Last Chance To Apply: Lightning Round VI Pitch Competition 🚀
Showcase your breakthrough DTC brand to the world’s top investors and visionaries.
This is your chance to pitch LIVE to power players — including SHOPLINE and Pegasus Angel Accelerator — and capture the attention of top decision-makers.
Deadline Approaching Fast (October 16th): Apply now for a shot at $200,000 investment.
This isn’t about ads, press releases, or going viral. Early traction is about earned trust and focused momentum. You don’t need a crowd—you need a core group of people who care enough to use your product and tell others.
Here’s how to turn your network, communities, and channels into a flywheel.
Start With Your Network—It’s Your First Traction Channel
Don’t overlook the obvious: your LinkedIn DMs, old coworkers, founder Slack groups, alumni circles.
Warm intros convert better than cold ads. Your first 5–10 customers might already know you, but they need to hear:
What you’re building
Why now
How they can help (feedback, a pilot, an intro)
Be direct, personal, and clear about the ask. Relationships beat reach at this stage.
Embed in Communities, Don’t Just Broadcast
Your target audience already hangs out somewhere. Find it. Show up. Add value.
Healthcare? Subreddits, Facebook groups, or Slack channels for physicians.
Climate tech? Twitter/X circles, LinkedIn thought leaders, climate accelerators.
Developers? Dev.to, Hacker News, r/Programming, Discord servers.
DTC? Shopify community, TikTok, founder forums.
Lurk first. Learn the language. Then participate with insight, not sales copy. If people see you as part of the community, they will likely try your product.
Nail Your Story Before You Scale Anything
People don’t share “features.” They share stories. Your narrative needs to be clear and sticky.
What’s the pain? Describe it in visceral, customer-first language.
What’s your solution? And why does it matter right now?
Why you? Tell your origin story. Be real, not polished.
You’re not just selling a tool. You’re offering a shortcut, an advantage, or a better way to live or work.
How to Pick the Right Traction Channels
Not all traction channels are created equal. Here’s how to pick the right ones based on your audience, product type, and stage.
🔍 Ask These Questions:
Where does my target customer already spend time online?
Do I have the content, credibility, or relationships to break through on this channel?
Does this channel give me fast feedback?
Can I measure performance quickly and cheaply?
Can this scale, or is it just for the first 100 users?
Product Type & Suggested Channels
B2B SaaS: Cold email, LinkedIn, niche Slack groups, webinars
Consumer Social: TikTok, Twitter/X, Product Hunt, pre-launch waitlists
Dev tools / infra: Hacker News, GitHub, Reddit, founder Discords
Marketplaces: SEO, partner integrations, influencer UGC
Health / Climate: Thought leadership on LinkedIn, podcasts, trade groups
Example Breakdown:
Startup: Pre-seed AI productivity tool for lawyers
Wrong channels: TikTok, Instagram
Right channels: LinkedIn posts + cold emails to law firm partners + webinars for legal tech groups
Startup: Chrome extension for ecommerce founders
Wrong channels: Google Ads
Right channels: Shopify forums + YouTube demos + affiliate newsletters
Startup: B2B SaaS for HR managers
Wrong channels: Twitter/X
Right channels: LinkedIn thought leadership + outbound email to People Ops teams + guest articles on HR blogs
Run Experiments—Not Just Campaigns
Once you’ve picked 2–3 logical traction channels, test them intentionally:
Run small, cheap campaigns (e.g. 100 cold emails, one guest post, 2 landing pages)
Track what converts—not clicks, but actions
Kill what doesn’t work fast
Double down on what does, and refine it
Use A/B testing to experiment on:
Messaging (“Get your time back” vs. “Close deals faster”)
CTA positioning
Subject lines / thumbnails
Offer formats (demo, free trial, lead magnet)
Build Buzz—From the Inside Out
Traction isn’t just about acquisition. It’s about attention. Start small, then amplify:
Share milestones: first customer, launch day, new feature
Highlight early adopters (tag them, show their feedback)
Post on socials—but also engage in DMs and comments
Reach out to micro-influencers in your niche, not mega accounts
Write blog posts that solve a problem, not just tell your story
Iterate Like Your Life Depends on It (Because It Does)
Feedback is your most valuable currency. Get it constantly:
Jump on Zoom calls
Watch onboarding behavior with tools like Hotjar or PostHog
Ask churned users why they left
Then act.
Tighten messaging
Fix activation leaks
Kill channels that aren’t producing ROI
And don’t forget to celebrate the wins—early traction is hard-earned.
TL;DR: Picking Channels is About Fit, Not FOMO
You don’t need every channel to work. You need one channel to work, once, just enough to find your early adopters.
So start small. Stay focused. And treat traction like a science, not a wish.
Learn More
Visit us at pegasusangelaccelerator.com
For Aspiring Investors
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For Founders
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Our highly selective, 12-week, remote-first accelerator is designed to help early-stage startups raise capital, scale quickly, and expand their networks. We invest $100K and provide direct access to 850+ mentors, strategic partners, and invaluable industry connections.
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