Clout is the strongest currency on social media. You’re either someone or nobody cares.
I’ve been working with over a hundred directors, VPs, and CXOs of small businesses with different backgrounds:
1. Bootstraps – unsung heroes
2. Startups that got acquired by a large corp
3. Founders coming from companies like Salesforce, Google, or top B2B SaaS startups
The first category is grinding hard, as opening doors doesn’t come too easy.
But surprisingly, the offline world is far more receptive: booking podcasts, sponsoring events, securing meetings, organizing business dinners – that’s a fair game everywhere.
Online? Not so much.
Startups acquired by HubSpot, Amazon, Nvidia – magically, calls get returned, email pitches start to flow in, local event orgs get calling. Access to top shots, PR opportunities, intros, networking – that’s going crazy.
Even though you can’t just set up meetings with Bezos or Jassy if your small startup gets acquired!
The third category is actually challenging. Founders coming from top shot companies, spending 5 years in Amazon, 9 years in IBM, 10 years in Coca Cola or 7 years in HubSpot.
As days go by, their clout is fading away. The brand affinity is waning and skills don’t differentiate as much anymore.
Those who make it work tend to focus on two things: existing strong relationships with partners/vendors and/or utilizing the initial traction/backstory to secure contracts or funding.
Some of them have VCs lining up after layoff rounds or just tracking down resignations to use the momentum to fund a new startup. And offers last a few months – but don’t magically accelerate.
So clout means the world on social. Get Elon to post a restroom photo on X and everyone is ecstatic. If Zuck or Mosseri drop a post on a Meta property (or anywhere for that matter), people go wild.
But clout also translates and fades as brand affinity gets detached from the individual.
Asana and Quora were both founded by former Facebook CTOs.
Medium was founded by a Twitter co-founder.
Both networks have strong vibrations based on their initial track record/contacts – though not as strong as Meta/Twitter.
Many have tried and couldn’t capitalize on the brand traction they started with.
So unless you get exposed to clickbait, viral memes, and catchy hooks – or follow your real-life friends on social – you are likely exposed to clout more than anything. Founders are easy – they either stay on top of the world or exit well enough to retire for generations.
But C-level, VPs, Directors below? Some stay for the clout karma as post-brand life is raising too many questions should they decide to drop.