In this episode, Tory Bradley, Global E-Commerce Retail Search Director at Mars Wrigley, dives deep into how Mars is navigating the evolving world of GenAI, search, and digital commerce. Drawing on Mars’ legacy of embracing technology - from pioneering electrified chocolate production in the 1920s to revolutionizing vending machines- Tory explains how the company is once again at a pivotal inflection point. She shares how Mars, in partnership with Azoma, is embracing generative AI to stay visible in an increasingly digital path-to-purchase landscape, where tools like Amazon’s Rufus and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are reshaping the way consumers discover and shop for products.
Tory breaks down the difference between traditional SEO and the newer, fast-moving world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), highlighting how retail search now demands cross-functional collaboration across content, PR, legal, and marketing. She emphasizes the need for both top-down leadership support and bottom-up experimentation to drive AI adoption. With real-time changes in how platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and others surface product information, Mars is investing in partnerships and agile processes to stay ahead of shifting algorithms, new discovery channels, and consumer behaviors.
The conversation also explores the broader industry implications of AI-powered shopping assistants, such as Amazon’s Rufus and Walmart’s emerging integrations, which are already driving significant incremental sales. Tori shares how she stays informed in a fast-evolving space, the organizational challenges of aligning large teams toward innovation, and why she believes e-commerce and search are the most dynamic and exciting areas in marketing today. With a clear passion for building future-forward strategies, Tori is helping position Mars Wrigley as a trailblazer in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) search during the AI era.
In this episode, Max, founder of Azoma, breaks down insights from his team's latest whitepaper (read here), co-authored with Andrew Bell, on Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, and its transformative role in the future of e-commerce. Drawing from this deep dive and his own years at Amazon, Max explains how Rufus is rapidly evolving into a hyper-personalized shopping agent—one that remembers user preferences, reasons contextually, and incorporates data from external sources to deliver smarter product recommendations. He explores how Amazon is shifting from building the best e-commerce website to creating the most advanced shopping AI, poised to redefine how people shop online.
Max outlines the strategic importance of Rufus for brands, emphasizing the need to rethink product detail pages in this new AI-first landscape. Rather than keyword stuffing, successful PDPs now focus on five key elements: property, event, activity, purpose, and audience—criteria drawn from Amazon’s own research. With Rufus fetching data from authoritative external sources like media reviews, Max stresses the importance of visibility across trusted third-party platforms. He also shares how brands, both large and small, are adapting differently—some investing in off-the-shelf AI tools like Azuma, others experimenting with custom GPTs to meet AI optimization demands.
Looking ahead, Max predicts a near future where Rufus replaces the traditional search bar entirely, becoming the default interface for shopping on Amazon. He envisions an agent that not only understands users’ preferences deeply but also curates purchases based on aesthetics, past behaviors, and real-world context—ultimately offering a seamless, personalized, and highly efficient shopping experience. With AI reshaping every layer of commerce, Max leaves listeners with a clear takeaway: e-commerce is entering a new era, and those who adapt fast will lead the pack.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode of The New Frontier, hosts Jo and Max sit down with Jonny Plein, a repeat founder, investor and advisor. Jonny sold his first business Pouch for 7-Figures, and just announced a $11m Series A for his current business Yaso. YASO is a next-generation solution for ambitious brands looking to enter the $1.7tn Chinese ecommerce market and sell directly to Gen Z consumers, using the power of social commerce.
Reflecting on his first exit, Jonny shares hard-earned lessons on what it takes to build and scale a company: staying obsessively organized from day one, learning to delegate low-value tasks, and being ruthless but fair when hiring and firing. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in fundraising — how effectively you can communicate your company’s vision in 90 seconds — and reveals that Yaso’s success hinged on the strength of its founding team, whose complementary backgrounds in Chinese internet governance, technology, and finance gave them a rare edge in a complex market.
The conversation dives deep into Yaso’s model, which enables brands to sell across China’s fragmented social commerce landscape through one streamlined system — integrating logistics, payments, and storefronts under a single roof. Johnny discusses the challenges of convincing brands to adopt a consignment model over traditional distribution and how data-driven results and trust have fueled their traction. With major clients like Pixi, Faith in Nature, and Cowshed, Yaso is positioning itself as a “revenue-based SaaS” company redefining cross-border e-commerce. For founders and brand leaders alike, Jonny’s story is a masterclass in execution, persistence, and building a global business with conviction.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode, Jo is joined by Bryce Warning and Rob Hahn, the CRO and COO of Pattern, fresh off their highly anticipated IPO. The conversation kicks off with reflections on the milestone: how an IPO is not just the end of a journey, but the beginning of a new phase - one with higher expectations, greater scale, and renewed focus on delivery.
