Episode Summary:

Are you drowning in AI noise? Every founder is being bombarded with tools promising the world, but 90% of them are burning cash. In this episode of the No-Code Founder Podcast, we cut through the hype to reveal the exact “Winning Stack” for 2026. Its a specific setup designed to take D2C brands from high six-figures to multiple seven-figures without hiring an army.

We break down the case study of a skincare brand that went from $420,000/year to pacing $2.4M in under 12 months using this exact strategy.

They did it with only three full-time employees, no new ad platforms, and no VC money, Its all about the execution of the 10% of tools that actually move the needle.

We also issue a "Reality Check" on what you need to stop doing immediately: stop building custom GPT wrappers, stop using generic AI copywriters that hurt conversion, and stop relying on commoditized Midjourney product photos.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Profit Engine: Why the attribution trio of Triple Whale, Northbeam, and Hyros is the only stack that survives the data landscape to give you real ROAS.
• Conversion Rate Explosion: How to use Rebuy and the 2026 Klaviyo Flow Builder to increase post-purchase attachment rates from 2.9% to 19.4% using a specific “free gift” trick.
• Margin Recovery: How to use ReturnLogic or Loop Returns with AI clustering to cut refund rates by up to 29%.
• The "Company Brain": How to replace 0.8 headcount by loading your SOPs into ChatGPT Enterprise and Dust.tt, saving founders 11+ hours a week.
• Customer Service Automation: How to resolve 91% of tickets instantly using Gorgias and Synthesia avatars without sounding like a robot.
• Content Velocity: The exact prompt chain using ChatGPT-4o and Perplexity to generate 52 ranking blog posts a year and drive massive organic traffic.

Thoughts Mentioned:

• The $420k to $2.4M Case Study: No VC, No Hype.
• The "Dead" Tech List: Why custom GPTs and AI Influencers are killing your ROI.
• Pillar 1: The Profit Engine & The Attribution Trio.
• Pillar 2: The Conversion Explosion & The Rebuy "Free Gift" Trick.
• Pillar 3: Margin Recovery & The "Company Brain" (Dust.tt).
• Pillar 4: The Content Velocity Machine & UGC Engine.
• The 90-Day Implementation Roadmap.
• The Monthly cost of these tools and how long it takes to recoup.

DM -STACK- And we will send you the notes for these tools within 24 hours. No optins required.

• X: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
• Want to 2X-5X your ROI in 90 days? Let us help you: ⁠Ascend AI⁠

Episode Description

SMS has a 98% open rate but an open isn't a sale.

In this episode of The No-Code Founder Pod, we will move past the hype and build an SMS program that drives incremental revenue without getting filtered, fined, or burning your list.

You'll learn:

• The 70/30 rule (why 70% of revenue should come from flows, not blasts)
• The "Double-Tap Capture" strategy (email first, then SMS, so you never lose both)
• The Emoji Tax (how one emoji can double your message cost)
• 10DLC registration (what it is, why it matters, how long it takes)
• TCPA compliance (the exact disclosure language to avoid $500–$1,500 per message fines)
• The SHAFT rule (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, don't go near these)
• Attribution truth (why 30-day windows lie, how to measure real incremental lift with holdouts)
• The 90-day rollout (foundations → efficiency → optimization)

By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap to build a compliant, profitable SMS channel that respects your customers and your margins.

Key Topics

• The 70/30 rule (flows vs. campaigns revenue mix)
• Double-Tap Capture (email first, then SMS)
• High-intent opt-in triggers (waitlists, back-in-stock, VIP access vs. discounts)
• The Emoji Tax (GSM-7 vs. Unicode encoding, 160 vs. 70 characters)
• 10DLC registration (brand and campaign vetting, throughput, trust scores)
• TCPA compliance (prior express written consent, quiet hours, disclosure language)
• The SHAFT rule (prohibited content categories)
• Attribution windows (30-day vs. 24-hour, holdout testing for incrementality)
• SMS vs. MMS (cost vs. CTR, when to use which)
• Two-way SMS (conversation vs. broadcast)

Connect with Leo:

• X: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
• Want to 2X-5X your ROI in 90 days? Let us help you >>> ⁠Ascend AI⁠
• DM me for any resources or checklists mentioned in the episode and Ill forward them your way.

Target Audience: Small–mid D2C founders & operators

Show Description: Turning Returns into Revenue

Returns are the "silent killer" of D2C margins, often ending in liquidation for pennies. In this episode of The No-Code Founder Pod, we explain how to transform reverse logistics from a cost center into a high-margin Profit Center through Re-Commerce.

What We Cover:

• The "Touch-It-Once" Rule: Using digital triage to route inventory instantly and eliminate operational bloat.
• The A/B/C Grading Framework: How to categorize items from "Open Box" (Grade A) to "Refurbished/Outlet" (Grade B) or "Functional Repair" (Grade C).
• Channel Strategy: Why an on-site brand outlet beats third-party marketplaces for SEO and customer data retention.
• The Cannibalization Myth: Why refurbished goods steal market share from competitors, not your own flagship sales.
• The Math of Recovery: A breakdown of how one returned unit can swing from a $60 loss to a $62 profit.

Key Terms:

• Reverse Logistics: Moving goods from the customer back to the seller to recapture value.
• Net Recovery Rate: Final resale cash minus shipping, labor, and packaging costs.
• Re-Commerce: The process of reselling previously owned or "open box" items.
• RMA & 3PL: The digital tracking (Return Merchandise Authorization) and the partner (Third-Party Logistics) managing the physical flow.

Connect with Leo:

X: Leo Sadeq | LinkedIn: Leo Sadeq

Scale Your ROI The Right Way: Ascend AI