The Future of Marketing Services: How outcome-based models are opening new opportunities

The Startup Surge: Why Now Matters

Startups aren’t slowing down, they’re multiplying.

In the United States alone, a record 5.5 million new business applications were filed in 2023 which was one of the highest years ever recorded. Today, the U.S. hosts more than 1.1 million active startups, with its ecosystem growing by nearly 18% in 2025, keeping it firmly ranked as the #1 startup hub globally [startupblink.com].

Funding is resurging: the first half of 2025 saw a 75% surge in U.S. startup funding, with capital flowing especially into AI, sustainability, and other growth-oriented ventures [reuters.com]. This wave is fuelling a new generation of founders who aren’t just chasing profit, but building businesses with purpose and performance at their core.

Across Europe, the trend is just as striking. European startup hubs are accelerating at 27% growth rates, nearly 2.5× faster than U.S. city average. Europe also now boasts 35,000+ early-stage companies, up almost fivefold since 2015 [stateofeuropeantech.com].

These numbers matter. They represent not just businesses being created, but a tidal wave of marketing demand. Startups need visibility, traction, and customers to survive. Yet their budgets and tolerance for specialist retainers remain tight. This is where a new model comes in.

The Old Model: Retainers for Scale-Ups, but a Mismatch for Startups

Let’s be clear: retainers aren’t dead. They work well for scale-ups and established businesses that have already achieved product-market fit and secured steady revenue or funding.

At that stage, a retainer makes sense because:

• Budgets are predictable: scale-ups can commit consistent monthly spend without risking survival.
• The scope is broad: they need multi-channel marketing such as Search, paid, CRM, brand campaigns, partnerships etc all running at once.
• Stability matters: brand building, international expansion, and long-term roadmaps need continuity, not short bursts.
• Agency overheads fit: paying for large teams and layered expertise is justifiable once the company is scaling rapidly.
  

But for early-stage startups, retainers can feel like a trap:

• Too costly for founders still watching runway month by month.
• Too rigid when they’re still experimenting with offers, funnels, and channels.
• Too misaligned, because payment is tied to hours logged, not outcomes delivered.

What these founders really need is a partner willing to share risk. Someone to build the foundations, test what works, and get rewarded when growth is proven.

Massify: Built for Startups, Built for Marketers

Massify reimagines how marketing works at the earliest and most critical stage of business where every decision, every channel, and every campaign has outsized impact. This isn’t freelancing. This isn’t agency work. It’s a shared-growth model designed to reward marketers for outcomes, not hours.

Activation → Every engagement begins with a 6–8 week activation, covering strategy, funnel setup, and essential foundations. This ensures marketers are compensated fairly for the upfront work and clients begin with a solid growth engine.

Performance → After activation, compensation ties directly to results: a share of incremental revenue generated above baseline. Founders pay only when growth happens, and marketers are rewarded for the impact they create.

Stability & Rotation → You start by being matched with 1 client. As you deliver impact and prove outcomes, your opportunities expand. Just as founders are held accountable for growth, so are we. Inside Massify, outcomes open the door to more clients and more stability.

Early Access to Scale-Ups → By working with startups at the ground floor, you build relationships that last. As these companies scale, they increase budgets, and you’re already their trusted partner. Retainers and bigger contracts often follow naturally.

Shared Mission → At the heart of Massify lies one truth: “If you’re not growing, we’re not either.” We’re building a collective where marketers are no longer undervalued, but recognized as the true growth engine and rewarded accordingly.

The Future: Two Models, One Ecosystem

This isn’t about tearing down the old system. Retainers are simply better suited for companies that have already scaled. What we’re building is a stronger, more balanced ecosystem where each stage of business growth has the right marketing model to match.

Startups → Massify’s Performance-Based Model
For early-stage businesses, every dollar counts. They need partners who can move fast, test, and prove traction without burning through budgets. Massify gives them access to expert marketers who are compensated fairly through activations and rewarded for results through performance. It’s affordable, flexible, and tied to what matters most: outcomes.

Scale-Ups → Retainer & Agency Models
As businesses grow, so do their needs. With multiple markets, channels, and teams in play, scale-ups need predictability and breadth. Retainers offer that stability, enabling bigger brand campaigns and always-on marketing.

By positioning yourself within Massify, you secure a seat at the entry point of the startup wave. You’re not chasing scale-ups when the market is already crowded with agencies but you’re building trust from day one. And when those startups evolve into scale-ups, you’re already in their corner, the partner who helped them grow from zero. That’s when bigger retainers, larger contracts, and higher budgets naturally flow your way.

This is the future of marketing services: a connected path from impact-driven beginnings to long-term partnerships. Massify ensures marketers thrive across both worlds.

👉 Join the Massify Talent Pool. Build with purpose. Grow with startups. Get rewarded for impact.