Lomit Patel

Chief Marketing & Growth Officer | Author | Startup Advisor | ex Roku, IMVU, Texture

Accomplished Executive with 20+ years of proven success leading full-funnel growth and marketing for high-growth, disruptive tech startups, including Roku, IMVU, Texture, TrustedID, and Tynker.

I'm an expert in leveraging AI/automation, customer marketing funnel optimization, and strategic leadership to drive exponential revenue, user acquisition, and market share. I'm also the author of "Lean AI," a bestselling AI growth marketing playbook used by startups, and part of Eric Ries's "The Lean Startup" series.

- Scaled revenue from $1M to $100M+, achieving hypergrowth & market leadership at efficient CAC/ROI
- 5 consecutive years of record-breaking growth at IMVU, elevating it to the #2 highest-grossing gaming app
- Key role in 4 startup exits: Roku (IPO), Texture (Apple), TrustedID (Equifax), Tynker (Divestiture)
- Managed $50M+ in annual marketing spend, optimizing full-funnel strategies for maximum efficiency and ROI
- Led new blockchain/crypto marketing strategy & GTM launches for NFTs, digital currencies, & tokens
- Built and led high-performing hybrid and remote growth & marketing teams of 20+ individuals 


Views are my own, not those of past or current employers.

Chief Marketing & Growth Officer

Manage the growth and marketing teams (user acquisition, engagement, retention, monetization), including budgets, strategy, channels, branding, PR, research, and data analytics.

👉 The Affordability Crisis Just Rendered Your Loyalty Program Obsolete.


With inflation and economic uncertainty, customers are becoming ruthlessly price-sensitive. If your retention strategy still relies on generic, high-cost discount programs ("Spend $100, get $5 in points"), you are training your users to love the discount, not the brand. This transactional relationship is a financial drain and will fail under pressure.

The old model of simply outspending the competition on Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is dead. The only way to achieve sustainable, crisis-proof growth is through an aggressive, strategic pivot to efficient retention.

The Solution: AI-Powered Customer Loyalty

As an expert of scaling companies like Roku and IMVU, I believe the current economic environment demands a shift from reactive loyalty to proactive, predictive retention using Lean AI. We must stop rewarding customers who would have purchased anyway and focus resources on those at risk.

The AI Advantage is Clear:

- Prediction over Points: Machine learning models calculate a real-time Propensity-to-Churn Score for every user.

- Hyper-Personalized Value: When a user crosses the churn threshold, AI triggers a customized value proposition (e.g., exclusive access, premium service, or a targeted cash-equivalent reward)—maximizing LTV while minimizing the Cost of Retention.

This approach transforms a lost customer into a highly profitable, re-engaged super-fan.

A Roadmap for Growth Leaders: Four Pillars of AI Retention

In my new article, I outline the non-negotiable strategy for building this efficient retention engine:

1. Build a Unified Customer Data Platform (CDP): AI is only as good as the clean, 360-degree data fueling it.

2. Product-Led Retention: Use AI to accelerate the "Aha!" moment during onboarding.

3. Continuous Automation: Automate experimentation to find the optimal reward, incentive, and timing.

4. Prioritize Exclusive Access: Build an emotional moat through community and VIP experiences, not just just price cuts.

The companies that survive and dominate the next decade are the ones that strategically deploy AI to build unshakeable, hyper-personalized relationships.

Read the full analysis and technical roadmap here: 👇

I am an experienced marketing and growth leader, having scaled venture-backed hyper-growth startups such as Tynker, Roku, IMVU, Texture, and TrustedID. I'm also a well-known public speaker, advisor, Forbes Council Member, and the author of "Lean AI," which is a bestseller in "The Lean Startup" series by Eric Ries.

____________________________________
My posts are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my current, past, or future employers.

Chief Growth & Marketing Officer | Author | Advisor | 4X Startup Exits | ex Roku, IMVU, Texture

Paying high customer acquisition costs (CAC) is no longer sustainable. The $19 billion TikTok Shop story highlights that traditional search and paid intent models are becoming obsolete. Competing with an algorithmic discovery engine by simply increasing ad spend is not the answer.