They dive deep into what makes Pattern unique: the marriage of data, technology, and operations. The backbone of their success lies in automating and augmenting decisions across every part of the business - from ad tech to supply chains. But automation isn’t enough - it must be paired with world‑class expertise and rigorous data hygiene, because bad data leads to bad decisions. They also explore how AI is reshaping discovery, forecasting, and fulfillment, and how Pattern’s proprietary data gives them a competitive edge.
The conversation then turns toward broader trends: the increasing importance of consumer journeys beyond Amazon, the evolving role of physical retail, and the challenges of international expansion. Bryce and Rob stress that despite industry headwinds - higher fees, raised barriers to entry - the fundamentals for success remain: great products, smart supply chains, and strategic brand building. For Pattern, the IPO marks a stepping stone, “the next leg,” not the finish line.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
This week, our usual host Max Sinclair, founder of Azoma and former Amazon search leader, takes a turn in the hot seat to dive deep into the transformation AI is bringing to consumer search. With clients like Mars, Zappos, Arla and Mars, Zoma helps global brands optimize their visibility within AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Max explains how the shift from keyword-based ranking to reasoning models with memory and personalization is forcing brands to rethink how they surface online—and how this new era rewards early adopters.
Max shares how Azoma has driven 5–7x increases in brand recommendations on AI platforms by auditing AI visibility, then generating optimized content like product listings, FAQs, and recipes tailored to trending conversational prompts. With insights on consumer behavior—like Gen Z’s heavy AI tool usage—and practical strategies for brands to stay relevant, Max outlines the narrowing window for competitive advantage as AI search rapidly becomes the default experience.
Looking ahead, Max envisions a future of agentic commerce, where AI browsers and embedded assistants handle end-to-end shopping. As consumer trust in AI deepens, he predicts brands will need to focus less on traditional website storefronts and more on clear, human-first content that resonates with both people and models. He also offers powerful advice for aspiring AI founders on timing, founder-market fit, and going all-in to seize emerging opportunities.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
-Show Notes/Events-
(1) Join us at our exclusive afterparty during Amazon Accelerate in September in Seattle: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seattle-seller-shell-ebration-tickets-1527728730759 sponsored by Azoma & partners.
(2) If you are a Brand or Retailer, you can apply for a free ticket at the 2025 Digital Shelf Summit in October 16th: https://www.digitalshelfinstitute.org/dss-europe
-Episode Description-
In this episode of The New Frontier, Jo and Max are joined by Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute and co-host of Unpacking the Digital Shelf. Lauren shares insights from her recent research (download here), where she interviewed 90 brand leaders across industries to explore how organizations are evolving their structures to adapt to AI.
Rather than simply tacking AI onto existing e-commerce departments, Lauren emphasizes the need for a broader, omni-functional shift—highlighting that true AI enablement requires rethinking everything from data governance and HR strategy to cross-functional alignment and brand voice clarity.
The conversation dives into the concept of “AI-enabled organizations,” where brand leaders work alongside AI agents that assist with tasks like content creation, user testing, and competitor analysis. Lauren argues this shift doesn’t spell doom for human workers but instead empowers them to focus on higher-level strategy. She introduces the idea of the "orchestrator"—a new kind of leader who manages both human teams and AI tools. The discussion also covers organizational models like Bayer’s dynamic shared ownership and practical ways to build cross-functional collaboration through shared goals, agile experiments, and evolving job pathways.
As AI agents begin influencing consumer discovery via platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI, the trio explores how brands must adapt their digital presence—especially in spaces like Reddit, YouTube, and LinkedIn—to ensure visibility in answer engines, and the invention of the new role of the "AI Visibility Engineer" pioneered by Azoma.
Lauren stresses that success in the AI era hinges not on flashy tech but on getting the fundamentals right: clear goals, unified teams, and scalable processes.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
This episode of The New Frontier dives deep into the story of the founding, rapid growth and double acquisition of Seller Investigators with co-founders Robert and Lee.
