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The No-Code Founder Podcast

The No-Code Founder Podcast

Written by: Leo Sadeq
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About this listen

Most AI advice lacks real-world credibility or revenue impact.

This podcast is the antidote from an actual entrepreneur.

I'm Leo, a non-technical founder openly building Ascend AI, sharing unfiltered truths of AI implementation with my successes, challenges, and revenue-driving actions that Im using that you can use too for your business.

My core principle: The most valuable skill today is knowing where and how to apply AI, not coding.

For non-techies and those looking to grow with AI without getting lost in AI hype or nonsense, the No-Code Founder Podcast is for you.

New episode each week.

© 2025 A Production By The AI automation Agency Ascend AI. All rights reserved.
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Turning Returns into Revenue: How to Build a Profitable Resale & Outlet Engine
    Jan 9 2026

    Show Description: Turning Returns into Revenue

    Returns are the "silent killer" of D2C margins, often ending in liquidation for pennies. In this episode of The No-Code Founder Pod, we explain how to transform reverse logistics from a cost center into a high-margin Profit Center through Re-Commerce.

    What We Cover:

    • The "Touch-It-Once" Rule: Using digital triage to route inventory instantly and eliminate operational bloat.
    • The A/B/C Grading Framework: How to categorize items from "Open Box" (Grade A) to "Refurbished/Outlet" (Grade B) or "Functional Repair" (Grade C).
    • Channel Strategy: Why an on-site brand outlet beats third-party marketplaces for SEO and customer data retention.
    • The Cannibalization Myth: Why refurbished goods steal market share from competitors, not your own flagship sales.
    • The Math of Recovery: A breakdown of how one returned unit can swing from a $60 loss to a $62 profit.

    Key Terms:

    • Reverse Logistics: Moving goods from the customer back to the seller to recapture value.
    • Net Recovery Rate: Final resale cash minus shipping, labor, and packaging costs.
    • Re-Commerce: The process of reselling previously owned or "open box" items.
    • RMA & 3PL: The digital tracking (Return Merchandise Authorization) and the partner (Third-Party Logistics) managing the physical flow.

    Connect with Leo:

    X: Leo Sadeq | LinkedIn: Leo Sadeq

    Scale Your ROI The Right Way: Ascend AI

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    15 mins
  • The Creative OS: Scaling D2C Ad Performance Without Fatigue
    Dec 20 2025

    Connect with Leo:

    • X: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
    • LinkedIn: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
    • Want to 2X-5X your ROI in 90 days? Let us help you >>> ⁠Ascend AI⁠
    • DM me for any resources or checklists mentioned in the episode and Ill forward them your way.

    Target Audience: Small–mid D2C founders & operators.

    Episode Description:

    When your CAC is climbing and your ROAS is stalling, the answer usually isn’t “better targeting”, it’s better creative.

    In this episode of The No-Code Founder Podcast, you’ll learn how to build a simple Creative Operating System for your D2C brand so you can produce profitable ads on repeat without burning out your audience or your team.​

    What to Expect:

    1. We’ll unpack a practical, ROI‑first framework made for non‑techie founders and operators.
    2. You’ll see how to turn customer language into concepts, concepts into briefs, and briefs into modular UGC and founder‑led ads that keep thumb‑stop rates and CTR healthy while holding CPA in check. Instead of chasing “magic ads,”
    3. you’ll install a weekly rhythm for testing hooks, reading fatigue, and refreshing winners before performance falls off a cliff.​
    4. We’ll cover the key roles (even if they’re all you), the minimum tool stack, and a research engine that mines reviews, comments, and surveys for real objections and benefits you can build creative around.
    5. You’ll learn a simple taxonomy of proven concepts, problem/solution, demos, testimonials, founder POV, comparisons, challenges, and offer‑led creatives, and how to brief creators so they deliver usable footage the first time. There’s clear guidance on sourcing micro‑creators, structuring contracts and usage rights, staying brand‑safe on Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, and using AI for the grunt work without letting it invent claims.​

    Then we get into the money mechanics: how to name ads and set UTMs so every hook and creator is traceable, how to structure clean A/B tests that prove true lift, and which metrics actually matter—thumb‑stop, CTR, CVR, CPA, CAC payback, MER, and profit ROAS. You’ll learn to spot real creative fatigue (rising frequency, falling CTR, stable or rising CPM) and what to do next: reskin winners, rotate hooks, and adapt formats per platform instead of starting from scratch.​

    Finally, you’ll walk through a 30/60/90‑day rollout plan to stand up your Creative OS, scale what works, and avoid common traps like clickbait hooks, copy‑paste competitor claims, and overreacting to day‑one data.

    By the end, you’ll have a concrete playbook to turn creative from a random win into a reliable profit lever so you can scale content without torching your margins.

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    17 mins
  • PDP Rehab with AI: Product Pages That Actually Convert (and Don’t Return)
    Dec 13 2025

    Connect with Leo:

    • X: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
    • LinkedIn: ⁠Leo Sadeq⁠
    • Want to 2X-5X your ROI in 90 days? Let us help you >>> ⁠Ascend AI⁠
    • DM me for any resources or checklists mentioned in the episode and Ill forward them your way.

    Target Audience: Small–mid D2C founders & operators.

    Episode Promise: Turn your PDPs into high-converting, low-return sales reps using AI to mine reviews/support tickets for real objections, rebuild PDPs with objection-crushing modules, and track profit (not just clicks).

    The Problem: Your PDP is your primary salesperson. Bad PDPs kill conversion and spike returns. Solution: "PDP Rehab" using AI to mine Voice of Customer data.

    1. The Scoreboard (KPIs)
      • PDP → ATC Rate
      • Return Rate by PDP Variant
      • Refund Reasons & ATC → Checkout Drop-off Golden Rule: 2–4 week baseline before changes.
    2. AI-Assisted Mining Build an "Objection Library" per SKU from 1–3 star reviews, 5 star reviews, support tickets, and return reasons. Prompt: "Cluster and Rank Objections by Frequency and Severity."
    3. Mapping Objections to Modules
      • Fit/Size → Precision Block: Size badges, model specs, brand comparisons
      • Material/Quality → Sensory Block: Translate specs to feel, care instructions
      • Value/Price → Comparison Block: Good/better/best, cost per wear
    4. Mobile-First PDP Template
      • Above Fold: Gallery, title, price, ratings, trust snippets, sticky ATC
      • Body: 3 benefit bullets, sizing/specs, materials
      • Validation: Shoppable reviews, UGC gallery
      • Cross-Sell: Bundle suggestions
    5. Advanced Modules
      • Zero-Party Quiz: 3 questions to direct to correct variant
      • Q&A Search: Searchable past questions
    6. Production Pipeline AI: FAQs, benefit bullets, localization Humans: Compliance, accuracy verification Performance: LCP under 2.5s
    7. Testing Plan (30/60/90 Rollout)
      • Days 1–30: Mine data, build Library, baselines
      • Days 31–60: Rehab top 3 SKUs, A/B test
      • Days 61–90: Scale to top 20 SKUs Success Metric: Profit Per Visit (Conversion + AOV - Returns)
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    19 mins
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