Content Marketing Works For Us
Technical content about edge computing and agent infrastructure will generate qualified leads for our products.
The Assumption
Our PLG strategy depends on content marketing driving top-of-funnel awareness. We’re betting that:
- We can write compelling technical content
- There’s an audience for edge computing and agent infrastructure content
- That audience overlaps with potential buyers
- Content → signups → paid conversion funnel works
None of these are guaranteed. Many technical founders underestimate content effort or overestimate their audience.
Evidence
Developer content success stories:
- Vercel, Netlify built massive audiences through technical blogs
- Supabase grew through content + community
- Cloudflare’s blog drives significant developer awareness
- Individual developers (Tanner Linsley, Theo) built audiences that drive product adoption
Content-market fit signals:
- “Edge computing” and “AI agents” are trending topics
- Developer Twitter/LinkedIn engagement on these topics high
- Podcasts, newsletters emerging in the space
- Conference talks on these topics well-attended
Counter-signals:
- Content creation takes time away from product development
- Audience building is slow (months, not weeks)
- Most content efforts fail quietly
- Competition for attention is fierce
Counter-Evidence
What would prove this wrong:
- 6 months of publishing with fewer than 50 followers
- Zero conversions from content
- Engagement metrics consistently poor (under 10 likes/post)
- Time spent on content not translating to signups
Warning signs:
- Posts get no engagement
- Writing feels like a chore, quality suffers
- Audience grows but doesn’t convert
- Time spent on content delays product shipping
Impact If Wrong
Products affected: All products (content drives awareness for everything)
GTM impact:
- Would need paid acquisition (higher CAC)
- Would need partnerships/integrations for distribution
- Would need to find alternative channels (open source, communities)
Runway impact:
- Paid acquisition burns cash faster
- Longer time to meaningful revenue
- May need to raise earlier
Alternative strategies:
- Product Hunt launches
- Integration partnerships (Vercel, Supabase, etc.)
- Open source components that drive adoption
- Community building in existing spaces (Discord, Reddit)
Testing Plan
Content experiment (3 months):
- Publish 1 substantive technical post per week
- Track followers, engagement, website traffic
- Track signups attributed to content
- Measure time spent vs. results
Metrics to track:
- Followers: Target 100+ in 3 months
- Engagement: Target 25+ meaningful interactions per post
- Website traffic: Track content → product page flow
- Signups: Track referral source
Content types to test:
- Tutorial content (how to build X with Cloudflare Workers)
- Opinion content (why agents need sandboxes)
- Technical deep dives (edge computing patterns)
- Build-in-public updates (progress on SmartBoxes)
Timeline: 3 months to initial signal, 6 months to clear verdict
Kill criteria: If 6 months of publishing with fewer than 50 followers and fewer than 5 signups from content, deprioritise content marketing.
Related
Depends on:
- PLG Works For Infrastructure — content only matters if PLG is the right GTM motion
Supports:
- Build In Public — content is the execution of this policy
Competes for time with:
- Can Ship Fast Enough — content time vs. product time
Addresses constraint:
- No Audience — content is the solution to this constraint
Proxy metrics:
Assumption
Technical content about edge computing and agent infrastructure will generate qualified leads for our products.
Depends On
This assumption only matters if these are true:
- PLG Works For Infrastructure — 🟠 ⚪ 50%
How To Test
Publish content; track engagement, followers, and conversion to signups.
Validation Criteria
This assumption is validated if:
- 100+ engaged followers from content
- 10%+ of signups cite content as discovery source
- Content generates inbound inquiries
Invalidation Criteria
This assumption is invalidated if:
- 6 months of publishing with fewer than 50 followers
- Zero conversions from content
- Engagement metrics consistently poor