Podcast
The New Frontier: The Agentic Commerce & Answer Engine Optimization podcast
Hosted by Jo and Max · EN
This podcast explores the fast-moving world of AI for leaders and owners of ecommerce businesses. We discuss topics such as AI Answer Engine Optimization - getting your brand mentioned by Amazon Rufus/Alexa for Shopping, Walmart Sparky, ChatGPT, and Gemini. It's hosted by Jo Lambadjieva, Founder of Amazing Wave and AI Educator; and Max Sinclair, Founder of Azoma & ex-Amazonian. It is brought to you by www.azoma.ai and amazingwave.digital
Connect with us:
https://ecommerce-ai.beehiiv.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Pivoting a failing marketplace business to an $11m ARR Enterprise AI SaaS with Gaétan Rougevin-Baville
Nov 2100:40:41Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The New Frontier, Max sits down with Gaétan Rougevin-Baville , CEO of Diffusely, an AI-powered visual production platform serving major players in fashion and automotive. Gaétan shares the remarkable story of how he led a hard pivot from a global photography marketplace into a verticalized AI SaaS business—scaling revenue to $11 million in just three years. Originally joining a company called MERO, Gaétan witnessed the rapid rise and fall of the traditional content production model as COVID-19 and advancing tech disrupted demand for professional photography.The conversation dives deep into the operational and emotional complexities of the pivot. At its peak, the company had over 800 employees and $45M in GMV, but pivoting to AI meant a complete overhaul - downsizing to 100 employees and realigning leadership. Gaétan opens up about making tough decisions, navigating mass layoffs, and building trust through transparency. He also offers insight into leading with empathy, supporting those affected through job placement efforts, and maintaining morale during massive organizational change.Looking ahead, Gaétan explains how Diffusely now helps enterprise clients in fashion and automotive generate and manage visual content at scale using AI. By focusing on deep verticalization, robust enterprise integration, and blending AI with human expertise, Diffusely delivers fast, high-volume image production. Gaia shares go-to-market strategies, lessons in hiring and customer success, and how to drive adoption in large, change-resistant organizations. It’s an honest, deeply practical look at modern leadership in the age of AI transformation.This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.Connect with us:https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
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Leading Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) at Mars Wrigley during the era AI Discoverability, with Global Director of Search Tory Bradley
Nov 600:24:56Tap to summarizeIn 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.This podcast is brought to you by Azoma, Amazing Wave, and Ecomtent.Connect with us:https://twitter.com/maxsinclair4https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
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The New Rufus: Reason, Research & Remembrance with Max Sinclair
Oct 2800:22:35Tap to summarizeIn 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/maxsinclair4https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-sinclair-ai/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannalambadjieva/
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