Paid Acquisition Playbook for AI/ML (Pre-Seed Stage)
Step-by-step paid acquisition playbook for AI/ML companies at Pre-Seed. Team: 1-3 people, budget: $0-50K. Implementation steps, KPIs, and expert guidance.
Timeline: 2-4 months
Prerequisites
- ✓ Working MVP with users
- ✓ Analytics infrastructure
- ✓ Team capacity for 2-4 months execution
Step-by-Step Guide
Discovery & Audit phase for paid acquisition in ai-ml. Focus on understanding the landscape and planning.
Strategy Design phase for paid acquisition in ai-ml. Focus on understanding the landscape and planning.
Initial Implementation phase for paid acquisition in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Measurement Setup phase for paid acquisition in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Optimization Cycle phase for paid acquisition in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Scale & Systematize phase for paid acquisition in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Expected Outcomes
- ✓ Validated paid acquisition as channel for AI/ML
- ✓ Baseline KPIs established
- ✓ Repeatable process documented
KPIs to Track
- ● Conversion Rate
- ● Quality Score
- ● Ad Relevance Score
- ● CAC by Channel
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Ehsan's Growth Commentary
In my experience advising AI/ML companies, Paid Acquisition at Pre-Seed is often premature but never too early to experiment with. The mistake is treating it as a project rather than a process. Run one experiment per week, measure ruthlessly.
AI/ML companies at Pre-Seed should allocate 15-25% of growth budget to Paid Acquisition. Track weekly, evaluate monthly, pivot quarterly. The winning rhythm is 2-week sprints with clear hypotheses.
Ehsan Jahandarpour
AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO
Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council