ISSUE #68

Welcome to the Forward Obsessed Founder, my newsletter with insights, awesome tools, and real-world advice to grow your business and career.

GO FORWARD THOUGHT OF THE WEEK ➡️

Pretty soon, your customers won’t be browsing websites.

They’ll just tell their AI what they want and it will handle the rest. Shopping is done by speaking:

No scrolling. No clicking. No brand comparison.

If your product checks the right boxes? Great, you’re in the conversation.

If not? You’re invisible.

You’re not just competing for attention anymore.

You’re competing for instructions.

If you’re not ready for that moment, you’re not ready for the market.

Remember the last newsletter? This is what’s in the works as OpenAI (and others) become your digital twin and personal assistant.

Just like BlackBerry missed the iPhone shift, most brands today are missing this one. They’re still designing for screens when the real interface is invisible.

But here’s the plot twist:

Even as AI becomes the first layer of decision-making, your brand and the human experience behind it matters more than ever.

Let me explain.

Loyalty Becomes Logic… Until It Doesn’t

AI agents don’t care about stories.

They care about data, specs, shipping speed, and price.

Which means your backend better be airtight. Structured metadata. Product info. Machine-readable brand values.

If you’re not talking to the machines, you won’t even get to talk to the customer.

But let’s say you are in the conversation.

That’s where your story kicks in.

Take Imogene + Willie. The Cotton Project Tee isn’t just another shirt. It’s American-grown. Sustainably made. Workers paid a fair wage. A heritage-infused vibe wrapped in modern quality.

When someone hears that story, tries it on, feels the fit; they don’t go back to “find me a shirt under $50.”

They say:

“Buy me another Imogene + Willie shirt that looks good with my black jeans.”

That’s the shift: from logic to loyalty → but now loyalty starts after the AI.

AI Gets You In. Branding Gets You Remembered.

Here’s the reality: AI makes personalization scalable, but without a soul, it’s cold. Sure, customers might discover your brand through AI. But they stay because they feel seen, understood, and connected.

AI can recommend.

AI can purchase.

But conversion only happens when people feel valued and understood.

The goal isn’t to win the algorithm.

It’s to win the relationship after the click.

What to Do Now

1: Make Your Brand Agent-Friendly
​Think machine-readable metadata, enriched product feeds, consistent language, and backend clarity.

2: Design Human-First Moments Post-Purchase
​Surprise and delight. Tell your story. Build rituals. Make your product unforgettable.

3: Balance AI with Customer-Obsession
​Let AI optimize the path. But you own the experience when they arrive.

We’re rapidly approaching a world where AI is buying for us, so remember you’re not just marketing to humans anymore.

You’re marketing to their proxies. Their agents. Their data-informed personal shoppers.

But once your brand breaks through that layer?

The human story becomes your moat.

Make it matter.

I’m always here to help you stay ahead and build brands people and machines love. Newsletter readers get the “friends and family” rate for a coaching hour—book a time here. I would love to talk about how I can help your brand and business stay ahead of the AI wave.

Talk soon,

Pete

Please take a second and hit the FWD button ▶️, to share this email with your favorite growth-obsessed peer. I want to inspire 1 million awesome minds like you.

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