The pair shares how frustrating personal experience with Amazon's accounting led them to build a specialized audit and refund recovery platform. Starting as a side project with two interns on Google Sheest, they scaled their bootstrapped business into an industry-leading solution with $3m ARR before catching the eye of e-commerce giant Carbon6, who acquired them in 2022.
Robert and Lee unpack the strategic decisions behind Seller Investigators’ success, from prioritizing partnerships and system scalability to resisting the urge to raise capital. They emphasize the value of operational excellence, ethical leadership, and maintaining a strong company culture.
The duo also shares behind-the-scenes insights into their acquisition journey - what made Carbon 6 the right fit, how they navigated negotiations, and why culture and alignment ultimately mattered more than the highest offer. Robert and Lee then reflect on adapting to new roles, shifting go-to-market strategies, and lessons learned from scaling revenues 15x inside Carbon6 to +$45m ARR.
Finally, the conversation turns toward Carbon6's eventual acquisition by SPS Commerce for $210 million and the challenges of integrating entrepreneurial teams into an enterprise environment. They close the episode by sharing candid perspectives on platform risk, AI disruption, and why grit, adaptability, and strong go-to-market execution will always be central to startup success.
If you are going to Amazon Accelerate in September, join us for a drink in Seattle: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seattle-seller-shell-ebration-tickets-1527728730759 sponsored by Azoma & partners.
In this captivating episode of The New Frontier, hosts Jo and Max dive deep into the future of Amazon Ads with Kabir Bedi, Head of Product for Generative AI at Amazon Ads. Kabir shares visionary insights into how Amazon is set to revolutionize advertising by harnessing cutting-edge generative AI to simplify and supercharge ad creation, transforming how sellers and advertisers engage customers.
Kabir unveils Amazon's ambitious plans for generative AI tooling, highlighting exciting possibilities such as hyper-personalized video ads, advanced image generation, and powerful optimization tools designed to help advertisers reach more customers faster and more efficiently. He discusses the evolving capabilities of Amazon’s AI, including Amazon’s proprietary insights and data, that will enable brands of all sizes to effortlessly produce high-quality content, experiment rapidly, and scale their advertising like never before.
Finally, the conversation explores Amazon's strategic position in the broader AI landscape, from building flexible and powerful AI infrastructure within AWS to tackling AI challenges like hallucinations and accuracy. Kabir’s unique perspective paints a vivid picture of a future where Amazon Ads’ generative AI tooling sets new standards for creativity, effectiveness, and accessibility in digital advertising.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode, Max Sinclair, founder and CEO of Azoma, a pioneering scale-up specializing in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), goes deep into everything AI Engine Optimization (AEO). Max, a former Amazon search expert, highlights why traditional SEO methods are quickly becoming obsolete in the face of AI-driven search platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Amazon Rufus. He breaks down the fundamental differences between SEO and GEO, emphasizing the critical role of creating high-quality, AI-optimized content tailored to user intent rather than relying solely on keyword-based strategies.
Max shares insightful data revealing that 58% of consumers have shifted from Google search to AI-powered platforms, with younger demographics almost entirely adopting AI tools for discovering products and services. He explains how Azoma provides brands with powerful analytics to track and improve their visibility, sentiment, and overall presence within AI-generated results, rapidly outperforming traditional SEO methods in delivering measurable results.
Finally, Max outlines actionable GEO strategies, including creating fresh, highly-contextual content designed specifically for AI platforms, proactively managing brand mentions across platforms like Reddit and Quora, and leveraging real-time data insights to adapt content rapidly for AI queries. He stresses the importance of integrating AI-driven analytics to monitor brand sentiment, continually updating content to align with evolving AI models, and partnering closely with platforms like Amazon Rufus and Walmart’s Sparky to maximize visibility and engagement in the emerging AI-driven search landscape.
Marcelo Calbucci is an entrepreneur, technologist, innovator, and author of the PR FAQ Framework with over twenty five years of experience in the tech industry. He has held key roles at Microsoft and Amazon and has founded and led startups in both Seattle and London.
On this episode of the New Frontier, Marcello unpacks the powerful “Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions” (PRFAQ) framework—a cornerstone of Amazon’s culture of innovation. He explains how this six-page document helps teams envision a future product or service by crafting a hypothetical launch announcement and anticipating critical questions before any development begins.
