I had an unexpected experience with Rufus (Amazon’s AI shopping assistant in beta) yesterday that gave me more clarity around where AI search and shopping is heading.

Lots of weekend chores and I needed a Swiffer mop. But what caught me off guard was how Rufus handled random questions beyond the basics like “does it leave streaks?” and “can it clean grout?”

I was curious so I tested two scenarios. (See the screenshots in the carousel below.)

► Asked “Who’s the main actor in Top Gun?” Not only did I get Tom Cruise’s backstory, but Rufus immediately suggested Maverick posters, Blu-rays, aviator glasses, even pilot costumes.

► Asked it to write a B2B GTM strategy post for Twitter/X. Got solid insights about AI in customer data analysis, plus recommendations for AI marketing books.

Rufus now knows I mop hardwood floors, love Top Gun, and work on B2B strategy with AI. Combined with years of my Amazon purchase history, this hints at our future with AI agents that actually do tasks for us (research, recommend, buy), not just answer questions.

This is way beyond basic personalization. We’re moving toward AI agents that understand context and act on our behalf, especially on platforms like Amazon where we’ve built years of trust. Brands that have earned this trust will have a big advantage in the next era of AI-driven shopping.

This experience makes me think that AI shopping agents are becoming more like trusted advisors rather than just assistants. They’re not just searching product catalogs. They’re understanding our needs, connecting dots across our interests, and helping us make decisions. They’re in a position to change how we shop and maybe even how we work.

Have you tried Rufus? How was your experience? What are your thoughts on how AI agents will change our shopping experience or even influence B2B?

Now onto taking down Halloween decorations. 🙂

My heart is full today! I had the honor of judging at a DECA invitational competition this morning, and I’m amazed by what I saw.

DECA Inc. is an international student organization that prepares high school students for careers in business. Today, more than 540 students from 15 Colorado schools showed us their talent in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

Along with my co-judge, Nikki S., I watched students tackle a hospitality marketing case study. With just pencil and paper, they had 15 minutes to create a complete marketing plan including product packaging, pricing, SWOT, and promotion strategies. Then they pitched their ideas to us.

Their poise, creativity, critical thinking, and confidence blew us away. These young leaders are ready for the real world!

But today was extra special for me as a mom. They say our biggest contribution in this world may not be what we do, but who we raise.

My daughter, Alana Adams, a high school senior, serves as VP of Competition for the host school. Beyond competing herself, she and her team led the event.

After her experience at DECA Nationals in Anaheim last year and her internship at Avocet Communications, she wanted to help first-time competitors feel confident and prepared.

Watching her encourage and lift others made me incredibly proud.

If any of you have an opportunity to volunteer as a DECA judge, jump on it. It’s an experience that allows you to shape the next generation and I guarantee that you will likewise learn from the kids!

Thank you, Avocet Communications and Lori Sutorius Jones, for investing in these young leaders. And to every DECA student – you’re amazing! Parents and guardians, thank you for supporting these bright minds. The future is in good hands.

Beast of burden! Since we’re working like dogs lately, thought we could all take a little brain break with AI this spooky day. 😉

Penny is the hardest working (and tolerant) Amazon deliver pup I know! So I asked ChatGPT and Claude to write this Halloween poem about Penny (and her helper) .

There’s Penny the Lab in her delivery gear,
With plaid shirt and package, bringing Prime-worthy cheer!
Her stuffed pup assistant waddles behind,
(The world’s first stuffed helper that’s Prime-design’d!)

They’re not quite as fast as the real Amazon crew,
Since Penny stops thrice for each tennis ball too!
But what these pups lack in delivery pace,
They make up for with slobber and pure golden grace!

So if your next package comes drooled on with care,
Blame Penny and Plushie, that fur-tastic pair!
The fluffiest drivers to grace your front door—
Though treats must be paid, or they’ll come back for more! 🐾📦

What adorable costumes are your fur babies rockin’ today? Let’s see ‘em.

