Marketing isn’t just changing — it’s collapsing into product.

Anthony Kennada sits down with Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer and Interim CMO at Intercom, to unpack what it actually means to build, market, and lead in an AI-native world. Drawing from Intercom’s bold decision to bet the company on Fin — its AI support agent — Paul shares a rare, inside look at how founder conviction, product obsession, and radically human marketing converged to fuel one of the most consequential pivots in SaaS history .

Together, they explore why the old SaaS playbook broke, why marketing calendars had to be deleted, and why the future belongs to full-stack marketers who understand AI as deeply as they understand people. From anthropomorphizing agents to rethinking launches, speed, education, and even how hard we should work, this conversation challenges nearly every assumption about modern marketing leadership.

Topics we cover:

– Why AI is collapsing the boundary between product and marketing

– How Intercom bet the company — and culture — on Fin

– The shift from polished marketing to radically human communication

– What “full-stack marketing” looks like in an AI-native company

– Why education is becoming marketing’s most important job

– Launching without Hollywood demos — and why authenticity wins

– Founder mode, speed, and knowing when to burn the calendar

– Why tired leaders make bad decisions (and how creativity actually emerges)

If you’re a CMO, founder, or product-led leader navigating the AI transition, this episode offers a clear signal through the noise — and a reminder that in the intelligence era, the most durable advantage is still deeply human.

After 13 years building Gainsight and pioneering the Customer Success movement, Nick Mehta sits down with Anthony Kennada and Scott Salkin for his first in-depth conversation since stepping down as CEO — and it’s a masterclass in what it means to lead with humanity in a world being rewritten by AI.

They explore the full arc of Nick’s journey — from defining “human-first” leadership and shaping company culture around vulnerability, to learning how to let go, face adversity, and rediscover identity on the other side of success. Nick opens up about what transition really feels like, the myth of linear progress, and how creativity, writing, and humor became anchors through uncertainty.

Together, they examine how AI is challenging every founder and CMO to think from first principles again — to replace the old playbooks with curiosity, humility, and a renewed sense of purpose. They also unpack why Brand Humanity may be the ultimate moat when everything else looks the same.

Topics we cover:

– The untold story behind coining “Human-First”

– What it takes to step away after building a company for 13 years

– Vulnerability as a leadership superpower (and how not to fake it)

– Why “I don’t know” is the new mark of confidence

– How AI is redefining what founders and CMOs need to unlearn

– Creativity, poetry, and humor as outlets for grounded leadership

– The intersection of brand, culture, and authentic connection

– Why humanity might be the ultimate differentiator in business

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead with heart through seasons of uncertainty — or how to stay human in the age of AI — this conversation with Nick Mehta is a rare and deeply honest guide for the journey ahead.

The playbook for modern marketing is being rewritten in real time. Anthony Kennada sits down with Jake Saper, General Partner at Emergence Capital — one of the earliest backers of category-defining companies like Salesforce, Zoom, and Gusto — to explore how AI, market velocity, and boardroom expectations are transforming what it means to be a CMO today.

Jake shares a front-row view of the AI-native startup era, where growth happens faster than ever, capital markets are “bananas,” and differentiation in a sea of sameness has never been harder — or more essential. Together, they unpack why creativity and humor matter in serious industries, why first-principles thinking is beating experience in the boardroom, and how great marketing leaders are re-potting themselves to thrive in a wickedly fast-moving era.

They also dig deep into ICP discipline, channel experimentation, and the surprising power of referrals over events in modern growth strategy — plus, yes, B2B musical theater.

Topics we cover:

– Why creativity and humor build human connection in tech

– How the CMO role is evolving in the AI-native era

– Why boards are favoring slope over experience

– Reinvention case study: Intercom and Finn

– The “bananas” early-stage funding environment

– ICP discipline as a marketing superpower

– Referrals vs. events: what the data actually says

– How great leaders re-pot themselves to thrive in change

If you’re a CMO, founder, or marketing leader staring down a new era, this conversation will give you both a playbook — and permission — to build differently.