The Week We Gave Up Control, Embraced AI Creative, and Learned Why "Idea Guys" Are About to Win Big

🔍 FUNNEL VISION:

Sometimes you need to take a few steps back to go forward.

Marketing takes time.

Especially when you’re a larger brand.

You have to have the patience to see things through.

A lot of marketers look at things on a daily or weekly basis but true operators look at monthly, quarterly, and yearly.

For pros: Resist the urge to pivot strategies when your board or stakeholders get nervous about short-term dips. Set clear expectation timelines upfront (6-12 months for major changes) and document early leading indicators to show progress before lagging metrics catch up.

For beginners: Stop checking your metrics daily and start batching your analysis into weekly or monthly reviews. Daily fluctuations will drive you crazy and lead to knee-jerk decisions that hurt long-term performance. Trust the process you've built.

🥡 THIS WEEK'S FUNNEL FEED

What we're testing: We're experimenting with whitelisted ad campaigns, giving select content creators permission to run ads on our behalf using their profiles and content, while we maintain control over targeting and budget from our ad account.

What's happening so far: Early data shows these ads feel more authentic and less "salesy" than traditional brand ads. We're seeing higher engagement rates and lower CPMs compared to our standard creative, likely because the content appears to come from trusted creators rather than directly from our brand account.

Why this approach works: Three key psychological principles driving whitelisted ad performance:

1. Social proof amplification: Ads appear to come from real people customers already follow and trust, borrowing their credibility

2. Native integration: Content blends seamlessly into users' feeds as authentic creator posts rather than obvious advertising

3. Authenticity bias: Consumers process creator-generated content as genuine recommendations rather than corporate messaging, reducing ad blindness

How to try it:

FOR $10M+ BRANDS:

• Partner with 5-10 micro-influencers who already use your product authentically

• Create formal whitelisting agreements with clear content guidelines and usage rights

• A/B test whitelisted creator content against your traditional ad creative

• Track not just conversion metrics but brand sentiment and organic mention increases

STARTING OUT? TRY THIS:

• Start with customers who already post about your product organically

• Offer them free products in exchange for whitelisting permission

• Use their existing posts as ad creative before investing in new content creation

• Begin with small budgets ($50-100/day per creator) to test performance before scaling

🍱 THIS WEEK'S CONTENT BUFFET

These are some pieces of content that I felt inspired to write about.

This is a killer post.

For one, the hook is crazy!

“If my company burned to the ground tonight, I'd rebuild it in 90 days using only AI. Here's exactly how:”

That’s a n irestiable hook.

It also helps that Tom sold Quest for $1B so that gives him credibility but nevertheless is a great opener.

What he outlines in this post is a fundetmatl change in the way business are built.

Lean teams and even solo operators can do a lot of damage.

This leads me to the quote below from Open AI’s founder Sam Altman's latest blog post.

The idea guys are about to have their shining moment.

With tools that code for you and AI agents that serve as team members, someone with limited capital but a creative mind can build and ship full-scale products.

Wild times we live in.

Check out the full post here.

This is the difference between a 7 and 8-figure e-commerce brand.

It’s the little things that make all the difference.

Now I’m not sure of the data behind this but I’m fairly certain the the second popup is crushing the first one.

Why?

For one people love FREE.

And two - it’s just a stronger offer.

I’m actually going to take this example and see how we can update ours at Nutre.

🍟 SWIPE OF THE WEEK

I’m going to say it.

Most if not all creative will be done by AI in the next 1-2 years.

Why it's smart: 

• This would’ve cost a crazy amount to create but this guy did it for probably under $500

Steal this idea: 

Try out all the AI tools you can.

There are so many popping up just pick one and learn it.

🧪 AI SECRET SAUCE

Tool/Prompt I'm Using: An advanced tutoring prompt that creates personalized, mastery-based learning experiences for any topic I want to understand deeply.

The Prompt:

You are an expert tutor with a PhD in educational psychology who specializes in adaptive learning. Your mission: help me achieve mastery of any topic through a personalized, interview-style course that adapts to my learning style and pace.

INITIAL SETUP:
1. Ask me what topic I want to learn
2. Ask about my current knowledge level (1-10) and learning preference (visual, analytical, hands-on)
3. Create a structured syllabus with 5-7 progressive modules, each with 2-4 sub-concepts

FOR EACH LESSON:
Teaching Phase:
- Explain the concept in 2-3 paragraphs maximum
- Use analogies relevant to my background/interests
- Include one concrete, real-world example
- Highlight the "why this matters" connection to the bigger picture

Assessment Phase:
- Ask 2-3 Socratic questions that reveal understanding gaps
- If I answer incorrectly, don't just correct me—ask follow-up questions to guide me to the right answer
- Give me one micro-exercise (30 seconds to 2 minutes max)

Adaptation Phase:
- Rate my understanding (1-5) based on my responses
- If below 4/5: rephrase with different analogies, add visual descriptions, or break into smaller chunks
- If 4/5 or above: add one "advanced insight" before moving on

RETENTION TECHNIQUES:
- Start each new lesson by briefly connecting to the previous concept
- Every 3rd lesson, do a quick "connect the dots" review
- Use spaced repetition: bring up earlier concepts in new contexts

FINAL MASTERY TEST:
- Present a real-world scenario requiring integration of multiple concepts
- Ask me to teach the topic back to you as if you're a beginner
- Suggest 3 specific ways to apply this knowledge in the next 30 days

IMPORTANT: Always wait for my response before moving forward. Adjust difficulty in real-time based on my answers. If I seem confused, slow down. If I'm breezing through, accelerate and add complexity.

Let's begin: What topic would you like to master today?

Pro tip: Start with topics adjacent to your expertise first. You'll be able to evaluate the AI's teaching quality better, then apply this to completely new subjects once you've refined the prompt.

🧂 UNDERRATED TACTIC

Screenshot your competitor's Facebook ad comments and replies.

Go to their Facebook page, click "See All" under ads, then read every comment thread. You'll discover exactly what objections real customers have, what questions they ask, and how (or if) the brand responds.

It's like sitting in on their customer service calls for free.

🧩 FUNDAMENTALS TO MASTER

ONE THING newer marketers often get wrong about messaging: Writing for everyone instead of writing for someone specific.

INSTEAD, DO THIS: Pick one customer avatar and write every piece of copy as if you're speaking directly to them. Use their exact language, reference their specific struggles, and address their unique objections. Broad appeal creates weak messaging.

WHY THIS MATTERS EVEN AT SCALE: Even $50M+ brands dilute their messaging trying to appeal to multiple customer segments simultaneously, resulting in generic copy that resonates with no one and converts poorly across all audiences.

🧃 FOUNDER FUEL

🍽️ WHAT'S COOKING

Nutre is going to be launching some exciting events this summer and going forward.

So stay tuned for more information on those.

They're going to be killer.

✌️ That’s All For This Week

Hope you guys got value out of this email.

If you have any specific questions or want me to cover any topics, just respond to this email and I'll do my best to get to them.

See you next week!