The New Frontier: The Agentic Commerce & Answer Engine Optimization podcast

In this episode, Max Sinclair, founder of Azoma and ex-Amazonian, breaks down how AI shopping agents—like ChatGPT, Gemini, Amazon Rufus, and Walmart’s Sparky—are completely rewriting the rules of how consumers discover and buy products online. From monumental algorithmic shifts to the collapse of traditional keyword SEO, discover why optimizing for Agentic Commerce is the mandatory new frontier fo...

In this episode of The New Frontier , Jo and Max are joined by Artiom Enkov , VP of Insights at Gener8 to unpack one of the first detailed UK and US data studies on Amazon Rufus usage. Drawing on a fully consented metered panel of more than 50,000 Android users, Generate reveals a surprising demographic twist: Rufus is indexing highest among older shoppers, especially Baby Boomers, Gen X, and reti...

In this episode of The New Frontier , Max sits down with Ian Simpson, SVP of Innovation at Sensor Tower, to unpack new data on how Amazon shoppers are using Rufus, Amazon’s AI shopping assistant. Based on a panel of 60,000 real U.S. shoppers tracked over 18 months, Sensor Tower found that heavy Amazon users now include Rufus in around 60% of shopping sessions—and shoppers who use Rufus are up to 2...

In this episode of The New Frontier , Max is joined by Martin Schwartzman , Partner and Global AI Lead at OC&C Strategy Consultants, to unpack how agentic AI is reshaping business models and commerce. The conversation starts with the week’s biggest news around agent commerce protocols from Google and OpenAI, exploring what “agentic commerce” really means for consumers. Martin paints a vivid pi...

In the first 2026 episode of The New Frontier , as is tradition, Max and Jo dive into their annual predictions. They start with a quick look back at their 2025 predictions, many of which, from the AI infrastructure boom to Google’s dip in dominance, proved accurate. Looking ahead, they forecast a sharp rise in synthetic content, predicting that 30–40% of social media posts will be AI-generated or...

This special Episode of the New Frontier recorded live from the Amazon Ad Summit in Milan, to mark a landmark announcement: the launch of Sponsored Prompts groundbreaking new Ads format. Host Max Sinclair was joined by Oana Padurariu to discuss their workshop with Amazon’s Lead Global AI Advertising Product Manager, who explained how these AI-powered follow-up questions are reshaping shopper engag...

In this episode of The New Frontier , hosts Max and Jo welcome Ziwei Chen , Product Lead for Accio by Alibaba, for a deep dive into the intersection of AI, procurement, and global manufacturing. The conversation kicks off with Ziwei reflecting on her recent return to China after four years living in Silicon Valley, sharing insights on how the country has rapidly transformed technologically, includ...

In this episode of The New Frontier , Max sits down with Gaétan Rougevin-Baville , CEO of Diffusely , an AI-powered visual production platform serving major players in fashion and automotive. Gaétan shares the remarkable story of how he led a hard pivot from a global photography marketplace into a verticalized AI SaaS business—scaling revenue to $11 million in just three years. Originally joining...

In this episode, Tory Bradley , Global E-Commerce Retail Search Director at Mars Wrigley, dives deep into how Mars is navigating the evolving world of GenAI, search, and digital commerce. Drawing on Mars’ legacy of embracing technology - from pioneering electrified chocolate production in the 1920s to revolutionizing vending machines- Tory explains how the company is once again at a pivotal inflec...

In this episode, Max , founder of Azoma , breaks down insights from his team's latest whitepaper (read here ), co-authored with Andrew Bell , on Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, and its transformative role in the future of e-commerce. Drawing from this deep dive and his own years at Amazon, Max explains how Rufus is rapidly evolving into a hyper-personalized shopping agent—one that remem...

In this episode of The New Frontier , hosts Jo and Max sit down with Jonny Plein , a repeat founder, investor and advisor. Jonny sold his first business Pouch for 7-Figures, and just announced a $11m Series A for his current business Yaso. YASO is a next-generation solution for ambitious brands looking to enter the $1.7tn Chinese ecommerce market and sell directly to Gen Z consumers, using the pow...

In this episode, Jo is joined by Bryce Warning and Rob Hahn, the CRO and COO of Pattern , fresh off their highly anticipated IPO. The conversation kicks off with reflections on the milestone: how an IPO is not just the end of a journey, but the beginning of a new phase - one with higher expectations, greater scale, and renewed focus on delivery. They dive deep into what makes Pattern unique: the m...

