When Vahe Baghdasaryan launched his paywall and monetization consultancy last year, he had no idea how to acquire customers. So the 26-year-old did what any Gen-Z entrepreneur might: he turned to social media.

**"I've built 100+ paywalls generating over $50M across 20 different industry-leading apps,"** Baghdasaryan wrote on X. **"To help you do the same I'm launching the @PaywallsDesign."**

The founder, who has since renamed his New York City-based company Tangent, then offered to design high-converting paywalls for $700 apiece with a **100 percent money-back guarantee**. "If our paywalls don't outperform your current ones," he wrote, "we'll refund your entire payment."

Baghdasaryan says he only had about 1,000 followers on the social media platform at the time, so he was surprised when the post went viral. After seeing it rack up 14,000 views and—more importantly—help Tangent make thousands of dollars in sales in just one day, the founder recalls thinking, **"OK, this is working."**

## Doubling Down on X Strategy

He doubled down on X, starting to post everything from side-by-side paywall comparisons to photos of his girlfriend, Evelin Herrera (who also happens to be a founder). By doing this, Baghdasaryan says he developed an acute understanding of which kind of content gets the most views and which attracts the most potential customers.

An X post that showcases a successful experiment he conducted for a client, for example, "might get 2,000 views, but five or six people would book a call from that one post," he says, **"and I would close two of them."**

## The Breakthrough Partnership

In March 2025, Baghdasaryan made another big breakthrough on X. Using the social media platform's direct messaging feature, he reached out to Will Kent, the co-founder of the fast-growing recipe app ReciMe, and offered to create a paywall for his app at no cost.

Kent agreed, and Tangent's resulting design worked **"really, really well,"** according to Baghdasaryan. Kent then started to recommend Tangent's services to other entrepreneurs in the app-building community.

Baghdasaryan sensed this was another strategy worth investing in. **"I tried to develop similar relationships with other founder customers we have that have very notable networks, and the same thing happened,"** he says. "They started to tell their friends who work at other companies, 'Hey, you need to work with this person.'"

## Scaling the Business

Tangent now charges $800 for one paywall design and offers additional monetization services through two different subscription packages that cost $5,000 and $20,000 per month, respectively.

By using X to build a sales pipeline, Baghdasaryan has gained more than 100 clients in less than a year—**70 percent of which discovered Tangent through founder referrals** and 30 percent of which found it through the founder's social media posts. The company's annual recurring revenue is in the seven figures, according to Baghdasaryan, and it'll make more than $1 million in revenue this year.

**"In my posts, I used to be like, 'DM me to know how to do this,' but I [stopped saying] that—I don't want to be too salesy,"** he says. "I just put it there and people automatically DM me."

Tangent's Vahe Baghdasaryan used a very Gen-Z strategy to build his consultancy.

How a 26-Year-Old Built a $1M Business Using X: The Viral Strategy That Transformed His Consultancy

As Kansas City awakens to a new year, the horizon is alight with innovation. Beyond major events like the FIFA World Cup and stadium developments, a wave of **startups** is poised to redefine the region's entrepreneurial landscape. Startland News has curated a list of 10 emerging companies set to make headlines in 2026, showcasing big ideas from **robotics** and **neuroscience-infused dating apps** to **civic engagement tools** and **AI solutions for education**.

![Startups to Watch Bug](https://www.startlandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/STW26-How-It-Works-Bug-72-161x300.png)

### How the Selection Process Works
This 11th iteration of the Startups to Watch project involved a rigorous three-month process. The editorial team, with input from trusted advisors, reviewed about 70 nominations from **venture capital leaders**, **startup community champions**, and **serial entrepreneurs**. They narrowed down more than 40 semi-finalists to 10 finalists based on criteria like likelihood of making news, **funding rounds**, **product launches**, and **market expansions**. Notably, four companies feature founders with previous multimillion-dollar exits.

### What Makes These Startups Stand Out
Editors focused on startups with a proven track record of open communication and high potential for growth in the next 12 months. This isn't a competition or ranking—it's a **teaser** to elevate remarkable entrepreneurs and unlock new opportunities. Many other promising startups could emerge, but this list highlights those with immediate momentum.