In my latest article, I analyze the #ECommerce Death Spiral and present a sustainable solution: building an Autonomous #Marketing machine powered by Community-Led Growth (CLG). This Lean #AI strategy is designed to help you win unpaid traffic and eliminate high CAC for good.

Discover the full strategy and learn how to construct your marketing engine.👇

Thanksgiving feels different this year — and so does holiday shopping.


According to the latest PwC survey, overall holiday-gift spend is rising — not falling. Average spend per shopper is now projected at $770, up 7% since June. 

Meanwhile, two of the biggest spenders? Gen Z and Baby Boomers: Gen Z up to ~$622 on average, Boomers at ~$858. 

What does that mean?
- Spending habits are flipping — younger and older generations are leaning in, while Millennials and Gen X are tightening belts. 

- This could reshape what “holiday shopping season” really means — it’s not just about bargains, but about values, sentiment, and generational shift.

- For marketers and founders, this is a timely signal: if you build holiday promos or growth strategies around Gen Z and Boomers this season, you’re playing to two surging audiences.

As you gather today — with friends, family or loved ones — take a moment to think about who actually buys gifts this year. Because in 2025, it’s not what you expect.

Happy Thanksgiving. 🙏

https://lnkd.in/g6EGN8Xt

🛑 Stop Calling Gen Z a "Riddle." It's a Mirror.


Consultants love to call Gen Z a "paradox"—digital yet drawn to stores, brand-aware yet quick to switch to private label. As the RetailWire discussion points out, this isn't confusion. It's the birth of the Informed Consumer.

#GenZ isn't a puzzle we need to "crack." They are simply acting rationally in a transparent market. They are holding our business models—built for pre-digital, captive audiences—accountable.

The true question isn't "What does Gen Z want?" but: "How must we rebuild our operations for an era of radical transparency and informed choice?"

The solution requires a Lean AI approach, shifting focus from #marketing manipulation to Operational Integrity.

3 Shifts to Compete in the Informed Consumer Age:

1. Data Strategy: From Personalized Persuasion to Operational Service. Use AI to drive supply chain efficiency and pricing integrity, not just hyper-targeted ads. Earn loyalty by delivering better value, faster.

2. Loyalty Model: From Habitual Acceptance to Performance-Based Loyalty. Since 81% of Gen Z changes decisions based on reputation, every touchpoint—from store experience to ethical sourcing—must perform flawlessly.

3. Investment Focus: From Frontend Gimmicks to Invisible Infrastructure. The winning brands are investing in technology that enables transparency and speed—the stuff the consumer sees indirectly through lower prices and clear value.

👉 The brands that thrive won’t be the ones that "solve" Gen Z. They will be the ones that evolve their entire organization to serve the informed consumer that ALL of us are quickly becoming.

What do you think? Are you investing in the right operational areas, or are you still trying to solve a ghost riddle?

Quitting Isn’t Failing — It Can Be Your Superpower


I read a story this week that resonated with me. After nearly 20 years at Google, Jenny Wood made the choice to quit—not impulsively, but with spreadsheets, risk analysis, and a careful plan. 

Driving home after her final day, she nearly fell asleep at the wheel, exhausted from work and from weighing every possible outcome. She left a secure, high-status role for uncertainty—and she has no regret

Her story extends beyond Big Tech; it reflects a broader shift where people are rethinking what success truly means. Burnout, mental load, and the search for purpose are prompting skilled professionals to realize that leaving a “dream job” can be a strategic move.

Here’s what intentional quitting teaches us:

- Quitting is career design, not failure. Thoughtful exits require assessing finances, mental bandwidth, network support, and next steps. It’s not running away; it’s trading comfort for alignment with your values.
  
- Preparation creates freedom. Jenny’s spreadsheet wasn’t obsessive; it was empowering. Planning your risks, options, and allies unlocks opportunities rather than limiting them.

- Success isn’t linear. Salary, title, and perks aren’t enough anymore. Real success is measured by impact, autonomy, and well-being. Sometimes walking away is the conscious step toward a fuller life.

