I got hooked by an unlikely investment opportunity.
In August, I got an unusual offer from Fathom.
There was something unexpected inside their usual product update email:
Invest? Hmm...
My curiosity thoroughly piqued, I clicked.
This prompted a question. And it wasn't just if I wanna invest.
The true question is:
Do I really believe in them?
It's one thing to purchase a software. (Often using our employer's funds.) It's a whole other thing to invest my own money. Their CEO, Richard White, wrote this short post with investment details and company milestones. Here's the most compelling part: "Since our first crowdfund in 2022, Fathom has grown considerably and received some amazing accolades:
🥇 #1 Highest Satisfaction Product of 2024 on G2 - Perfect 5/5 rating (2,800 reviews)
🚀 Most installed AI meeting assistant on both Zoom and HubSpot
📈 Fastest Growing App of 2023 on Hubspot Marketplace
💰 Our revenue has skyrocketed, up 77x!"
I decided to go all in.
I invested the maximum amount of $2,500.
Here's why:
I know and trust the team
I genuinely love using the tech
The investment opportunity is promising
The CI market is still maturing (and booming)
I want to go along for the ride!
Let's dive into that last one — because that's where the real magic is.
This “client investor” trend isn’t just a fundraising approach.
It’s a way to turn happy customers into raving fans and stakeholders, fueling deeper brand loyalty that goes far beyond traditional marketing tactics. It also evolves the marketing strategy from "share your journey" to "include them in the journey." That's a unique experience that motivates clients to
So, what’s behind this shift? I see two main benefits.
It’s a powerful way to create raving fans—a community of users who now have a personal stake in the company’s success.
It’s a practical way to drive customer loyalty and retention, because these “client investors” now have a reason to be long-term (and vocal) advocates.
Overall, I LOVE this play. And I see very little downside to this brand marketing strategy. However, this model isn’t risk-free. Of course, investing comes with no guarantees, and if the company stumbles, client investors may feel burned, which could harm brand trust.
Takeaway: It's all about building raving fans
Raving fans can become your brand differentiator.
I experienced this at Gong and now at The Reeder. They accelerate growth like nothing else I've seen. They engage with your content, share it freely, and create qualified pipeline with word-of-mouth marketing.
All for free!
And with the "client investor" approach, clients pay the company.
That's smart marketing. Imagine the loyalty and advocacy potential if your clients felt they had a stake in your success, whether financially or otherwise. The upside is massive.
By the way, Fathom isn't the only company tapping into this play.
I got a similar offer from Beehiiv a few months ago (before I moved to Kit).
Here's a blurb from their CEO's email using the subject line, investors?
I tried investing here too, but I was too late 😫
And I'm sure we'll see more in the coming months.
This trend has me curious...
If you could invest in a vendor in your tech stack, would you?
Or, on the flip side, would you open your company’s next funding round to your best customers?