This week, our usual host Max Sinclair, founder of Azoma and former Amazon search leader, takes a turn in the hot seat to dive deep into the transformation AI is bringing to consumer search. With clients like Mars, Zappos, Arla and Mars, Zoma helps global brands optimize their visibility within AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Max explains how the shift from keyword-based ranking...

-Show Notes/Events- (1) Join us at our exclusive afterparty during Amazon Accelerate in September in Seattle: ⁠ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seattle-seller-shell-ebration-tickets-1527728730759 ⁠ sponsored by ⁠ Azoma ⁠ & partners. (2) If you are a Brand or Retailer, you can apply for a free ticket at the 2025 Digital Shelf Summit in October 16th: https://www.digitalshelfinstitute.org/dss-europe...

This episode of The New Frontier dives deep into the story of the founding, rapid growth and double acquisition of Seller Investigators with co-founders Robert and Lee. The pair shares how frustrating personal experience with Amazon's accounting led them to build a specialized audit and refund recovery platform. Starting as a side project with two interns on Google Sheest, they scaled their bo...

In this captivating episode of The New Frontier , hosts Jo and Max dive deep into the future of Amazon Ads with Kabir Bedi, Head of Product for Generative AI at Amazon Ads. Kabir shares visionary insights into how Amazon is set to revolutionize advertising by harnessing cutting-edge generative AI to simplify and supercharge ad creation, transforming how sellers and advertisers engage customers. Ka...

In this episode, Max Sinclair , founder and CEO of Azoma , a pioneering scale-up specializing in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), goes deep into everything AI Engine Optimization (AEO). Max, a former Amazon search expert, highlights why traditional SEO methods are quickly becoming obsolete in the face of AI-driven search platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Amazon Rufus. He breaks down...

Marcelo Calbucci is an entrepreneur, technologist, innovator, and author of the PR FAQ Framework with over twenty five years of experience in the tech industry. He has held key roles at Microsoft and Amazon and has founded and led startups in both Seattle and London. On this episode of the New Frontier, Marcello unpacks the powerful “Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions” (PRFAQ) framework—...

In this episode of The New Frontier , the hosts sit down with Anthony Lee , founder of AI Plus Automation and a respected voice in the Amazon and e-commerce space. Anthony shares his journey from mastering the Amazon ranking algorithm to becoming a pioneer in AI-driven process automation. He explains how his passion for building elaborate ManyChat bots evolved into creating sophisticated workflows...

In this emergency episode of The New Emergency , hosts Jo and Max dive into the latest AI Engine for Brands to Optimize for: Walmart Sparky ( see more ). Framed similarly to Amazon's Rufus, now accounting for 14% of Amazon Searches , Sparky represents Walmart's deepening commitment to integrating AI across its entire value chain. The duo discuss the broader implications of Sparky’s launch alongsid...

In this episode of The New Frontier , Max welcomes long-time friend and ex-Amazon colleague Stephen Harris , founder of Situna , a global Amazon agency and 3PL powerhouse. Steven shares his inspiring entrepreneurial journey—from selling cufflinks in his spare time, to working at Amazon, to launching a Private Label Amazon Brand and eventually making a seven-figure exit. Steven offers a candid look...

Max Sinclair sits down with Simon Cockram to reflect on his biggest learnings as a Founder from his three years building Azoma (previously Ecomtent) thus far, in a must-listen episode for prospective tech founders. Max starts by emphasising the importance of having a distinct edge and a counterintuitive belief when launching a venture. He walks through the ideation process learned at Entrepreneur...

In this episode of New Frontier, Jo Lambadjieva hosts Alina Vlaic, a Romanian entrepreneur and founder of aRank, which has facilitated over 6,000 Amazon product launches. Alina shares how her failed private label baby product unexpectedly led to creating her successful agency. She explains that Amazon's ranking algorithm has evolved dramatically since 2017, shifting from simple giveaway strate...

Announcement: Ecomtent have just launched a Freemium version, check it out here In this episode of The New Frontier , Max and Jo welcome brand strategist and author Trevor Bradford to celebrate the launch of his new book, What Captures the Heart Goes in the Cart (learn more ). Trevor has 35 years of experience in branding as an agency owner, is a mentor in the Titan Network, and owns his own 6 fig...

In this episode of New Frontier, Jo Lambadjieva hosts Leo Sgovio, a seven-figure Amazon seller and AI expert who first caught her attention when he won the Billion Dollar Seller Summit 2022 competition. Leo shares his journey from accidentally landing in Canada at age 23 to working for a large travel company, where he developed deep expertise in digital marketing, SEO, web analytics, and conversio...