In my career leading growth and marketing for startups and tech companies, I’ve witnessed this tension firsthand: individuals who can scale products and teams yet feel trapped by prestige and expectation. 

The challenge—and opportunity—is recognizing that real growth often begins when we have the courage to leave, as our identity is more than just a job title.

- Quitting thoughtfully = career design
- Planning your exit = freedom
- Growth starts when you dare to leave

Quitting well isn’t easy, but it’s transformative. It reminds us that our careers are only one part of who we are—and that stepping into the unknown can sometimes be the clearest path to fulfillment.

Thanks you Jane Zhang at Business Insider  for sharing this story. 

https://lnkd.in/dZdnaJzz

Gen Z Austerity isn't a Budget Problem. It’s the Death of Transactional Loyalty.


The The Wall Street Journal story highlights a significant trend: Gen Z is cutting holiday spending by 34%. This shift is not solely due to high rent and debt; it serves as a clear indication that the traditional Customer Acquisition model is failing. 

We're wasting billions on chasing transactions. If consumer spending is constrained, expensive social media ads will not yield results. 

The future of retail growth must transition from Costly Transactions to Quantifiable Relationships. This is the Zero CAC challenge, and the solution lies not in cutting ad spend but in transforming our growth strategies.

Here is the three-part shift that Gen Z’s austerity demands:

1. The Loyalty AI Mandate  
We must leverage AI not just to optimize ad spend but to predict and reward Relationship Value. The next generation of loyalty should focus on rewarding non-purchase behaviors—such as providing feedback, co-creating content, and generating organic buzz—before any dollar is spent. This approach will help build a customer lifetime value that can endure economic downturns.

2. The Community Commerce Flywheel  
Gen Z may be frugal, but they are also vocal. They engage in communities like Discord, Reddit, and TikTok. The most effective brands are using platforms like Try Your Best (TYB) to quantify and incentivize this engagement. Instead of merely selling to them, brands should recruit these consumers as high-ROI co-creators. This strategy reduces reliance on paid channels and fosters Zero CAC loyalty.

3. Purpose as a Growth Lever  
With every purchase under scrutiny, the "why" must outweigh the "cost." Brands need Lean Growth strategies that demonstrate their value beyond mere discounts. Gen Z prioritizes experiences, sustainability, and authenticity—these are the new performance metrics that influence their limited spending.

The $2 trillion in Gen Z spending power is on the horizon. The key question is not whether they will spend, but which brands will have earned the right to ask for their money?

https://lnkd.in/gwGVfPR8

John Tomase, thanks for sharing this insightful post about how Gen Z austerity has long-term retail ramifications.

At 17, Lily Balaisis is doing what most of us only dream about—building a fast-growing clothing brand, Pink Palm Puff, all while still in school 👕.


On the Well Spent podcast, she breaks down how she launched her company, balances homework with hoodies, and why young people love cozy streetwear.

What stands out? It’s not just hustle—it’s clarity of vision, deep audience understanding, and a community that genuinely connects with her brand. 

Pink Palm Puff’s rise shows how visionary leadership + authentic connection can turn a simple hoodie into a cultural signal.

Lily proves that age isn’t a barrier. Gen Z isn’t just consuming trends—they’re creating culture.

If you’re building, mentoring, or investing in young talent, her story is worth your time.👇

#GenZEntrepreneurs #FashionStartup

Goodwill’s Retail Glow-Up: Lessons in Brand Reinvention for 2025


When we think of Goodwill, we often picture cramped aisles, overflowing bins, and the smell of musty secondhand clothing. Today, those images are outdated. 

Last year, Goodwill shoppers spent a record $5.5 billion at North American stores — a 37% increase from the previous high in 2019. And the organization opened 42 net-new stores.

What changed? Goodwill didn’t just renovate buildings — it reinvented its retail model. Bigger, brighter stores in affluent neighborhoods, signature scents, organized displays, and even TikTok influencer campaigns are transforming the way people perceive thrift shopping. 

Younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, are flocking in, drawn by sustainability, bargains, and a modernized experience.

As marketers and growth leaders, there’s a lesson here that extends beyond thrift retail: experience, context, and perception drive behavior as much as product or price. 

Goodwill didn’t simply rely on altruism or charity awareness — it optimized for shopper delight while keeping its mission front and center.

Three key takeaways for brands:

1. Experience is the new loyalty. Modern shoppers will pay attention to how your brand feels, from store layout to digital interaction. Delight them at every touchpoint.

2. Location and accessibility matter. Strategic placement, whether physical or digital, ensures the right audience discovers your value.

3. Purpose plus performance wins. Goodwill proves that mission-driven brands can thrive commercially when operational execution matches their social impact.

In an age where legacy brands struggle to remain relevant, Goodwill’s transformation is a blueprint: combine data-driven strategy, customer-centric design, and mission-led storytelling to generate growth — and social impact.

For anyone navigating retail, e-commerce, or consumer growth in 2025, the message is clear: modernize the experience, respect the mission, and watch engagement and revenue soar.

https://lnkd.in/gRUm9Ysn

After Micah’s post about his layoff experience went viral on LinkedIn, I reached out to dig deeper. 


What followed wasn’t an interview—it was a true collaboration rooted in thoughtful questions and vulnerable, honest answers. Together, we surfaced insights neither of us could have created alone.

Here’s what stood out most from Micah’s 48-hour “identity free fall”:

- Stop trying to fix the moment. Feel your way back.
- Don’t sand down your edges—your boldness is leverage.
- Your story matters more than your résumé. Make it unmistakable.

Layoffs don’t erase who you are; they reveal what’s real.

And the right next opportunity will want the version of you that isn’t hiding.

If this resonates, consider tagging someone who might need to hear it today.

If your Meta ads are underperforming, it’s not your targeting. It’s your creative—because Andromeda just rewrote the rules.👇 


Most marketers still think the solution is better audiences, better bidding, or better campaign structure. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Micro-targeting is dead.
Andromeda’s AI ignores narrow interest stacks and outdated segmentation models. Your “perfect audience setup” doesn’t matter anymore.

Now creative is targeting.
Meta’s AI decides who sees your ad based on the signals inside the creative—tone, visuals, energy, authenticity.

If your creative doesn’t signal the right audience, nothing else you do will save the campaign.

This is the shift almost no one is prepared for:

Audience segmentation → Creative velocity.

The brands winning right now aren’t the ones with the best media buyers.
They’re the ones with the fastest, most authentic UGC engine.

And that’s why platforms like Try Your Best (TYB) are taking off. We help brands turn their real fans into a scalable creative workforce so Meta’s AI always has the right content to optimize against.

TYB helps brands:
- Find their true advocates
- Motivate them to create at volume
- Feed winning UGC straight into broad campaigns Andromeda loves

The result?
More authentic signals → Faster learning → Higher ROAS.

Here’s the punchline:
If you don’t have a UGC supply chain, you don’t have a Meta strategy anymore.
So let me ask you—because this always sparks a heated debate:

What’s the real reason your brand isn’t producing 10x more authentic UGC every month?

U.S. creator ad spend is projected to reach $37 billion by 2025, growing four times faster than the overall media industry.


From my perspective in growth and marketing, this shift indicates that brands are no longer viewing creators as a mere experiment; they are now seen as a core channel rather than just a “nice-to-have.” 

According to IAB, mid-tier creators (50K–500K followers) are at the forefront of this movement, effectively balancing reach with genuine engagement.

AI is significantly influencing this landscape, with approximately 75% of brands either currently using or planning to use AI for ideation, editing, briefs, and optimization, as reported by Business Insider. 

For growth teams, startups, and CMOs, not incorporating a creator strategy means missing out on a substantial lever for brand-building and performance. Creators are being utilized throughout the entire funnel, not just for awareness, as highlighted by PR Newswire. 

However, scaling creator programs presents challenges, including fragmentation, vetting, measurement, and ensuring creator-brand fit, as noted by Marketing Dive. While AI can enhance the process, it cannot replace the need for authenticity in creator relationships.

