From Funnel to Flywheel: Rethinking Customer Journeys in a Model-First World
Key Points
Traditional marketing funnels no longer reflect how customers discover or decide in AI-powered platforms.
Generative engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini synthesize across contexts, not steps — making the customer journey nonlinear and memory-driven.
A flywheel model powered by content density, semantic clarity, and strategic repetition is more effective for earning model references and brand recall.
Startups have a unique opportunity to architect customer journeys that reinforce model memory, not just guide user behavior.
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The Funnel is Flat
The funnel was simple. It gave marketers a clean structure: move people from awareness to consideration, then conversion. It was sequential. Predictable. Optimizable. (And suited for SEO strategy).
But it was built for a world of browsers and behavior tracking — not for models that reason, respond, and remember.
In 2025, your customer may not “start” at the top of a funnel at all. They might meet your brand in an AI-generated answer. Or a voice response from Siri. Or a contextual suggestion inside Perplexity.
The new journey isn’t a funnel — it’s a flywheel.
From Steps to Spins: Why the Model Changes the Map
Large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4o or Claude don’t serve up a list of links. They synthesize information, remember context, and shape outputs based on recurring associations.
That means:
There's no fixed “awareness” stage. It might be skipped entirely if your brand shows up in a direct answer.
There’s no reliable user path. Models may route a user from a competitor to you based on phrasing, not page rank.
The user isn't moving down a pipeline — the model is revisiting and reassembling touchpoints dynamically.
To succeed, your brand has to stay in the conversation — literally and algorithmically.
A New Vision of Prospect Journeys
Introducing the AI-Powered Flywheel
A flywheel doesn't move in a straight line. It builds momentum, reinforced by feedback loops.
In a generative environment, your flywheel might look like this:
Initial Mention
You appear in a model-generated answer, prompt, or summary.
Reinforcement
The model sees your brand in related content, FAQs, or authoritative sources.
Recall & Reference
You get cited again in similar queries — the model begins to “trust” your relevance.
User Engagement
A user clicks, learns, or asks more — further training the model that your brand is helpful.
Feedback Loop
New mentions, queries, and citations create a memory layer the model reuses.
It’s less about moving people through a funnel — and more about feeding the engine that shapes perception.
Building a Model-First Flywheel
1. Optimize for Model Memory
Use consistent naming, semantic signals, and structured language
Include your brand in summary sections, headers, and quoted statements
Contribute to trusted domains and frequently crawled sources
2. Shift from Funnels to Surface Area
Create content across multiple verticals: thought leadership, technical explainers, definitions, FAQs
Repurpose core ideas in ways that feel fresh but reinforce core associations
Map not just user journeys, but model citation paths
3. Design for Generative Touchpoints
Treat each LLM interaction as a potential entry point
Craft content that answers questions well: clearly, contextually, and with authority
Use phrases like “in summary,” “key takeaways,” or “definition” — models love them
4. Monitor and Adapt
Use tools like Ahrefs’ Brand Radar or Profound to see where and how your brand is cited
Track reference rate — the frequency with which your brand appears in model outputs — not just traffic or rankings
Adjust tone and structure based on how models paraphrase or reuse your content
What This Means for Startups
Funnels depend on budget. Flywheels depend on resonance.
That’s good news for startups. With fewer resources but greater speed, you can build a GEO-optimized content ecosystem faster than slower-moving competitors. While others optimize for pipelines, you’re shaping perception in the model layer — the future of search, discovery, and trust.
In an AI-first world, your competitive advantage is this:
You’re not just trying to convert customers. You’re trying to train the model to remember you.
Conclusion: The Journey Has Changed — Have You?
The funnel gave us structure. The flywheel gives us momentum.
In a world where AI guides discovery, your marketing isn’t just about leading users through steps. It’s about becoming the answer the model wants to give — over and over again.
Start building your flywheel. Start shaping the model’s mind.
