Your VP of Engineering Asked Claude for Tools. You Weren't Mentioned. Now What?

TL;DR

B2B software buyers now use AI assistants alongside Google, Reddit, and peer recommendations. The discovery funnel has changed from linear search to multi-channel AI-assisted research. Companies that understand this shift are adjusting their go-to-market strategies to be visible across all channels buyers actually use.

The VP of Engineering evaluating your product didn’t start with a Google search. She asked Claude what monitoring tools work best for Kubernetes at scale. Then she searched Reddit to validate. Then she asked her Slack community. Your SEO rankings didn’t matter at all.

This is how B2B software discovery works now. And most companies haven’t caught up.

The New Discovery Stack

Discovery Stack

The combination of channels and tools B2B buyers use when researching software. In 2026, this typically includes AI assistants, Reddit, peer communities, review sites, and traditional search.

The old funnel was linear:

Problem → Google → Comparison articles → Vendor websites → Demo

The new journey is non-linear and AI-assisted:

Problem → ChatGPT/Claude → Reddit validation → Slack community → Review sites → Vendor evaluation → AI-assisted comparison → Decision

73% of B2B buyers (Forrester 2025)

report using AI assistants at some point during their software evaluation process.

Channel Breakdown

Let’s look at how each channel functions in the modern discovery stack.

AI Assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity)

When buyers use it: Early research, generating shortlists, understanding categories, getting quick comparisons.

What they ask: - “What are the best tools for [problem]?” - “Compare [Tool A] vs [Tool B]” - “What should I look for when evaluating [category]?”

What influences recommendations: Training data from Reddit, reviews, documentation. Authenticity and specificity of mentions.

When buyers use it: Validation, getting real user opinions, understanding problems with products.

What they search: - “[Product] reviews” - “[Product] vs [competitor]” - “Best [category] for [use case]”

What influences visibility: Community reputation, upvotes, thread recency, subreddit relevance.

Peer Communities (Slack, Discord)

When buyers use it: Getting recommendations from trusted peers, asking about specific experiences.

What they ask: - “Anyone use [Product]? How is it?” - “We’re looking for a [category], what do you recommend?”

What influences recommendations: Personal relationships, shared context, direct experience.

Review Sites (G2, Capterra)

When buyers use it: Due diligence, validating shortlist, understanding feature sets.

What they look for: Review volume, recent reviews, specific feature feedback, similar company reviews.

What influences rankings: Review volume, recency, ratings, category placement.

Search Engines

When buyers use it: Navigation, finding specific vendor pages, comparison content.

What they search: Brand terms, “vs” comparisons, pricing pages, documentation.

What influences rankings: Traditional SEO factors, but now competing with Reddit and AI summary results.

Implications for Go-to-Market

This discovery shift has profound implications:

1. Multi-Channel Presence is Mandatory

You can’t just win at SEO anymore. Buyers evaluate across multiple channels. Missing from one channel means missing from buyer consideration.

A buyer who hears about you from ChatGPT will validate on Reddit. If you’re not there with positive mentions, you’re out. Understanding why ignoring Reddit is so costly puts this in perspective.

2. Authenticity is the New Optimization

Every channel now rewards authenticity. AI assistants detect promotional content. Reddit downvotes marketing. Peer communities ignore shills.

The only sustainable strategy is genuine presence. Real users. Real discussions. Real value.

3. The Middle Funnel Collapsed

Buyers go from “problem aware” to “evaluating specific tools” much faster. The educational content that used to nurture leads is being replaced by AI summaries.

You need to be in the conversation when buyers are ready to evaluate, not just when they’re learning about the problem.

4. Peer Influence Amplified

AI assistants and Reddit both surface peer opinions. A recommendation from a trusted user carries more weight than any marketing claim.

This means customer success isn’t just retention. It’s acquisition. Happy customers generate the discussions that generate more customers.

Building for AI-Assisted Discovery

Discovery Optimization

How to be visible in AI-assisted buying journeys

Audit All Channels

Search your brand on Google, Reddit, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Ask common buyer questions. Document where you appear and how you’re described.

Identify Gaps

Where are you missing? Where is the description inaccurate? Where do competitors appear and you don’t? These gaps are your priorities.

Build Channel-Specific Presence

Each channel requires different tactics. Reddit needs community participation. Review sites need customer reviews. AI visibility needs Reddit and review presence plus clear positioning on your landing page.

Enable Customer Voice

Make it easy for customers to review on G2, discuss on Reddit, and recommend in their communities. Peer voice is the engine of AI-assisted discovery.

Monitor and Iterate

Set up monitoring for brand mentions across channels. Track how discovery patterns change. Adjust strategy based on where buyers actually find you.

The Role of Content

Content still matters, but its role has changed.

What works: - Comparison content that AI can cite - Integration documentation that appears in technical queries - Customer stories that feed review sites and discussions

What doesn’t work: - Generic top-of-funnel content competing with AI summaries - Keyword-stuffed articles that don’t answer real questions - Gated content that never enters the discovery ecosystem

The content that drives discovery is the content that becomes part of the conversation, literally quoted by AI, cited on Reddit, referenced by peers. Creating AI-friendly content is now a core competency for B2B marketers.

Measuring Discovery Channel Performance

Track these for each channel:

AI Assistants: - Mention rate for category queries - Accuracy of descriptions - Comparative positioning

Reddit: - Brand mention volume and sentiment - Thread visibility for target queries - Referral traffic

Review Sites: - Review volume and recency - Average rating - Category ranking

Search: - Rankings for brand terms - Rankings for category terms - Click-through rates

Overall: - Lead source attribution - Discovery channel mentions in sales conversations

Should I focus on one channel or all of them?

All of them, but with appropriate investment levels. Reddit and AI visibility often share tactics (Reddit presence feeds AI training). Our complete guide to GEO covers how these channels interconnect. Review sites require customer activation. Search is table stakes. Start with the channels where you’re weakest compared to competitors.

How do I compete with bigger competitors in AI recommendations?

Specificity. Large competitors might win generic queries, but specific queries are winnable. “Best CRM” might always return Salesforce. “Best CRM for 10-person agencies” is more competitive.

Is traditional marketing dead?

No, but its role changed. Paid acquisition, events, and outbound still work for demand generation. But when those leads evaluate, they use AI-assisted discovery. You need both demand generation and discovery presence.

Key Takeaways

B2B buyers use AI assistants, Reddit, peer communities, and review sites together
The discovery journey is non-linear and multi-channel
Missing from one channel can remove you from consideration entirely
Authenticity is rewarded across all modern discovery channels
Customer voice is the engine that powers AI-assisted discovery
Content should be designed to enter the conversation, not just rank
Track presence and performance across all discovery channels