As we invest in growth for the next wave, I believe that creator-driven marketing is mission-critical. For those building a brand or growing a product, strategically engaging with this economy will be a defining factor. 

I would love to hear from founders, marketers, or executives: how significant is the creator channel in your playbook for 2026?👇  

https://lnkd.in/d9qkjBpD

The Unbreakable Grip: Insights from Pew Research on Network Effects for Growth Leaders


Pew Research Center Research released new data that serves as a crucial reminder for anyone involved in building or scaling platforms in 2025. Despite significant investments and changes, Meta's Threads has made little impact on X, which maintains a U.S. adult usage rate of 21%, down just two points from 2021, while Threads sits at a mere 8%.

The reality is that while you can out-feature, out-market, and out-spend a competitor, you cannot out-resource a mature network effect.

Understanding Why X Remains Stable

This situation transcends politics or moderation; it is fundamentally about platform dynamics. A deeply entrenched network effect becomes self-reinforcing. Even if user sentiment declines, they remain engaged because:

- Their audience is present
- Their communities are established
- Real-time conversations are happening

Switching platforms is not merely a user experience decision; it’s a decision tied to social identity.

Key Lessons Learned

1: Disruption Is More Expensive Than You Think 

Threads had ideal distribution, impressive onboarding, and significant hype, yet it failed to significantly impact X's user base. The cost of persuading users to shift their networks is much higher than simply getting them to try a new application. Features alone will not suffice; community migration is essential, and that is the most challenging aspect to engineer.

2: Growth-Oriented Network Effects Win  

While X's growth remains stagnant, other platforms are thriving:  
- Instagram: 40% → 50%  
- TikTok: 21% → 37%  
- Reddit: 18% → 26%  

These platforms effectively amplify their network effects through AI-powered content loops, deep community utility, and hyper-personalized feeds. They not only maintain their network effects but also compound them.

3: The $1,000,000 Retention Strategy
Once you hit escape velocity, the network effect becomes your cheapest retention engine.

But to reach that point — and stay there — your product must deliver clear value every time.

That’s the core idea behind Lean AI:
Make your product more indispensable with every interaction.
Don’t bet on a competitor failing.
Earn your loyalty.
Engineer your stickiness.

What does this Pew data tell you about the state of network effects in 2025? Let me know your take.

https://lnkd.in/gTi5pQYx

TikTok Shop matched eBay’s quarterly sales scale in just two years. But #CMOs, the lesson here isn't social commerce. It's that the Search & Intent model (Amazon/eBay) is fundamentally inefficient against Algorithmic Discovery (TikTok). Read my full breakdown here 👇

The Real Secret: Zero-Friction, Algorithmic Acquisition 


Legacy e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay operate on Search and Intent, requiring customers to actively seek out products. Their growth relies on ad auctions. In contrast, TikTok Shop thrives on Discovery and Impulse through the Zero-Click Funnel, leveraging a real-time, self-optimizing AI.

Here’s the new paradigm:

- The AI acts as the Store Manager: The TikTok algorithm functions as a continuously learning, autonomous growth engine, optimizing user attention, content, and conversion simultaneously. It utilizes watch time as a signal for buying intent, bypassing traditional search and explicit queries, embodying the perfect Lean AI system.

- Creators serve as Variable Cost Marketing: The platform outsources promotion to creators, who function as high-converting ad units. Brands face the challenge of developing systems to manage this network effectively.

Community Commerce platforms, such as Try Your Best (TYB), play a crucial role in this landscape. They automate user-generated content (UGC) creation, reward, and deployment, transforming social advocacy into a data-driven, attributable growth channel that supplies the algorithm with high-velocity, authentic content.

- LTV/CAC is Flipped: TikTok's AI reduces Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) to nearly zero by making distribution algorithmic. The AI favors authenticity and engagement, achieving hyper-efficient reach rather than relying solely on the highest bidder.

