Case Study

Digital Culturist — 0→1 Go-to-Market for an AI Consumer Product

Building the GTM strategy, beta community, and CRM infrastructure for an AI-powered cultural research tool — from concept to 150+ members in 7 days

Digital Culturist · Online & IRL - Marketing & Community · 2025–Present

150+

Beta members in 7 days, organic only

Paid acquisition spend

Q1 2026

Product launch target

The Product

An AI tool for the people who see patterns before anyone else.

Digital Culturist, created by strategist Carissa Estreller, solves a problem every cultural researcher knows intimately: the scattered mess of screenshots, bookmarks, saved TikToks, and half-formed observations that never get organized into actual insight. The platform lets users upload cultural fragments — screenshots, quotes, articles, memes — alongside personal notes about why each piece matters, then uses AI to identify thematic clusters and surface patterns.

Digital Culturist interface — Ready to curate the internet?

The Approach

Community-first GTM from concept through beta.

Led full go-to-market strategy from concept through MVP, defining positioning, audience segmentation, and channel strategy for a product that didn't fit existing categories
Built beta acquisition strategy using organic community channels only — Substack, private Slack, and word-of-mouth within strategist and cultural research networks
Designed the beta community program with monthly virtual meetups, product previews, direct feedback sessions, and early testing access
Ran product reveal events to generate momentum and convert curiosity into committed beta signups
Closed user feedback loops so Carissa could iterate the product based on real practitioner needs, not assumptions

The Results

150+ beta members. 7 days. Zero dollars.

Grew beta community to 150+ members in 7 days through organic channels only
Established repeatable community-led acquisition framework for ongoing growth
Built CRM and email infrastructure that scales with user base from day one
Created a beta community with active Slack engagement, monthly meetups, and direct product influence
Product on track for Q1 2026 launch with a built-in audience of founding members

What I Did

Fractional CMO — full-stack GTM.

Go-to-market strategy and sequencing
Brand positioning and messaging
Beta community design and management
CRM architecture (HubSpot) and email onboarding flows
Product reveal event strategy
User feedback loop design