Why do marketing teams still cling to funnel strategies in 2025—and why are investors throwing cash at yet another attribution startup

It’s puzzling to see how “full-funnel” hype remains the status quo, even as the market keeps evolving.

Here’s what’s being sold these days:

• All-in-one funnel analytics delivered by groups that haven’t genuinely solved any funnel issues

• Marketing automation suites that tank whenever the lead pool dries up

• Attribution software promising “total visibility” but failing to pinpoint real buyers

Even more surprising? These ventures are raking in millions, all while solving for problems that customers don't care about.

The Funnel Mirage

The so-called “perfect funnel” is more fiction than fact, yet countless companies are burning both time and budget trying to find it. The cycle often looks like this:

1. A marketer sets out to “tweak” a funnel they just finished

2. They rush to buy a stack of martech tools claiming to nail end-to-end attribution

3. Nine months later, they're scratching their heads at poor conversion rates, they've spent the entire budget with little to no effect, and are publishing a “post-mortem” on social media

The Nicest Blueprint for GTM:

In our own process, we have a radically different approach—one that flips the funnel on its head.

1. A massive pool of AI-filtered prospects

2. A multi-layer reading of intent signals

3. Warm drip campaigns to stay top-of-mind

Nicests' so-called “cold” outreach often outperforms, (3x-6x), elaborate funnel campaigns. Why? Because AI-driven prospecting pinpoints genuine buyers far more accurately than even the most sophisticated funnel toolset. The game is "convertible leads" not "more leads" just for the sake of increasing the size of the funnel.

It’s time to break the cycle of chasing an elusive funnel utopia. Instead, focus on constructing a framework that genuinely scales. Your conversion rates—and your sales team—will be all the better for it.