The Death of Funnels

Growth marketers love the concept of a ‘sales funnel’. You’ve heard them before. But here’s the problem: people don’t move through funnels anymore.

Traditional growth playbook: run ads, collect emails, send follow-ups, drop retargeting. Drip. Drip. Drip. Until—boom!—they buy

But a funnel assumes customers move in a straight line. They don’t. They zigzag. They compare. They forget. They return. Funnels worked when people had fewer choices. When urgency felt real. When Google wasn’t your best friend.

Last time you bought something, was it a straight line? Doubt it.

Let’s say you’re picking a no-code tool…

• Searches "best no-code tool" → Finds Webflow.

• Clicks showcase → Browses sites.

• YouTube: “Webflow review” → Watches a few.

• Trustpilot → Checks reviews.

• Reddit → More honest opinions.

• Watches tutorials.

• Forgets about it.

• Friend mentions Webflow.

• Signs up.

• Uses the product.

• Sees a “Pro Plan” video.

• Checks pricing.

• Upgrades.

That’s 14 steps. Not a funnel. A maze.

What if growth wasn’t a funnel… but a playground?

Every touchpoint—reviews, micro-apps, newsletters, events—is a different ride.
Your job? Build the best playground in town

Funnels still exist. The ideal path? Email, SMS, retargeting—the usual suspects.
But let’s build the playground too.

"How do you build a better playground?”

You watch how people play.

Start by mapping out where users actually go.

• What do they search for on Google?

• What YouTube videos do they watch?

• What are they asking about on Reddit?

• Where does your web traffic drop off?

Maybe they search YouTube and find nothing. Boom—opportunity.
Maybe they go to Reddit for advice. Time to join the conversation.
Maybe they hit your site, hesitate, and leave. What’s missing?

The more you understand their journey, the better you can shape the playground.

Add a tutorial here.
A review page there.
A micro-tool where there’s a gap.

The best playgrounds aren’t just big. They’re built where people actually want to play.

Cheers,

Ajay

P.S. I built something wild.

An AI spy bot that records, screenshots, and collates every email & SMS your competitors send.

My co-workers? Flabbergasted.

You? One referral away from seeing behind the curtain. (👇 Link)