As AI reshapes industries, startups and scale-ups face both opportunities and challenges. In a recent session, Funded.club’s founder Ray Gibson and Ariel Kabiri from Perkzz shared practical guidance on how teams can thrive in this rapidly evolving space. Here’s a closer look at their discussion and the key takeaways for startups seeking to leverage AI effectively.
Navigating today’s AI landscape can feel overwhelming. With thousands of tools aimed at sales, marketing, content creation, and more, startups need a clear strategy to cut through the noise. Kabiri, co-founder of Perkzz, explained that as second-time founders, they knew these challenges firsthand. Their mission? To help startups gain the advantages of enterprise-level marketing without the typical overhead.
Three ways startups can benefit from AI:
One standout example discussed during the session was a cutting-edge tool capable of identifying high-value leads in real time. By monitoring more than 200,000 open forums and online communities, the tool provides conversation-level insights—such as which company and individual might be actively searching for a solution. Although Perkzz isn’t directly invested in this technology, they highlighted it as a game-changer, especially in fields like cybersecurity, fintech, and DevOps.
What makes this tool exceptional?
LinkedIn remains an untapped resource for many startups. Gibson and Kabiri emphasized that while only 1% of LinkedIn’s billion members create content, those who do have a tremendous opportunity to stand out. Consistent posting and engaging directly with a target audience can establish authority, generate leads, and drive business growth.
Tips for using LinkedIn effectively:
For startups short on time or expertise, AI-generated avatars offer a streamlined way to maintain a consistent presence. Kabiri demonstrated how tools like Synthesia can create professional, multilingual videos from a simple text prompt. These avatars ensure that content is polished and on-message, reducing the time and effort needed for traditional video production.
Faced with an endless list of AI tools, how should startups decide which ones to use? Kabiri introduced the “holy trinity” approach: combining the right data, the best tools, and the know-how to use them effectively. Startups need more than a flashy interface—they need tools that integrate seamlessly into their workflows and deliver measurable ROI.
Key evaluation questions:
As the session wrapped up, Kabiri and Gibson looked to the future. They anticipate more integrated solutions, where AI tools handle multiple tasks—such as domain setup, prospecting, copywriting, and outreach—all in one platform. While the era of training models on entirely new datasets may be nearing its end, innovations in synthetic data and in-tool training methods are set to unlock new possibilities.
Upcoming AI developments to watch:
The conversation concludes with Kabiri’s optimistic outlook on the evolving AI landscape. They encourage startups to embrace these new tools and strategies, emphasizing the importance of staying informed and engaged. With practical insights and forward-thinking ideas, the session offers valuable guidance for any startup aiming to leverage AI effectively.
Want to learn more?
Reach out to the team at Funded.club or connect with Ariel Kabiri at Perkzz. They’re always happy to share their expertise and help startups succeed in the ever-changing world of AI.
Ray Gibson: I’m Ray Gibson, the founder and chairman at Funded.club. Ariel from Perkzz, you want to say hello?
Ariel Kabiri: Hi there, how’s it going?
Ray: Very well, very well. I appreciate you making time today.
Ariel: Thanks for having me.
Ray: Of course, that’s great. Yeah, we’ve known each other a little while now and shared some good ideas. So now you’re really in the AI space. Obviously, it’s a hot topic for many people right now and there are a lot of questions about AI toolkits and tech stacks. In this session, we’re going to do our best to equip founders and teams with as much knowledge as possible. How they can navigate AI tools, how they can make the best of them and save money, and how AI is reshaping everything we’re doing nowadays. You’ve got some nuggets to share with people, a really special tool, cutting-edge technology you want to show, and some advice on LinkedIn workflows for thought leadership. And there’s a demo you’ve prepared in advance as well, right?
Ariel: That’s the plan. That’s right.
Ray: All right, so thank you for anybody watching now live. We’d appreciate it if you want to say hello in the chat. Just say hi, your name, where you are, maybe the company you’re at so we can keep in touch. If you’re watching this back, please reach out if you have any questions—we’d love to help you in the future. But we don’t like long intros and lots of waffle. We like to dive in. So my first question for you: How can startups and scale-ups navigate this space today? There’s a lot going on. Can you describe the environment, the AI space at the moment, and how they can start navigating it?