Marcello shares how the PRFAQ process goes far beyond marketing: it’s a strategic tool that drives clarity, alignment, and debate across functions—from hardware to AI to marketing—ensuring teams are truly working backwards from the customer. He highlights how iconic Amazon products like Alexa and AWS began as PR FAQs and why startups, despite their fast-moving environments, can benefit immensely by slowing down to align on a shared vision before executing.
The conversation also explores how AI and large language models fit into this process. While AI excels at research and editing, Marcello cautions against relying on it to write strategy documents that require deep critical thinking. Instead, he suggests using the PR FAQ as context to guide AI outputs more effectively. To learn more about applying this framework in any business or creative endeavor, Marcello invites listeners to explore his book and free resources online.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode of The New Frontier, the hosts sit down with Anthony Lee, founder of AI Plus Automation and a respected voice in the Amazon and e-commerce space. Anthony shares his journey from mastering the Amazon ranking algorithm to becoming a pioneer in AI-driven process automation. He explains how his passion for building elaborate ManyChat bots evolved into creating sophisticated workflows that now power content generation, lead management, and business operations for e-commerce brands and agencies.
Anthony discusses how tools like GPT-3 and no-code platforms like Make and n8n unlocked the ability to automate complex processes that once required entire teams. He offers practical advice for Amazon sellers and entrepreneurs looking to identify the lowest-hanging fruit for automation—like report aggregation, competitor research, and logistics—and emphasizes that AI should be treated as a software tool rather than a silver bullet that replaces human expertise.
The conversation also dives into the broader implications of AI on the workforce, the evolving landscape of social media and search, and the importance of staying adaptable. Anthony shares his philosophy on learning, the skills that will be most valuable in the AI era, and insights on how business owners can audit their operations to deploy automation effectively. Whether you're an e-commerce founder, agency leader, or curious about AI’s real-world impact, this episode is packed with candid stories and actionable guidance.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this emergency episode of The New Emergency, hosts Jo and Max dive into the latest AI Engine for Brands to Optimize for: Walmart Sparky (see more). Framed similarly to Amazon's Rufus, now accounting for 14% of Amazon Searches, Sparky represents Walmart's deepening commitment to integrating AI across its entire value chain. The duo discuss the broader implications of Sparky’s launch alongside Walmart’s merchant-facing AI tool, Wally, signaling a strategic push to embed AI in both consumer and backend operations. This move not only sets up a compelling rivalry with Amazon but also points to a future dominated by “agentic commerce” systems, where AI handles increasingly complex retail tasks.
The hosts explore how Sparky differs from Rufus—most notably in its architecture. While Rufus relies on a single large language model, Sparky is powered by a network of specialized micro-agents trained on distinct retail functions. This modular setup is theorized to offer more accurate, task-specific responses, potentially outperforming general-purpose bots like Rufus. They also touch on broader workforce implications, noting how AI-driven efficiency gains at companies like Walmart and Amazon are already leading to significant job cuts and shifts in the traditional corporate employment contract.
Finally, Jo and Max cover Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tips specifically for Walmart Sparky (read our full analysis here). Drawing from Walmart’s own research papers, they outline five key AI Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) strategies: using semantic and contextual product language, emphasizing customer problem-solving in descriptions, tailoring content to specific audiences and scenarios, and ensuring backend attribute data is robust and detailed. The episode wraps with a strong message—AI is no longer a future trend; it’s shaping commerce today, and adapting to it is essential for staying competitive.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode of The New Frontier, Max welcomes long-time friend and ex-Amazon colleague Stephen Harris, founder of Situna, a global Amazon agency and 3PL powerhouse.
Steven shares his inspiring entrepreneurial journey—from selling cufflinks in his spare time, to working at Amazon, to launching a Private Label Amazon Brand and eventually making a seven-figure exit. Steven offers a candid look at his transition from Amazon employee to full-time entrepreneur, discussing the mindset shift, the calculated risks he took.
He dives deep into the mechanics of successfully exiting Amazon brands—emphasizing that simplicity, strong operations, and clean financials outweigh grand visions of untapped opportunities.
The conversation also covers how Situna differentiates itself in an increasingly commoditized Amazon agency space—through a robust 3PL arm, operational excellence, and a firm grip on profitability. Steven shares lessons on creating effective culture, integrating AI into agency workflows, and how partnerships, referrals, and maintaining a service-oriented ethos continue to drive growth. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to build, scale, or sell in the e-commerce and Amazon ecosystem.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
Max Sinclair sits down with Simon Cockram to reflect on his biggest learnings as a Founder from his three years building Azoma (previously Ecomtent) thus far, in a must-listen episode for prospective tech founders.
