Introduction

Growth is getting harder as ads, SEO, and social stop working. This article explains why trust is now the real driver of growth.

What's the problem it solves?

Old growth channels are breaking. AI makes products easy to copy, ads expensive, and traffic harder to control. Companies that rely on being cheaper or faster lose fast. The article explains why trust is the only thing that still works and how to build it.

Quick Summary

Elena Verna argues that growth is no longer a channel problem. It is a trust problem. AI has raised user expectations, killed easy distribution, and turned most features into commodities.

SEO, paid ads, and brand social posts are losing power. People now get answers from AI tools and trust real humans more than companies. What works better is employee-led content, creators who truly use the product, and strong user communities that share real stories.

Retention is also under threat. If your product only saves time or money, AI will beat you. Users stay with products they trust to keep improving. That trust comes from clear roadmaps, fast feedback loops, great product moments, honest communication, and pricing tied to real results.

Key Takeaways

• AI is breaking both acquisition and retention
• Features, speed, and low price are no longer enough
• People trust people more than brands
• Community and word of mouth matter more than ads
• Product experience is now the main brand signal
• Trust compounds and is hard to copy

What to do

• Let founders and employees share real work in public
• Partner only with creators who truly fit your users
• Build communities where users help each other
• Share real product roadmaps and explain decisions
• Ship small updates fast and often
• Design product moments that feel thoughtful and human
• Align pricing with customer success, not usage alone
• Break silos between product, marketing, and success teams

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