Ariel: Yeah, totally agree. It’s really difficult to navigate. There are thousands and tens of thousands of solutions in any area you look: go-to-market, sales, marketing, and of course, images and content creation. That’s why we started Perkzz—to make sense of this space and help founders. We’re second-time founders ourselves, so we know the problems and challenges of a startup. Usually, you have a smaller marketing team. The good news is that with AI, you can leverage all these efforts and get closer to enterprise-level marketing. We see three main ways that startups can gain from AI: first, doing the same tasks better and faster; second, using new tools that never existed before; and third, tapping into groundbreaking channels—these are rare, but when they’re found, they’re total game-changers. I have an example, if that would help.
Ray: That would be great. How long have you been in this space now?
Ariel: More than a year. As I mentioned, we’re second-time founders. We were looking for AI tools for ourselves, tried several, and saw the confusion in the space, which led us to start Perkzz. There’s a specific tool I wanted to share. It recently came out of stealth after two years of development and already has $1 million ARR. It’s quite amazing.
Ray: Is this something you’re invested in or own?
Ariel: No, we don’t own it. I wish I had thought of it, but it’s just one of the tools we discovered while scanning the market. It listens to 200,000 open forums on LinkedIn, Reddit, technical Slack channels, and more. It provides conversation-level leads—if someone’s asking about a cybersecurity solution, it identifies the individual and their company, showing that this person is actively looking for your solution. It’s a real game-changer.
Ray: So it’s scanning Reddit, Quora, and other platforms?
Ariel: Yes. It monitors 200,000 forums and groups in real time, providing you with conversation-level leads as well as details on the whole buying committee within the company. This is particularly popular in cybersecurity, data infrastructure, fintech, and DevOps.
Ray: Are you able to talk about that tool specifically?
Ariel: If someone is interested, they can reach out. They’re overwhelmed by demand, so they’re selective about use cases. We help with screening, and if it’s relevant, we make the introduction. The setup is usually quick, and you can start getting leads from these forums almost immediately.
Ray: Okay, anyone interested can contact Ariel to learn more about that tool. Over the last three to six months, what else has really surprised you? What’s a true game-changer?
Ariel: I think Synthesia was the most impressive. In fact, we prepared a surprise. Remember that video you sent us a while ago? We used it to create your Synthesia avatar. It’s the best avatar I’ve seen. We took one of your Funded.club posts about hiring challenges and turned it into a video clip. Can we show it?
Ray: Sure, go ahead.
Ariel: Here it is. You’ll see it’s you—smooth, polished, and speaking in multiple languages, including German and French. We created this in about 10 minutes.
Ray: That’s amazing. I tested Synthesia a year ago, and it looked a bit “uncanny valley.” But now, it’s very impressive. My wife will be thrilled to see me speaking more German—she’s from Berlin.
Ariel: That’s another way to connect. You can use Synthesia to create your own avatar or use existing ones. It’s fantastic for thought leadership on LinkedIn. Perkzz uses it as part of a comprehensive AI-powered marketing approach, including competitive analysis, go-to-market strategies, and consistent content posting. With LinkedIn’s low saturation (1 billion members, but only 1% create content), the opportunity is enormous.
Ray: Posting regularly and engaging consistently on LinkedIn can be challenging, especially for busy founders. What’s your take?
Ariel: It requires discipline, which not everyone has. Many founders only post sporadically. That’s not effective. You need to engage your ideal customer profile, address their problems, and offer solutions consistently. AI tools like Synthesia make it easier to maintain a professional presence and reach new audiences.
Ray: Are you seeing results from this strategy?
Ariel: Yes, absolutely. Campaigns have yielded 300% more brand awareness and 350% more people reached. The goal is always to double or triple the number of people you connect with, and this approach makes it possible.
Ray: Any tips for evaluating AI tools when there are so many lists and options?
Ariel: Focus on the holy trinity: data, tools, and know-how. It’s not just about the tools—it’s how you use them. Consider the expected ROI, onboarding plans, and customer references. Be sure you understand how to integrate them into your workflows effectively.
Ray: What’s coming next in AI? What should we anticipate?
Ariel: We’ll see more integrated solutions that combine multiple functions, like domain setup, prospecting, copywriting, and outreach, all in one. There’s also a shift toward using synthetic data as traditional data sources become exhausted. Tools will become more sophisticated, making workflows seamless.
Ray: Any final thoughts?
Ariel: It’s an exciting time. Every day brings new tools, new ideas, and new startups. Thank you for having me here, and I appreciate the opportunity.
Ray: Thank you, Ariel. For anyone who wants to reach out, what’s the best way?
Ariel: You can find me on LinkedIn, Ariel Kabiri, or contact me at Ariel@Perkzz.com. I’d be happy to help.