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Hello and welcome back, we are now on the 156th edition of Fresh Salmon, your go-to B2B marketing newsletter, which is read by 4,000 founders, marketers, sales professionals, and product managers, across the world.

Let’s dive in today’s edition.

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The Shift: Why Building Products is No Longer the Hard Part

Something interesting is happening. As AI and machine learning (especially Large Language Models) get better, the game is changing fast. Building products—once the most time-consuming and expensive part of starting a company—is getting easier than ever.

Think about it. Before AI became mainstream (before OpenAI changed the game), startups relied heavily on incubators and venture funds to help with product validation, development, and infrastructure. That was the value these institutions provided.

But now? AI is automating a huge chunk of that work. The real challenge isn’t product development anymore. It’s distribution.

The Real Moat: Distribution, Not Just Product

The next generation of successful incubators, venture funds, and accelerators will be the ones that crack the distribution code. Building a great product isn’t enough anymore. If you can’t get it in front of the right people, it doesn’t matter.

And here’s the kicker: No incubator has truly figured out distribution at scale yet.

But it’s possible. And I’ll tell you how.

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The New Power Play: Owning the Audience

In this new era, the real power will belong to those who own the audience.
Why? Because audience = distribution. And distribution is what startups need the most to survive.

The easiest way to do this? Become a media company.

Imagine if an incubator like Y Combinator didn’t just invest in companies but also built a massive media arm that spoke directly to the customers their portfolio companies serve.

• Create episodic content (podcasts, newsletters, YouTube series)

• Build a loyal following around that media

• Use that audience to launch products faster with built-in validation

Now, every time a new startup emerges from their program, there’s already an engaged, ready-to-buy audience waiting.

Messaging? Validated.
Product-market fit? Easier to test.
Commercialization and pricing? Faster feedback loops.

That’s the moat of the future.

The Only Way to Build & Retain an Audience? Content.

Here’s the truth: Owning an audience isn’t about paid ads. It’s about content.
And not just any content—edutainment and media-driven content.

• People have short attention spans

• They need content that’s educational, engaging, and entertaining

• That’s the only way to capture and keep their attention

And attention is the real currency in today’s market.

Meet our secondary partner for today’s edition: The Rundown AI. Check them out 👇👇

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The Incubators of the Future = Media Companies

The incubators, accelerators, and VC firms that master distribution will:
✅ Help startups go to market faster
✅ Commercialize new products with built-in demand
✅ Create the ultimate competitive advantage

And that’s the secret. The real moat isn’t just money or connections. It’s owning distribution through content and media.

Final Thought: Who Will Crack the Code?

As of now, no one has completely figured this out.
But it’s only a matter of time.

The big question: Which incubator, accelerator, or VC firm will become the first true media powerhouse? (Btw, I do think az16 and NFX are doing a great job building their media arms).

Whoever does… will win. Big.

Interesting Thing That I Read This Week

After running many many podcasts, and now running my own podcast network under TopHealth, I can confirm that having consistent hosts result in better show affinity than having a new guest every episode. People crave consistency across the show.

Tweet That I Posted This Week

This concludes this edition of Fresh Salmon. And….

Do what is good for your soul ❤️

All the best,

Vivek

PS. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways in which I can help you and your business:

#1: B2B Marketing Consulting and Go-To-Market Advisory for your business.

#2: 1-on-1 Personal Coaching and Mentoring on anything related to Marketing and Go-To-Market Strategies for you.

#3: Promoting you or your brand via this newsletter.

For any of these things just shoot me a reply, and we will arrange a time to chat.