We packed this week with three power sessions, including two industry roundtables, by digging into practical AI for product builders, gathering marketing leaders to trade real-world playbooks, and exploring the future of retail with e-Commerce leaders. Here’s what went down and why it matters for innovators in our community.

Designing Product Features with AI Tools & Agents feat. Bobby Gilbert

Tuesday, August 12

What Happened
23 builders joined our AI Impact series to move beyond “toy” prototypes and ship real features. Bobby walked through a five-step playbook: voice-to-idea → PRD creation → prototyping → feature development → advanced implementation, then built a working email automation feature live.

Live Demo & Stack

• Built a context-aware meeting transcription & analysis web app using the OpenAI API.
• Tested four platforms in parallel; V0 delivered the strongest results with a 90% confidence rating and a clean UI.
• Core setup: Node.js, GitHub (with the desktop app), and an AI IDE (Cursor).
• Baseline budget for cloud prototyping tools (Bolt, Lovable, V0): ~$60/month.
• Recommended cloud platforms: Bolt, Lovable, V0, Replit; mobile: Roark (YC-backed), Bloom, Steercode; framework: Expo for web + mobile.
• Pro tip for Mac users: Super Whisper for instant voice-to-text across apps.
• Notable note: Cursor IDE is offering limited-time free access to GPT-5, supercharging AI builds.

Advanced Workflow & Best Practices

• Levels of Complexity
  1. Cloud prototyping → 2) Local dev with AI IDE (demoed) → 3) CLI with Claude Code for parallel agents → 4) Optimized, rules-driven meta-orchestration (e.g., Conductor).
• Docs first: paste API docs into your model for context.
• Search smarter: use Perplexity to find the right APIs and services.
• Test-then-code: write tests first; ship minimal code to make them pass.
• Ship utility first: get it working, then upgrade the UI with component libraries.

Why It Matters
Builders left with a repeatable build system, a realistic budget, and a working automation feature. This is evidence that functional AI-powered product work can happen in hours, not months.

Marketing + Advertising Industry Roundtable

Thursday, August 14 at 12:00 PM ET

Who Joined:
Our first-ever marketing/advertising roundtable convened 28 entrepreneurs, creative leaders, and VCs to discuss the latest trends in the marketing/advertising space.

What We Learned About AI in Creative Work

• Adoption is uneven. Execs love the speed/cost wins; some creative teams resist out of fear.
• Lead with the work, not the tool. Show quality first then mention AI as the assist.
• The competitive landscape is shifting. Small AI shops vs. holding companies building proprietary dashboards.
• Authenticity > generic AI. Smaller brands need strategic, brand-true content. Avoid templatey AI ads.
• Taste still rules. A once-novel AI voice quickly felt ubiquitous; brand distinctiveness matters.
• Human creators carry community value. Clients sometimes prefer artists for their cultural impact.
• AI as force-multiplier. Use AI through APIs with HubSpot/Salesforce to boost productivity.
• Hiring is evolving. AI skills and AEO (AI-optimized SEO) are becoming must-haves.
• Mindset shift. Treat AI as a collaborator that augments human intelligence.

Tools & Resources Folks Are Using
Claude.ai, Google Gemini (with source validation), Notebook LM, Microsoft Copilot, Cursor; plus Airtable updates for creatives and upcoming Airtable events.

Market Direction
Brands, especially enterprises, are leaning into organic engagement as paid budgets tighten, and they’re measuring what’s measurable without heavy upfront media spend.

eCommerce Innovator Roundtable in Partnership with SHOPLINE

Thursday, August 14 at 3:00 PM ET

Who Joined:
Following our earlier partnership announcement with SHOPLINE, we launched a monthly roundtable for founders of product-based startups, DTC operators, retail strategists, supply chain pros, investors, and eCommerce experts for a candid, closed-door discussion on what it takes to win and survive in modern retail.

Trends Shaping the Next 12 Months

• Retail first for F&B launches. Post-show insights (Summer Fancy Food): many brands prioritize retail over DTC to start.
• Subscriptions must be flexible. Stackable discounts, customizable bundles, and easy skips drive retention.
• Data sophistication is climbing. As brands scale from $100K → $100M, they’re investing in attribution and first-time visitor ID.
• Co-creation wins. Bring customers into product development early to de-risk launches.
• Agentic shopping bots are coming fast—expect autonomous purchasing behaviors to reshape funnels.

Automation is Rewriting Operations

• Amazon now runs ~1M robots in fulfillment; labor shortages are accelerating automation end-to-end.
• Humanoid robots remain in prototype but could handle discrete tasks within 2–3 years.
• Autonomous trucking is gaining steam as drivers age out.
• DIY robotics is real for small operators (think 3D-printed gears + SKU scanning from a spare room).

Enterprise CPG Insights:

• Big companies are placing $30–50M bets in startup funds for automation solutions.
• Packaging optimization can beat warehouse robotics on ROI via shipping cost savings.
• Big gap: consumption tracking (we know when people buy, not how they use).
• Hyper-personalization is moving beyond names to genuine formula matching (e.g., skin type).

All told, an estimated $10M worth flowed through those three sessions. I think we’re onto something special…