Go-To-Market for Voice AI: Why Distribution Wins

You built a great Voice AI product.

First—congratulations.

Now Comes the Hard Part.

If you’ve built a Voice AI product that actually works, you’ve already beaten the odds. Most teams don’t even get that far.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth I shared at TEM:

• ‍Great products don’t win.
• Distribution does.

And for most GenAI startups, this is where things quietly fall apart.

The Illusion of “Just Do More GTM”

When founders ask “How do we get customers?”, the answers usually sound like this:

• Build an amazing website
• Run cold emails
• Use AI to write better cold emails
• Post on LinkedIn 
• Use AI to post on LinkedIn
• Cold call
• Use Voice AI for cold calls
• Do SEO
• Do GEO or AI SEO

On paper, this looks like motion.

In reality, this is where many startups hit “Shut shop” mode.

This is not because these tactics don’t work.
It’s because everyone is doing them.

And your ICP is tired of it.

Why Founders Are Stuck in GTM Limbo

Let me introduce you to your buyer.

At TEM, I showed a slide with Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Swiggy — not because you’ll sell to him tomorrow, but because he represents your real ICP mindset.

Here’s what leaders like him are saying about GenAI tools today:

“There are hundreds of producers of GenAI tools.
I don’t think winners are visible at all right now.
It’s difficult—maybe not even prudent—to do long-term contracts.”

This single quote explains why demos aren’t converting.

Your buyer isn’t evaluating features.
They’re evaluating risk.

So the real question becomes:

How do you go to market when nobody wants to commit?

Instead of Guessing, Let’s Ask Better Teachers

I proposed a simple reset at TEM.

Instead of chasing tactics, let’s ask people who already figured this out.

1. Steve Jobs

He didn’t make Apple the hero.
He made customers the hero.

2. Bhanu

He built dozens of free SaaS tools using Cursor.
They attracted massive traffic.
Only 0.1% converted — and that was enough to build a real business.

3. Ashok

He organized this very TEM event.
He sent a simple invite to a VP at Bajaj Finance.
The reply?

“I couldn’t attend this time — but I will attend the next one.”

No product pitch.
Just relevance and respect.

From these, three GTM ideas consistently emerge.

Killer GTM Idea #1: Make Your Customer the Hero

Most startups say things like:

“Our Voice AI reduced call handling time by 32%.”

Nobody remembers that.

Instead, say:

“How a Head of Ops at a food delivery company slept better after killing 18 call escalations a week.”

Same outcome.
Completely different impact.

Why This Works

• Buyers don’t trust vendor claims
• They trust people like themselves
• Stories reduce perceived risk faster than metrics
  

Actionable Playbook

1. Pick 5 customers (even tiny ones)
2. Do 20-minute recorded calls
   
   • What sucked before?
   • What made the switch worth it?
   • What surprised you?
     
3. Turn each conversation into:
   
   • 1 LinkedIn post (customer POV)
   • 1 landing page section
   • 1 sales email opener

Your product becomes invisible.
Your customer becomes unforgettable.

Killer GTM Idea #2: Build a Free Tool That Sells for You

Here’s a hard truth:

Nobody wants demos.
Everybody wants problems solved.

The fastest-growing GenAI companies aren’t selling harder.
They’re giving away value first.

Examples I shared:

• Upload 10 call recordings → get a Call Quality Scorecard
• Record a sales call → see Objection Handling Gaps
• Enter a recipe in English → get audio instructions in Kannada

These tools don’t “market”.

They:

• Build trust instantly
• Create inbound distribution
• Sell silently

Your paid product becomes the obvious next step.

Killer GTM Idea #3: Create Reciprocity (Not Funnels)

In noisy markets, people don’t buy.

They reciprocate.

Instead of:

“Book a demo”

Try:

• Closed-door roundtable:
  “Why Voice AI pilots fail after 90 days”
• Invite:
  
  • 8 Heads of CX / Ops
  • 0 sales decks
  • 1 strong POV

The Reciprocity Playbook

1. Pick a sharp, uncomfortable topic
2. Invite 10 → accept 6
3. 90 minutes of honest exchange
4. Follow it with dinner
5. Founder moderates — doesn’t sell
6. After the event:
   
   • Send highlights
   • 1:1 conversations happen naturally
     

The best follow-up question?

“When’s the next one?”

That’s real GTM.

The Pattern Behind All Three Ideas

If you zoom out, everything reduces to three principles:

1. Celebrate your customer
2. Deliver free value
   
3. Create genuine reciprocity
   

No funnels.
No growth hacks.
No “AI-powered” noise.

Just service.

Final Thought

We’re living in a world flooded with tools.

The startups that win won’t be the loudest.

They’ll be the ones that serve first.

That’s how you stand out.

That’s how you become out-standing.