The Intelligent Marketer

Where are we in the agentic commerce revolution? "We're not even in the parking lot to the game yet. We're still on the freeway driving to the game," says Sean Frank, CEO of Ridge. Today on The Intelligent Marketer, he talks with Mike & Rishabh about why adding a product to your digital shopping cart might become as obsolete as buying from a print catalog; how ChatGPT is already driving product recommendations and purchases; and why being famous matters more than ever. They also discuss how AI helped Ridge double its revenue since 2023 while cutting headcount, and why that trend should scare SaaS companies. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ridge Sean's LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

"I think the entire concept of AEO was invented by people looking to sell something additional to SEO," says Eli Schwartz, author of Product-Led SEO. Today on The Intelligent Marketer, he talks with Mike & Rishabh about how search-engine optimization is bigger and more relevant than ever, how AI is reshaping the funnel, and why brands should focus on product and reputation over hacks and deliverables. They also talk about why it's dangerous to try and game Reddit, why NPS scores matter, and designing products with answer engines in mind. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Future of SEO newsletter Buy Product-Led SEO ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

"How do you make a network with 10–15,000 banks, near 150 to 200 million merchants, four and a half billion credentials around the world, and how do you make it compatible with things like agentic commerce, with things like stablecoins, with things like wherever the next technology is headed?" Rubail Birwadker, who leads growth products and strategic partnerships at Visa, talks about all of that and more with Mike & Rishabh on today's Intelligent Marketer. They also discuss why trust and safety are the foundation of innovation, what “agentic commerce” really means, and the role of startups in shaping standards. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rubail's LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“Creative is Batman, measurement is Robin,” says Pranav Piyush, co-founder & CEO of Paramark. Today on The Intelligent Marketer, he talks with Mike & Rishabh about why measurement should support, but not replace, bold marketing ideas; and how Paramark is helping CMOs and CFOs find common ground. They also discuss what it takes to build an experimentation culture inside a marketing org, what great planning and forecasting looks like, and how founder-led marketing can scale without losing authenticity. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paramark Pranav's LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What is MSCHF? A new luxury brand? An art project? A tech media play? "All of the above are true, all of the above are wrong," says CEO & founder Gabe Whaley. Today on the Intelligent Marketer, he talks with Mike & Rishabh about how he and his colleagues in Brooklyn are defying categorization and building a commercial factory for thought-provoking art. They also discuss why MSCHF doesn't chase zeitgeist-y moments, and why it's not using AI much, yet. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MSCHF ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

"There's no such thing as brand marketing," says Eucalyptus co-founder & CEO Tim Doyle. "The great pairing of modern marketing is hugely ambitious, high-risk storytelling and great measurement." Today on The Intelligent Marketer, he talks with Mike & Rishabh about using AI to move at the speed of culture, Australia's strengths in tech, and building a "ruthless and effective" marketing machine that bridges creative strategy & process. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eucalyptus ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tim's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“Our goal is to build a personal stylist in your pocket,” says Julie Bornstein, co-founder and CEO of Daydream. Today on The Intelligent Marketer, she talks with Mike & Rishabh about the discovery problem in fashion; why owning the checkout is overrated; and how to make natural-language search feel human, personalized, and trustworthy. Plus: What Julie learned at Nordstrom, Sephora, and Stitch Fix in the transition to digital. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try Daydream ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Julie's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“ Consumer expectations have shifted over the last two years because of this thing called ChatGPT,” says Adam Turner, CEO of Postscript. “ All of a sudden, the text box that was in the SMS channel that was pretty much worthless four years ago is now one of the most important interfaces that a consumer has with a brand.” Today on The Intelligent Marketer, Turner talks with Mike & Rishabh about Postscript's journey from startup to industry leader in SMS marketing, the nuances of compliance, and the challenges of scaling a marketing platform powered by artificial intelligence. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Postscript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adam's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

 Good founders are "obsessed about every detail of [their] product," says Sam Ross, CEO of Numeral and former growth lead at Teespring. "'Why was it designed like this?' ... I think you kind of have to have the same approach to a lot of your go-to-market." Today on The Intelligent Marketer, Sam joins Mike & Rishabh to discuss the shifting landscape of performance marketing, the surprising things B2B can learn from consumer tactics, the impact of AI on business operations, and emerging trends in marketing channels. Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Numeral ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sam's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠

"There's a lot of shame for people to use AI. They feel like they're cheating," says Bryan Cano, Head of Marketing at True Classic. "If you don't want to compete, that's totally cool with me. But these things are like lightning in a bottle." Today on The Intelligent Marketer, he talks with Rishabh & Mike about the shift from performance to brand marketing, AI's impact on marketing strategies, and the future of customer lifecycle management. He also discusses the cultural relevance of Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ads, and how he spun up an AI-generated campaign about Bigfoot in an hour. Links: ⁠⁠⁠True Classic ⁠⁠⁠Bryan's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Mike’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Rishabh’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠    ⁠⁠⁠Learn more about Greylock⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠IntelligentMarketerPod.com⁠⁠⁠ This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠⁠LightningPod.fm⁠⁠⁠