Claim OwnershipMaster B2B Friday 15
Subscribed: 0Played: 63
Subscribe
© Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
Description
Each Friday Master B2B founders Andy Hoar and Brian Beck take a quick 15 minute spin around the world of B2B eCommerce, with their take on breaking news and lively conversations about the most pressing topics facing manufacturers, distributors and brands selling online.
113 Episodes
Reverse
Is AI becoming an oligopoly? Apple just paid Google $1 BILLION for AI technology, admitting Apple Intelligence failed. This changes everything for B2B commerce.
In this episode of Master B2B Friday 15, Brian Beck and Andy Hoar break down the emerging AI oligopoly and what it means for B2B e-commerce leaders.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
Apple's $1B deal with Google for Gemini AI (and why it matters)
The Protocol Wars: OpenAI's ACP vs. Google's Universal Commerce Protocol
Why only 3-5 foundation AI models will survive
The $3 trillion infrastructure investment battle
How ChatGPT (68% market share) and Google Gemini (18%) dominate
Market share shifts: Traditional Google search (78%) vs. ChatGPT queries (17%)
What B2B companies must do NOW to prepare for AEO (AI Engine Optimization)
Why B2B may have an advantage over B2C in the AI era
We're joined by Kevin Stone, Senior Vice President of Technology & Procurement at Motion Industries, to talk about how AI has changed the hiring process.
While it's gotten way easier to create the perfect resume when applying for a job, it's gotten equally more challenging for hiring managers to figure out whether what's on a resume actually represents a candidate's experience.
Kevin walks us through how he vets candidates and what he's learned about hiring in this new era.
Notes:
Master B2B Mindshare Summit
Master B2B Forum
Andy and Brian are joined by Adrienne Hartman, EVP of Marketing at Safety & Regulatory Compliance company JJ Keller, to discuss how to align your sales and marketing teams, and what tools they need to ensure this alignment is a success.
Our final podcast of the year! This week Andy & Brian talk about the biggest stories of the year:
Was everyone wrong about tariffs?
Nobody getting hired, nobody getting fired?
Disruption in the Search market because of AI...
Thanks to everyone for listening! We hope to see you at the Master B2B Mindshare Summit in March:
https://events.masterb2b.com/events/summit
Andy and Brian debate whether Google's recent resurgence in the AI race can continue, and whether there are any historical parallels we can look at to make some guesses about how this all plays out.
Plus, is OpenAI the new Netscape?
Visit us at MasterB2B.com.
We're sharing a recording of our recent Webcast where we revealed our B2B eCommerce predictions for 2026. Learn what we think is going to happen with product search, Amazon Business, AI customer service and more. Plus, we bring in special guests to tell us where they think we're right - and wrong - about the future.
Get the Predictions report here.
For brands selling on Amazon, channel conflict and brand control are still a huge issue.
That's why we recently had an onstage debate at B2B Online in Atlanta to figure out which method of selling on Amazon - 1p or 3p - is the best option for a manufacturer.
As a reminder, 1p is a wholesale model and 3p is a retail model.
In this recap, we discuss: - Which option is the best approach for channel control - what you sell, what you charge, how it's presented?
- Which selling method is preferable from an operational/fulfillment perspective?
- Which is superior from a financial perspective?
Also mentioned:
Master B2B Forum
Master B2B Nexus
Andy and Brian spent the week in Seattle at the Amazon Business Reshape conference getting a deep dive into Amazon Business. Today on the Friday 15, they chat with Natalia Montuori, a Director at Amazon Business, about AI buying assistants, direct delivery, business advertising and more.
It's 2025, so shouldn't every company have an eCommerce website?
Not so, says Schneider Electric's Anthony Locke.
Anthony says that companies have to consider what they are uniquely good at, and what their distribution partners are uniquely good at, and then decide whether they should have an eCommerce presence.
And the answer for multi-billion dollar Schneider Electric was that they should not sell online and instead should focus on supporting their distribution partners.
This week on the Friday 15, Andy & Brian talk with Gireesh Sahukar, a longtime software executive and eCommerce practitioner about what software buyers REALLY need to ask their potential vendors about their products.
Here's a hint - you don't just want a list of product features that they say meets your needs...and why executive churn may not be a bad sign.
The Paradigm B2B eCombine
Master B2B Nexus
This week, Andy and Brian return from hosting Master B2B executive roundtables across the country and share how practitioners are making the pitch to their CIO, CFO and CEO to fund their eCommerce initiatives.
And the answer is simple - "say it's an AI initiative." Andy shared a story from one roundtable participant who made a pitch for a software investment to his CFO and the CFO responded, "Are you sure this isn't an AI tool? (wink wink)" knowing that every AI investment was being approved internally.
This week, Master B2B's Andy Hoar is joined by Master B2B contributor Jared Blank to talk through Andy's new Paradigm B2B eCombine tool that helps practitioners select the best eCommerce platforms to investigate for their business.
Plus, why are so many businesses giving up being a public company and going private nowadays?
Check out the eCombine here.
Author and executive Dr. Lisa Palmer shares learnings from her new book, "Show AI - Don't Tell It: Build Buy-In with Visual Storytelling."
In her research she found that there are 3 key reasons why executives get "stuck" when considering their AI strategy, and she offers a framework for how to get "un-stuck" and unlock AI's potential within your company.
Dr Lisa's Advisory Firm
Buy Dr. Lisa's book
The stock market has punished the shares of research firms Gartner and Forrester because of the possible impact of AI on their revenues. But it's not so clear that AI can replace everything research analysts do. Former analyst Andy Hoar walks through what analysts actually do in their roles, and which parts of their jobs will be - and won't be - impacted by AI.
Brands have failed to rein in unauthorized distributors who re-sell their products on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. Is there nothing they can do to protect themselves?
We speak with attorney Jon Groza from the firm KJK about how manufacturers and brands can maintain control of where their product is sold.
More about Jon Groza
Master B2B Forum
Master B2B Nexus
This week Brian Beck attended the Amazon Accelerate seller conference and came back to share the key themes that he took away from the event:
1) AI AI AI (and also AI)
2) Fulfillment is now a strategic pillar for the company
3) Will they commercialize their analytics capabilities?
4) 1p vs 3p is now a war
This week, Andy & Brian look at whether there is a future in so-called "composable commerce" or if both tech providers and buyers need to adapt. Should retailers be in the business of building tech? And do tech providers need to re-think their approach and offer solutions that offer a mix of pre-built modules and flexibility? Or is this all the wrong way of thinking about it?
This week, Andy & Brian look at whether the current trend of flattening organizations will actually be good for businesses. They discuss concerns that managers will find it impossible to oversee a team of 15 on their own, and what happens when junior employees are not able to spend sufficient time with their managers. Who will do the development? (Obviously it'll be ChatGPT.)
This week, Andy and Brian talk through a recent MIT report that found 95% of AI projects fail. They discuss the barriers to success - specifically that the challenges aren't technical, they're strategic and cultural.
And they walk through the 3 "un's" - these projects are often undefined, unfocused and unmeasured. Finally, they discuss the best practices they've learned working on their own AI initiatives.
Andy & Brian speak with American Eagle's Tim Ahlenius about how systems integrators are adapting to the new world of AI. They discuss the need for systems thinking - understanding how different systems fit together and how changing one piece affects the whole - and how AI can help speed up parts of implementation projects, while requiring a different set of skills to ensure success.
American Eagle
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States