How CPG Founders Should Think of AI | 'Silicon Valley's Most Wanted' Paul Adams

Yep - we are at the start of a new world - a world where AI is going to be 'even bigger than the internet'.

And as the leaders of challenger brands in CPG, we've gotta lean in. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I’m joined by one of my oldest and best friends, Paul Adams, CPO & Marketing at a multi-billion dollar company, Intercom AND he is building Fin.ai.

If you're not in 'Tech' you may not have heard of him, but Paul Adams is one of the world's most prominent tech product designers, researchers, and authors - recognised as one of the world's leading thinkers on the the intersection between humans and technology... and now between humans, commercialisation and AI.... amongst many other aspects of tech that most of us are not even privy to!

Described as "one of Silicon Valley's most wanted", he's also one of my closest friends, and I can't tell you how proud we are of the young man who rocked up to live with us in Balham in 2002 to work at Dyson, his very first job. After only a few years he was poached by Facebook, where he made the platform 'mobile' and then Google, where he worked on making Gmail, Google and YouTube mobile too. It was while working for these behemoths that he moved to San Francisco with his wife Jennifer, who's one of my three besties (Love you, Jen), and became globally renowned on the Tech speaker scene.

In this episode, Paul argues that AI isn’t just another new channel or tool. It’s a platform shift on the scale of the internet and potentially bigger. We talk about why the moment we’re in feels eerily similar to 1999, why marketing is getting less effective across the board, and why the brands that win next will look very different to the ones that won the last cycle.

A bit more background on Paul:

• "Most Wanted" Status (2011): Paul Adams was highlighted by Fortune as a highly sought-after talent in Silicon Valley following his significant contributions to major tech firms.
• Google (Social Research): At Google, he led the social research team, and his work directly influenced the creation of "Circles," which became the foundational feature of Google+. He also worked on Gmail, YouTube, and mobile products.
• Facebook (Brand Experience): He later joined Facebook as the Global Brand Experience Manager, where he focused on research, design, and product strategy, working with marketers and advertising agencies.
• Intercom (Product Strategy): He joined Intercom as VP of Product in 2014, later becoming the Chief Product Officer.
• Thought Leadership: Adams is the author of Grouped: How Small Groups of Friends are the Key to Influence on the Social Web. His work on "The Real Life Social Network" is widely recognized as one of the most viewed presentations on the evolution of social networks.
• Background: Before his time in tech, he worked as a product designer at Dyson, where he designed electronic appliances.

Current Status: As of September 2023, he was working as the Chief Product Officer at Intercom, focusing on product strategy in the age of AI.

This isn’t a tactical 'AI' for the sake of AI episode.

It’s a big-picture conversation about what’s actually changing, what’s already changed, and what brand builders need to understand to stay relevant over the next decade.

it was this conversation that made me set up a buzzing new community called NextGen CPG - a community for AI-native founders. Take a look and see if you're eligible to join us here

Useful links

Connect with Paul Adams on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/

Connect with Intercom The #1 AI Agent https://www.linkedin.com/company/intercom/

Join the NextGen CPG WhatsApp community and LinkedIn page

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Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm

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If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers.

But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right.

And that starts with the right legal partner.

So we're thrilled to introduce you to Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor.

With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG.

Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board for the second year running.

If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at hello@joelsonlaw.com

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Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS.