What if your biggest growth unlock isn’t a new channel, but how you use the ones you already have? Two seasoned operators go head-to-head on the smart way to apply AI, the real winners for 2026 ad spend, and the first hire that sets your brand’s trajectory. The conversation gets specific fast: why letting AI write your SEO is a trap without data, how compliance hallucinations can quietly nuke revenue, and where “amplify, don’t replace” turns AI into a creative force multiplier for images and short-form video.

We weigh “Amazonia” against TikTok’s momentum and land on a pragmatic view: Amazon remains the backbone for scalable, exit-worthy revenue, while TikTok and Reddit create edge opportunities when matched to the right ICP and creative. The hire debate splits the room—growth manager to push demand and break bottlenecks vs COO to build processes first—but both paths win when you commit to testing and clear goals. On wasted spend, we call out untargeted brand campaigns and untested products, then offer a tighter loop: prototype, measure, iterate, scale.

Expect actionable channel strategy. Treat Instagram and Facebook as distinct ecosystems inside Meta. Explore Reddit for efficient, context-rich placements that meet buyers inside candid communities. Max out branded and high-intent search on Google and Amazon to catch ready demand. For the customer journey, we frame friction as price and choice: price must tell a value story, and choice overload demands sharper positioning, clean comparisons, and a single, obvious job-to-be-done. Retention flows from product truth and experience—memorable unboxing, useful follow-ups, and a product that simply works.

We close by showing where AI truly shines right now: accelerating creative. Generate lifestyle images and believable video seconds, then polish with human editing to ship more winning variants across PDPs and feeds. If you want to grow faster without burning cash, this showdown delivers the blueprint. If you learned something useful, follow the show, share with a teammate, and leave a quick review—what tactic are you betting on for 2026?

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