Mercedes Bent

  • AI CMOs are Coming

    If you’re like me, you’re noticing AI is writing pretty much everything you’re reading these days.  If you’re REALLY like me, you’re getting a bit sick of it. “It’s not X, it’s Y” is making all the Substacks I was unwittingly subscribed to even more intrusive.  The minute I identify that AI wrote what I’m…

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  • Consumer Products and the Utility v. Entertainment Tradeoff: Be Fun, Be Essential, or Be Nothing

    I constantly see really smart people launch consumer products, get little to no reception, and wonder why. There are a ton of possible culprits.  One common one I see is that their product lacked a captivating hook that chooses a side: to be singularly entertaining or provide extreme utility.  It is my strong belief that…

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  • How AI is changing the rules of Consumer Engagement

    AI is changing the rules of consumer engagement. Many formerly dependable tactics for building consumer tech products are changing. Operators will need to “re-learn” how build consumer tech in the world of AI. Across our consumer portfolio companies and externally, here’s a snapshot of where I’m seeing key areas of change: 🔹 **Acquisition**– Who the…

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