Max starts by emphasising the importance of having a distinct edge and a counterintuitive belief when launching a venture. He walks through the ideation process learned at Entrepreneur First, and the power of leveraging inflection such as a rapidly changing technological or regulatory landscape.
Max then dives into the intricacies of validating ideas quickly through MVPs, and how he raised early capital through angels and accelerator programs like Techstars. He shares tactical strategies around storytelling, customer validation, and go-to-market strategies.
The episode closes with a thought-provoking discussion on the future of AI, its potential impact on education, employment, and governance. Max offers both optimism about AI’s role in democratizing entrepreneurship and learning, and caution around data centralization and ethical risks. From startup hustle to global implications, this is a must-listen for anyone curious about how AI is reshaping business and society.
This podcast is brought to you by Amazing Wave, Azoma, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode of New Frontier, Jo Lambadjieva hosts Alina Vlaic, a Romanian entrepreneur and founder of aRank, which has facilitated over 6,000 Amazon product launches. Alina shares how her failed private label baby product unexpectedly led to creating her successful agency. She explains that Amazon's ranking algorithm has evolved dramatically since 2017, shifting from simple giveaway strategies to a complex system focused on "relevance" where listings must align perfectly with categories and keywords.
The conversation explores controversial ranking strategies like "search find buy," which Alina describes as in a "light gray area" of Amazon's terms of service but still effective when done properly. They discuss Amazon's AI assistant Rufus, with Alina suggesting sellers shouldn't overreact to the hype as traditional keyword searching still dominates. Alina also introduces her company PressX, which connects brands with high-authority publishers to generate authentic articles that provide both social proof and valuable external traffic to Amazon listings.
This podcast is brought to you by Amazing Wave, Azoma, and Ecomtent.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
Announcement: Ecomtent have just launched a Freemium version, check it out here
In this episode of The New Frontier, Max and Jo welcome brand strategist and author Trevor Bradford to celebrate the launch of his new book, What Captures the Heart Goes in the Cart (learn more). Trevor has 35 years of experience in branding as an agency owner, is a mentor in the Titan Network, and owns his own 6 figure brand.
Trevor introduces listeners to his IDEA framework—Insight, Distinctiveness, Empathy, and Authenticity—which underpins his approach to branding. He details how this methodology, combined with a revamped "Avatar 2.0" customer profiling tool, helps sellers understand and connect with their customers on a deeper emotional level. By anchoring branding in real buyer intent and emotional triggers rather than traditional demographics, Trevor aims to foster genuine trust and loyalty. He also discusses the importance of consistent brand voice across platforms and the power of personalization, citing Trinny London's success as a model of customer-centric innovation.
The conversation closes with a compelling discussion on the implications of AI in e-commerce. Trevor emphasizes the need for authenticity and humanity in AI-generated content to maintain customer trust. He advocates for sellers to build personal brands and multi-channel strategies to avoid over-reliance on platforms like Amazon. The episode wraps up with Trevor providing details on where to purchase his book and how sellers can reach out for brand consultations. This episode is a masterclass in aligning brand strategy with customer psychology in the age of AI.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Ecomtent and Amazing Wave.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode of New Frontier, Jo Lambadjieva hosts Leo Sgovio, a seven-figure Amazon seller and AI expert who first caught her attention when he won the Billion Dollar Seller Summit 2022 competition. Leo shares his journey from accidentally landing in Canada at age 23 to working for a large travel company, where he developed deep expertise in digital marketing, SEO, web analytics, and conversion optimization before transitioning to Amazon selling.
The conversation explores how the Amazon selling mindset is shifting from tactical "hacks" toward traditional marketing fundamentals. Leo discusses how search is evolving with AI-powered tools like Google's AI snippets, perplexity, and ChatGPT, emphasizing the importance of optimizing content for easy retrieval by AI systems while avoiding AI-generated content that contains hidden watermarks that search engines can detect.
