Podcast Summary: Marketing Against The Grain – Episode: "Everyone’s Using AI Wrong – This Is the Real Unlock"

Released on August 7, 2025, by Hubspot Media

In this insightful episode of Marketing Against The Grain, host Kip Bodnar engages in a deep conversation with Alan Go, the founder of Willow Voice, a pioneering voice AI dictation app. The discussion delves into the transformative potential of voice AI, its current applications, and its future in reshaping how we interact with technology and perform daily tasks.

1. Introduction to Voice AI and Willow Voice

[00:00] Kip Bodnar opens the episode by highlighting the underutilization of voice AI beyond mainstream applications like Siri and Alexa. He introduces Alan Go, emphasizing Willow Voice's role in revolutionizing voice-based productivity.

Alan Go shares his journey into voice AI, initially rooted in the healthcare sector. He explains how doctors benefitted from AI scribes by reducing the time spent on documentation, thereby reclaiming their personal time and improving their focus on patient care.

Alan Go [02:22]: "Voice is the fastest way to communicate thoughts to paper, but text is the fastest way to process information."

Willow Voice is presented as a sophisticated voice dictation tool that surpasses built-in options like Apple's dictation by being faster, more accurate, and contextually intelligent. This allows users to write seamlessly across various platforms, including email, Slack, and AI prompting.

2. The Evolution and Importance of Voice AI

Kip and Alan discuss the historical shortcomings of voice AI, citing examples like Siri and Alexa, which were often inaccurate and cumbersome. However, recent advancements have made voice AI more reliable and efficient.

Alan Go [04:32]: "With AI that's made voice finely intelligent and context-aware, we have infrastructure to support that at a low cost and real-time."

They emphasize that the technology is now mature enough to replace traditional typing in many workflows, significantly boosting productivity and enhancing user experience.

3. Practical Use Cases and Demonstrations

Alan demonstrates how Willow Voice integrates with AI tools like Claude, showcasing real-time dictation and content generation. For instance, Kip illustrates how he used Willow to compose a prep email in 30 seconds, a task that previously took him 10 minutes.

Key Use Cases Discussed:

• Async Word Communication: Streamlining email, Slack messages, and personal messaging by speaking instead of typing.

  Alan Go [05:30]: "Voice is so much more natural and fluid and obviously it's faster than you would be typing. It just saves them so much time."

• AI Prompting: Enhancing interactions with large language models by dictating prompts instead of typing them, allowing for more detailed and nuanced instructions.

• Content Creation for Marketers: Facilitating brainstorming sessions by speaking ideas out loud, which the AI then transcribes and refines, overcoming the initial inertia of typing.

• Email Composition: Automated formatting, correction, and personalization of emails, maintaining the user's unique writing style.

[10:54] Alan showcases how Willow intelligently formats an email, adjusting greetings, signatures, and even stylistic choices like the use of exclamation marks based on the context (e.g., Gmail vs. Slack).

4. Comparing Voice AI with Other Tools

The conversation contrasts Willow Voice with other dictation and note-taking tools. Alan categorizes tools like ChatGPT's record feature and Apple’s built-in dictation as primarily transcriptive, lacking the contextual understanding that Willow provides. This contextual intelligence allows Willow to not only transcribe but also format and style communications appropriately.

Alan Go [22:18]: "The key part which makes Willow so great is that it has this extra AI piece that interprets what you say."

They also differentiate between real-time dictation tools and note-takers designed for group conversations, highlighting Willow's superiority in one-on-one or personal productivity scenarios.

5. Quantifying the Impact of Voice AI

Alan presents compelling statistics demonstrating the efficiency gains from using Willow Voice:

• Typing Speed vs. Dictation Speed: Average typing speed is around 40 words per minute, while dictation can reach 180-200 words per minute or more.

  Alan Go [24:54]: "That's literally a four to five times increase in speed and productivity and time saved just by using dictation rather than having to type things out."

• Time Savings: For frequent communicators, such as those handling numerous emails or Slack messages, the time saved can accumulate to over an hour daily.

Kip underscores that this productivity is hidden yet immensely valuable, as it accelerates routine tasks without the need for additional resources or flashy advancements.

6. Future of Voice AI and User Experience

Looking ahead, Alan envisions voice AI evolving into the primary human-computer interface, much like the transition from mice and keyboards to touch interfaces. He speculates on future developments, such as:

• Enhanced Personalization: AI interpreting tone and context to incorporate emojis or adjust communication styles seamlessly.

• New Design Languages: Just as touch introduced gestures like pinch-to-zoom, voice AI will necessitate new interaction paradigms.

• Comprehensive Integration: Voice AI interacting deeply with various applications and workflows, creating a unified and intuitive user experience.

Alan Go [29:16]: "When we think about voice as the next primary interface, we think about what could that entire user experience be? And it's going to be entirely new."

Kip emphasizes the importance for marketers and business owners to stay abreast of these trends, as the modality of communication is poised for significant transformation.

7. Adoption Challenges and Final Thoughts

Alan acknowledges the cultural shift required to adopt voice AI, noting that while the technology has advanced, user habits take time to change. He highlights Willow's focus on simplicity and user-friendly design to facilitate this transition.

Alan Go [27:12]: "Voice AI can replace everything on your entire keyboard and your typing workflow. And that's sort of the vision that we're headed towards."

Kip concludes by reflecting on the transformative potential of voice AI, ensuring listeners understand both the immediate benefits and the future possibilities. He encourages audience members to experiment with tools like Willow Voice to enhance their productivity and prepare for the evolving landscape of human-computer interaction.

Key Takeaways:

• Voice AI is Mature and Reliable: Recent advancements have addressed past limitations, making voice AI a viable replacement for typing in many scenarios.

• Significant Productivity Gains: Users can save substantial time by adopting voice AI for routine communications and content creation.

• Contextual Intelligence is Crucial: Advanced voice AI tools like Willow Voice understand context, formatting, and personal styles, enhancing the quality of transcribed content.

• Future Transformation: Voice AI is set to redefine user interfaces and communication modalities, necessitating adaptation and forward-thinking strategies from marketers and business professionals.

Notable Quotes:

• Kip Bodnar [00:00]: "You're never going to want to type again."

• Alan Go [02:22]: "Voice is the fastest way to communicate thoughts to paper, but text is the fastest way to process information."

• Alan Go [04:32]: "With AI that's made voice finely intelligent and context-aware, we have infrastructure to support that at a low cost and real-time."

• Kip Bodnar [12:11]: "Email is something we all have to do and that's a way better way to do it."

• Alan Go [29:16]: "When we think about voice as the next primary interface, we think about what could that entire user experience be? And it's going to be entirely new."

This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for marketers, business owners, and professionals eager to harness the power of voice AI to streamline their workflows and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving technological landscape.