech & Robotics – AI-driven advancements in next-gen robotics & autonomy ? Data Labeling & Model Optimization – Ensuring high-quality AI training data ? AI Hardware & Neuromorphic Computing – The future of AI chip innovation ?? Enjoy pizza, drinks, and networking with top founders, investors, and AI experts! #AI #LLMs #DeepTech #GTC2025 #EntreConnect #ArtificialIntelligence #Startups #Networking #NVIDIA #LLM #Infrastructure #DeepTech #Robotics

?? Will AI Agents Replace SaaS? Or Are We Just Entering a New Era? ?? Microsoft's CEO recently claimed that Enterprise SaaS will disappear, replaced entirely by AI agents. But is that really the future? ?? In this thought-provoking discussion with Michael Talan (Nebius), Jia Li (LiveX AI), Jenny Xiao (Leonis Capital) and He Lu (Centauri AI), experts dive deep into: ?? Will AI agents truly replace SaaS applications? ?? Why traditional SaaS business models may be flawed ?? The hidden costs of AI agents and their impact on monetization ?? How AI will reshape enterprise pricing and software adoption With heated debates from industry leaders, this is a must-watch for anyone in AI, SaaS, or enterprise tech. ?? Check out the video to watch the full discussion #AIAgents #SaaS #Startup #EntreConnect #0to1 #Entrepreneurship #EnterpriseTech