Leo also details his innovative approach to AI-generated UGC (User Generated Content) through his company Splice.io, which helps brands connect with affiliates and influencers. Rather than creating entirely AI-generated people, his approach involves collecting authentic customer videos and then using AI to multiply this content for various marketing purposes.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Ecomtent and Amazing Wave.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
In this episode, Max Sinclair dives into the rapidly evolving world of AI-driven commerce. The discussion kicks off with a deep dive into GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, a fresh paradigm that parallels SEO but targets visibility within AI platforms like Amazon’s Rufus, ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini. Max shares how AI tools are fundamentally reshaping customer discovery, revealing just how pervasive AI has become in the modern shopping experience—especially on platforms like Amazon, where Rufus now influences up to 14% of all searches.
Max unpacks the technological leap from traditional algorithms to large language models, detailing how tools like COSMO and Rufus are trained to understand not just keywords, but context, audience, and purpose. He outlines actionable strategies for sellers to optimize their listings both visually and textually—incorporating seasonality, event-based relevance, and customer use cases—to thrive in AI-powered search environments. Listeners also get a glimpse into how tools like Ecomtent help brands stay ahead with continuous listing optimization and trend tracking across generative platforms.
Looking ahead, Max shares his predictions for the AI-driven future of e-commerce: more voice-based, personalized shopping journeys and lower barriers for entrepreneurs to launch their own ventures with AI-powered efficiency. While excited about the opportunities, he also raises critical concerns about global job displacement and digital inequality. This episode is a must-listen for sellers eager to stay competitive in the age of AI.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Ecomtent and Amazing Wave.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
In this special edition of The New Frontier, hosts Max and Jo dive into the breakthrough developments in ChatGPT-4o’s image generation capabilities, joined by Sim, who operates an eight-figure business across 11 private-label Amazon brands. The conversation unpacks how OpenAI’s new image model has evolved from the cartoonish limitations of DALL·E 3 into photorealistic rendering that rivals — and often exceeds — traditional tools like MidJourney. Sim and Jo discuss the implications of this for eCommerce, from generating A+ content to ad creatives, and discuss whether AI imagery is finally good enough for high-end brand builders.
Sim offers a behind-the-scenes look at how his business is integrating AI into its creative process. While main images still require human polish, secondary images and A+ content are now largely AI-generated — eliminating the need for stock photography and streamlining the workflow. Sim emphasizes the importance of human-AI collaboration, where designers use AI-generated mockups as a starting point, then enhance them for marketplace readiness. He also breaks down the operational flow from creative briefs to execution, and how this hybrid approach is accelerating their output across the board.The episode also spotlights an exciting emerging tool: Genspark. Sim and Max dive into how Genspark’s super-agent capabilities outpace alternatives like Manus and even Deep Research, delivering high-quality results in a fraction of the time. With a single prompt, Sim was able to generate a fully designed, visually polished seasonal calendar for pest control — complete with month-by-month breakdowns and localized data (see here). From analyzing Amazon SERPs to estimating product formulations and revenue, Genspark is proving to be a powerhouse for data-driven decisions. Sim praises its speed, depth, and cost-effectiveness — describing it as a mind-blowing advancement that’s reshaping how top-tier sellers approach research and strategy.
This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Ecomtent and Amazing Wave.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
In this episode of The New Frontier, Max and Jo reunite after a busy conference season, to welcome Shannon Curley, a seasoned marketing leader with deep expertise in brand storytelling, content strategy, and audience engagement—most recently the Director of Marketing at Carbon6, which was acquired for $210 million.
The conversation dives deep into the future of building effective teams in an AI-powered workforce. Shannon challenges the idea that teams must justify human roles by first proving AI can't do the job, instead flipping the script to focus on how humans can add more value. She emphasizes AI as a collaborative tool—an "intern" of sorts—not a replacement. Drawing from her leadership experience, she shares how to encourage AI adoption, train creative teams, and maintain morale, especially in the face of automation anxiety. They explore the balance between efficiency and creativity, how AI agents can support (but not supplant) team culture, and the importance of retaining human oversight and strategic thinking.
Shannon also addresses the broader implications of AI on workforce dynamics, particularly its potential impact on junior roles and hiring practices. She advocates for skill-based recruitment over traditional role-based models and underscores the need for hiring managers to rethink what qualifies as relevant experience in an AI-enhanced workplace. From upskilling strategies and agent integration to preserving creativity in content work, Shannon offers a clear-eyed yet optimistic vision for how organizations can thoughtfully and responsibly build the teams of tomorrow.
This podcast is brought to you by Ecomtent and Amazing Wave.
Connect with us:
https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/