Have a happy and safe Halloween! 👻🎃

Here’s an example of how to push AI to be an insightful thought partner in your brainstorming process and identify new AI use cases.

There was a series of prompts, but here’s an aggregate so it’s easier to understand:

We were in a working session with several B2B CMOs. We shared our top challenges and wrote them on sticky notes. See the attached photo of the stickies.

Our top challenges bubbled up into two categories:

1. Segments & Personas

2. Go-to-Market Internal Pipe/Team Alignment

You are an exceptional analyst and problem solver. Please create a comprehensive, actionable framework that addresses these B2B marketing challenges, especially in the AI era:

1. Top 3 approaches CMOs must consider that meet one or more of the following criteria in solving for the challenges:

   • Commonly overlooked but practical and compelling

   • A different and provocative perspective

   • Challenges the status quo

   • Easily dismissed in the past but highly applicable today and beyond

   • More inclusive

2. For each approach, please provide:

   • Clear description and rationale

   • Relevant example

   • How it meets the criteria above

   • Benefits and expected outcomes

   • Components for implementation

   • Ways generative AI can help

   • Phased implementation plan

3. Please present this information in an interactive, visually appealing format that:

   • Makes each approach easy to understand

   • Uses clear and professional design elements

   • Provides actionable information

Please take a deep breath and think about this step by step. There’s no need to rush. I have full confidence in you.

The output included three approaches as you can see in the video below:

• ► Won Deals Success Strategy (New insight)
  Learn from your wins by studying successful deals systematically.

• ► GTM Team Alignment (Validated our thinking)
  Break down silos to get marketing, sales, and product teams working as one.

• ► Critical Moment Marketing (New insight)
  Focus resources on key decision moments that actually move deals forward.

Better prompts lead to better insights. By combining AI’s analytical power with human expertise, we can uncover insights we hadn’t considered.

Sure, if our CMO group had brainstormed longer than 15 minutes, we might have arrived at some of these ideas ourselves. But that’s exactly why AI is valuable; it helps us think differently and speeds up our ideation process.

Note that it also gave us ideas for how to use AI in implementing each of the solutions. That’s more AI use cases for us to explore!

Try this prompt structure to help with your next brainstorming session. I used Claude for its interactive user experience output, but you can adapt this for other AI assistants by removing the visualization requests.

Feel free to also interact directly with Claude (no subscription required) with this example. See the link in the comment.

How have you used AI for ideation? What new insights has AI helped you uncover?

#AI #Claude #Ideation #Brainstorming #AIUseCases GrowthPath Partners

Your Competitors Can Copy Your AI. Here’s What They Can’t Copy.

Everyone’s rushing to add AI features: chatbots, automation, predictive analytics, and more. But the reality is that your competitors can copy all of that. Sometimes in weeks.

Today’s AI models are the least capable they’ll ever be. Building AI wrappers on top of frontier models, filling feature gaps, and adding interfaces may soon feel like standing on melting ice.

The sample heat map below reflects a brutal truth. AI features and even great user interfaces become commodities fast. As AI models advance, more of these layers become table stakes.

Smart business leaders are racing up the defensibility ladder. Why? Because while AI features are easy to copy, these aren’t:

• Deep customer trust built over years

• Ecosystems of loyal partners

• Brand reputation from consistent delivery

• Real solutions to industry-specific problems

Here’s your action plan:

• Stop competing on features alone.

• Start building relationship layers.

• Focus on trust-building wins. Invest in your brand.

• Solve problems you deeply understand.

The real AI winners won’t have the most features. They’ll solve new problems that others can’t easily address AND have the strongest relationships.

What unique problems are you solving? How do customers measure your value versus competitors? Can your moat survive the next 6-12 months of AI innovation?

For more insights and to test your defensibility, check out my newsletter on “Disrupt or Be Disrupted: AI’s Verdict on Your Product’s Defensibility“

#AIFeatures #Moat #Competitive #Trust #Brand GrowthPath Partners