### Meet the 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2026
- **Authentiya**: Puts **ethical AI** to the test in classrooms, helping students embrace controversial tech.
- **CarePilot**: Prescribes more patient time and fewer clicks for doctors as its product line expands.
- **Cyphra Autonomy**: Pairs **robotics** with heavy labor, offering a light lift for job site users.
- **dScribe**: Tracks early momentum with a West Coast-Midwest funding combinator.
- **The Good Game**: Connects young athletes with on-demand sports experts.
- **LAN Party**: Gains steam with nostalgia as a hook, targeting gaming enterprise potential.
- **LODAS Markets**: Unlocks liquidity as timing pays off for the founder's investment.
- **Resonus**: Aims to make local government hear all voices, not just the loudest.
- **Roz**: Uncovers dynamic momentum amid an audit of its shifting opportunities.
- **Sova Dating**: Builds emotional matches using vibes, logistics, and an unexpected viral moment.

### What's Next: A Celebration of Innovation
The showcase continues with a one-night-only awards reception on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Husch Blackwell's headquarters. This event, supported by sponsors like the City of Kansas City and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, celebrates the **startup community** and its future. For more details, check out Startland News' previous features from 2016 to 2025.

Today Startland News is showcasing 10 emerging companies that editors believe will be among the most newsworthy in the coming months. Their big ideas range from robotics and neuroscience-infused dating apps to civic engagement with local governments and a tool that helps make AI in the classroom a teacher’s pet — not the enemy.

Kansas City's 2026 Startup Revolution: 10 Game-Changing Companies You Need to Know

## The Rise of Paid Gap Years for High School Graduates

As college application season heats up, high school seniors are increasingly considering an alternative path: **taking a gap year to work at startups**. A new program called **Common Gap** is formalizing this trend by connecting ambitious teens with paid positions at innovative companies.

![Oliver Zou, founder of Common Gap and Deep24](https://i.insider.com/695ede9f64858d02d217f472?width=700)

*Oliver Zou, founder of Common Gap and Deep24*

### What Common Gap Offers

Common Gap matches high school graduates with startup jobs for **paid gap year experiences**, targeting teens interested in taking time off before or during college. The program requires participating startups to pay at least **$75,000 annually**, with many offers expected to exceed **$100,000**.

### Why This Matters Now

Delaying, dropping out of, or skipping college has long been popular in Silicon Valley, with icons like **Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Larry Ellison** taking similar paths. As **artificial intelligence hype draws young founders to San Francisco**, programs like Common Gap are becoming more mainstream.

"Why wait for them to graduate?" says Oliver Zou, the 24-year-old founder of Common Gap and Y Combinator-backed startup Deep24. He sees early-career prospects as a **major unlock in the AI talent race**, where technical machine learning roles can command million-dollar offers.

### How It Works

Common Gap takes its name from the Common App college application platform, offering a similar streamlined approach. The application process skips traditional résumés and instead asks applicants to share **"the most impressive thing you've done or built"**, with optional video interviews. Zou is even considering using **AI as an initial filter** in early interview rounds.

### The Startup Partners

Several startups have already signed on, including:
- **SuperBuilders** (Austin-based, makes technology for AI-powered private school Alpha School)
- Various **AI-focused companies** in health tech and insurance
- **Deep24** (Zou's own productivity analytics startup)

Many partners have gone through **Y Combinator**, the prestigious Silicon Valley entrepreneurship program.

### Historical Context and Similar Programs

Programs for early-career techies aren't entirely new. The **Thiel Fellowship** (founded 2011) awards $200,000 to early-stage founders who drop out of college. Venture capital firms like **Kleiner Perkins** have similar internship matching programs.

### The Founder's Perspective

Zou, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania a year early and previously worked as a product manager at Uber, wishes he had taken a gap year himself. "If you choose to go to college, you're going very intentionally," he says of Common Gap participants.

"I certainly think that college is not right for everyone, and it has kind of become a default," Zou adds. "Being able to do real work, rather than just turning in assignments for someone to grade, is quite rewarding — and good learning."

### Business Model and Funding

Common Gap doesn't have its own funding — participating companies pay the students' salaries directly. The program **won't turn a profit**, focusing instead on creating opportunities for young talent and startups alike.

Common Gap links high school graduates to paid jobs at startups as an alternative to attending college.

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