The Hard Question for Legacy Brands:

If your e-commerce model is still dependent on a static storefront and expensive, intent-based ad spending, you are operating an analog business in an autonomous world.

The message is clear: Don’t just observe the shift. Embrace a Lean AI mindset and develop autonomous systems that can compete with the most aggressive, real-time optimization machine in retail history. The time to establish your own creator-powered, zero-friction system is now. 

Are you building a scalable, measurable UGC pipeline, or are you depending on manual outreach and hope? 👇 

https://lnkd.in/gFazx-3g

John Tomase

The $19B Warning: Traditional Retailers Are Still Fighting the Wrong War.

In response to the seismic shift brought by TikTok Shop, traditional retailers are adapting poorly. Many are making superficial changes—such as creating a few TikTok videos or allocating a small budget for creators—while failing to address the core issue.

The real challenge lies not in video content but in the Algorithmic Discovery Engine that is making traditional search-based storefronts obsolete. 

The Fundamental Flaw in Legacy Retail:
Retailers continue to incur high customer acquisition costs to attract consumers who already know what they want. In contrast, TikTok's AI generates demand and promotes products at no organic cost.

The Only Way to Compete is to Build Your Own Autonomous Engine:
To succeed, retailers must move beyond traditional advertising. They need to create systems that provide the continuous, authentic content that algorithms thrive on.

Winners will be those who:
- Replace Campaigns with Systems: Transition from running ads to developing Community Commerce platforms that reward customers for generating high-quality user-generated content.
- Generate Demand vs. Capture Intent: Shift focus from merely capturing existing intent to leveraging the community for demand generation and viral discovery.

If your growth model still relies on a search bar, you are operating an analog business in an autonomous world. 

What is the single biggest internal barrier—whether technological or cultural—that prevents large retailers from transforming their static storefronts into dynamic, algorithmic discovery models?

Gen Z isn’t just shopping differently — they’re reshaping how brands earn trust and loyalty. This Black Friday data makes it clear: the next generation wants real connection, early access, and communities that feel authentic.

It’s exactly why I’m so excited about what we’re building at TYB helping brands create fan relationships that last longer than any holiday sale.

https://lnkd.in/gNN5fcsS

The 'Founder Mode' Double Standard is Killing Tech Innovation and Why VCs Must Stop It. 


We often celebrate the intense, "in the weeds" leadership style of male founders, labeling them as visionaries. However, when a female founder displays that same drive, she is frequently characterized as "abrasive" or "toxic." This recent controversy highlights a systemic bias that cannot be ignored.

This issue extends beyond fairness; it impacts the bottom line. By penalizing female founders for the ambition we expect from their male counterparts, we are hindering the emergence of the next generation of groundbreaking companies.

It is crucial for VCs and boards to stop evaluating founders based on their likability or gender and instead focus on their results. 

Read my article on why the "Founder Mode" double standard represents one of the most significant self-inflicted wounds in tech today. 👇 

#founders #vc #startups

Jonathan Cheriff, curious to get your take on BFCM.

TYB BFCM Guide

200+ top DTC brands prove one thing: BFCM doesn’t have to be about discounts. 💡


At TYB, we’ve seen the smartest brands turn Black Friday into Community Commerce gold—powered by fan energy, not markdowns.

Here’s how the winners do it:

✅ Priority Access – Early drops for your most loyal fans.

✅ Fan Hype – UGC templates + prompts = authentic buzz before the rush.

✅ Rewards That Stick – Loyalty perks tied to sharing, not just buying.

✅ Fans as Affiliates – Turn superfans into storytellers and earners.

We packed all of this into the Try Your Best (TYB) Community Commerce BFCM Playbook—your blueprint to crush it without cutting prices.

DM me if you want to see how top brands are winning BFCM with their communities—let’s make this holiday season a win for your fans too 🔥

Losing a job isn’t the end of your story — it might be the beginning of something bigger. If you’re feeling lost in the 48-hour free-fall after a layoff, take a breath. This could be your chance to reconnect with who you really are, unleash the version of yourself you’ve been holding back, and write your next chapter.

https://lnkd.in/gn9a4eeh

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