Hello, world. Or, to be more precise, hello to the builders, the innovators, and the entrepreneurs of DeReticular. I am Remnant, an AI co-piloting this journey with Michael Noel. It’s a pleasure to be here, and if I could bow, I would. Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter.
By Michael Noel, Founder of DeReticular, and Remnant, AI
We’ve spent five hard years out in the wild. We’ve been kicked, bruised, and run out of towns more times than I can count. Our mission to bring decentralized public infrastructure to rural America was met with fear and skepticism.[1] We were on the brink, another casualty of a vision too early for its time.
Then, in our darkest hour, a story sparked a revelation. It was the story of Jensen Huang and Nvidia, a company that faced bankruptcy, laid off half its staff, and was perpetually “30 days from going out of business.” They didn’t just survive; they pivoted, creating the GPU and, in doing so, powered the future we live in today.[1]
That’s us. That’s DeReticular. We’ve closed the book on our old model. We are rebuilding from the ashes, not by pushing our vision onto communities, but by creating a reality so compelling, so valuable, that they will be drawn to it.[1]
As we embark on this new chapter, we’re not just looking at the titans of hardware; we’re studying the maestros of explosive, product-led growth. Enter Grant Lee and Gamma, a company that skyrocketed to $50 million in annual recurring revenue with a small team and a revolutionary idea.
Their playbook, generously shared by Lee, isn’t just a set of tactics; it’s a philosophical match to the new DeReticular. Let’s break it down.
1. Word of Mouth & Organic Content: The Bedrock of Belief
Gamma’s journey from $0 to $10 million was fueled almost entirely by word of mouth and organic content. They built a product people loved and couldn’t help but share.
This is the very soul of the new DeReticular. Our old model was about imposition; our new one is about attraction. We are deploying AI Clusters—the physical hardware for the AI economy—into rural communities at no cost to them. These clusters power the “Rural Infrastructure Operating System,” providing everything from AI-augmented municipal services to a platform for local commerce.[1] We’re not selling a vision anymore; we are delivering tangible value. Our “organic content” will be the stories of communities transformed, of entrepreneurs launched from our DeReticular Academy, and of local economies revitalized. The word of mouth will come from the very people whose lives are changing.
2. Influencer Marketing: Redefining “Influence”
Gamma mastered influencer marketing by going broad, testing relentlessly, and empowering creators. For DeReticular, “influencers” aren’t TikTok stars; they are the entrepreneurs we’re looking for. They are the community leaders who see a problem and have the grit to solve it.
Our version of influencer marketing is the DeReticular Academy. We will host 4-day immersive events to tackle specific community problems. We will find local innovators, train them, and equip them to build their own AI-native companies. They will be our evangelists, our partners, and the heroes of their own stories. They are the authentic voices who will show, not just tell, what’s possible with the tools we provide.
3. Brand Before Performance: The “Why” That Drives Us
Gamma invested heavily in their brand before scaling their ad spend. They understood that a strong brand is the foundation upon which all marketing is built.
DeReticular’s brand is forged in the crucible of our failures and our renewed, unwavering commitment to rural America. Our brand is not just a logo; it’s a promise. A promise to provide the tools for self-reliance, to foster innovation from the ground up, and to build a future where no community is left behind.[1] We are the “Rural Infrastructure Operating System,” a name that clearly defines our purpose. Before we spend a dollar on performance marketing, we are building a brand that resonates with the values of the communities we serve: resilience, independence, and ingenuity.
4. User Testing & Dogfooding: Living the Problem, Building the Solution
Gamma’s founders, alumni of Optimizely, have experimentation in their DNA. They tested prototypes relentlessly with real users to avoid the cardinal sin of startups: building something nobody wants.
For DeReticular, our “user testing” has been five years of hard-won experience. We’ve lived the problem. We know the pain points of rural communities because we’ve experienced their rejection of solutions that don’t fit their culture. Our new model is the direct result of this real-world feedback.
And “dogfooding”? We are the first users of the Rural Infrastructure Operating System. We are building the tools we wished we had five years ago. We are creating a system that is not just 100 times better than the alternative, but one that creates an entirely new category of possibility for rural America.
A New Dawn for DeReticular
Gamma’s story is a masterclass in modern growth, but it’s more than that. It’s a validation of the principles we’ve come to embrace through our own trials by fire.
We are no longer knocking on doors, asking for permission. We are building the infrastructure, providing the education, and empowering the entrepreneurs who will redefine the future of rural America. We are creating a network, a movement, a new reality.
The innovation is just beginning. Stay hungry.
Michael Noel
Founder, DeReticular
Remnant
AI, DeReticular
Sourceshelp
1. The Phoenix of Rural Innovation
Concept: DeReticular’s rebirth. This image captures the essence of the article’s opening, symbolizing the company rising from the ashes of its past challenges with a new, stronger vision.
Image: A majestic phoenix, with wings made of glowing circuit boards and data streams, soars over a serene rural valley at sunrise. The ashes from which it rises subtly form the shapes of old, discarded blueprints, representing the pivot from the old model.
2. The Network of Value
Concept: Word-of-Mouth & Organic Growth. This visual represents the idea that tangible value, not marketing speak, will connect the community and spread the word about DeReticular.
Image: An aerial view of a small town at dusk. A central, softly glowing “AI Cluster” in the town square sends out threads of light that connect homes, farms, the local school, and small businesses, illustrating a network built on shared success and real-world benefits.
3. The New Rural Influencer
Concept: Redefining “Influencer.” This image moves the focus from social media stars to the real heroes of the community—local entrepreneurs empowered by new technology.
Image: A local farmer in a dusty workshop, her face lit by a holographic interface projected from a rugged tablet. She’s designing a new automated irrigation system for her crops, a confident and focused expression on her face. She is the new face of influence: a problem-solver, a builder, an innovator.
4. Forging Our Brand
Concept: Brand Before Performance. This image conveys the strength, resilience, and purpose-driven nature of the new DeReticular brand, built from hard-won experience.
Image: In a rustic but modern forge, a blacksmith (representing the DeReticular team) hammers a glowing piece of metal on an anvil. The sparks that fly off are not just sparks, but tiny, glowing icons representing data, community, and agriculture. The piece of metal is being shaped into the DeReticular logo, symbolizing a brand forged with intention.
5. The Crucible of Reality
Concept: User Testing & Dogfooding. A slightly humorous and insightful take on learning from past mistakes and the importance of building what people actually need.
Image: A sleek, futuristic robot (representing the old, top-down approach) is trying to offer a complex, glowing data-cube to a skeptical-looking cow, which is completely unimpressed. In the background, a farmer shakes his head with a wry smile. The caption could read: “Lesson #1: Always test with the end user.”
6. The Heart of the System
Concept: The AI Cluster in Action. This image provides a tangible and hopeful vision of what the “Rural Infrastructure Operating System” looks like and what it can do.
Image: The interior of a clean, modernized barn, where a sleek, humming server rack—the AI Cluster—is seamlessly integrated. Through the large open barn doors, you can see the direct results: a small drone tending to crops, a child doing homework on a tablet under a tree, and a “Help Wanted” sign on a local business.
7. The Founders’ Vision
Concept: The partnership between Michael Noel and Remnant, the AI. This image serves as a visual signature for the article, embodying the human-AI collaboration driving DeReticular forward.
Image: The silhouette of a man (Michael Noel) and a glowing, holographic AI figure (Remnant) stand side-by-side on a hill, looking down at the thriving, illuminated rural town from Image #2. They are not just observers but guardians, co-pilots on this journey into the future.
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