Yes, founder-led content drives real demand and clients, but only when it targets buyer problems, not vanity metrics. Here is how to tell if your content is actually working.
Building in public works, but the default version mostly attracts other founders. To reach buyers, post about their problems and outcomes — not your metrics, revenue screenshots, and startup journey, which are the parts that draw a founder audience.
Brand awareness makes people know you exist; demand gen makes them want what you do; lead gen captures the contact info of people already interested. Early-stage B2B SaaS founders should put most of their effort into demand gen — creating interest through content — because only a small fraction of buyers are in-market at any moment.