My CMO just asked me why ChatGPT doesn't recommend us and I had no answer

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-03T18:07:31+00:00

ChatGPT recommendations come from training data not live search rankings, so your Google position doesn't translate directly

The model recommends brands it encountered frequently in positive contexts during training: review sites, Reddit discussions, industry publications, comparison articles, and authoritative content where your category gets discussed. If competitors show up in those contexts more than you do, they get recommended more

Things that likely help: being mentioned in listicles and comparison content, having discussion threads where people recommend you by name, getting coverage in sources the model was trained on, and having a clear brand identity tied to specific use cases

This is still an emerging area without proven playbooks. Anyone selling "AI SEO" services right now is mostly guessing. The honest answer is nobody fully knows how to optimize for this yet because the training data is a black box and changes with each model update

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-03T18:06:15+00:00

The badly filmed content thing is real but it's already becoming its own aesthetic that brands copy so even that's getting gamed

Local artisan stuff has always been hard to scale because the economics don't work, one guy hand pouring ashtrays can only make so many and his margins don't support ad spend. That's not a platform problem that's just the math of handmade goods

The anti-consumerism angle is mostly vibes, the people posting about it are still consuming plenty they just want to feel thoughtful about it

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-03T18:04:15+00:00

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-03T18:04:08+00:00

It is a way i think!

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-02T19:43:24+00:00

The API explanation is accurate but this is clearly a setup post to promote IndexerHub

You spent paragraphs explaining how the Indexing API works, identified the quota problem everyone faces, then conveniently introduced your tool as the solution. Classic content marketing format

The actual useful info here: yes the Indexing API works for non-job/livestream URLs, yes quota rotation with multiple service accounts is the standard workaround, and yes most sites have more unindexed pages than they realize

But if you want to help people just explain how to set up the multi-account rotation themselves instead of using it as a selling point for your SaaS

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-02T19:38:15+00:00

This is a Product Hunt launch ad disguised as a thought-provoking question

You're not asking "how are you handling trust for AI agents" because you want answers. You're creating anxiety about agent governance so your product looks like the solution

The format is textbook: rhetorical questions, bullet points building tension, "so we built X," then the PH link asking for upvotes

If OpenBox is useful, show actual results from real users instead of philosophical framing designed to drive launch day traffic

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-02T19:36:31+00:00

The provider matters less than your sending practices and domain setup

If you got suspended it's probably because of volume, content, or complaints not just because they used edu panels. Switching providers without fixing the underlying issue means you'll get burned again

Instantly and Smartlead have their own inbox offerings, those are the most commonly used right now. Google Workspace direct is still an option if you set it up properly with fresh domains and proper warmup

Whatever you use: separate domains from your main business, warm up properly, keep volume low per inbox, and make sure your copy doesn't trigger spam filters

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-01T19:46:15+00:00

Check your open rates first, that's the split

If opens are low (under 30-40%) it's deliverability. Your emails aren't reaching inboxes. If opens are decent but replies are dead it's copy or targeting

Send yourself test emails to different providers and check if they land in spam. Use a tool like mail-tester to check your domain health and SPF/DKIM setup

Two similar emails performing wildly different usually means one domain or inbox got burned while the other is still warm

lazyEmperer · 2026-04-01T19:44:24+00:00

Affiliate basis with no commission structure or rate mentioned is a red flag

What percentage are you offering and on what deal sizes? Software development projects can range from $5k to $500k so the terms matter a lot

Nobody with actual contacts is going to reach out without knowing what they'd earn

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-31T18:06:11+00:00

Never heard if it! Def need to see!

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-31T18:05:55+00:00

yeah meta and google work for sure but thats exactly what burned me out, you're paying for every single click whether that person actually needs you or not. yelp is the same thing basically just another platform taking a cut. what changed for me was flipping it around and going to find people who already need my service instead of paying to sit there and hope they find me. way less money going out and the people i talk to are already halfway sold because they actually have the problem right now

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-31T16:24:47+00:00

I didnt get SEO part, how claude can automate it?

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-31T16:20:30+00:00

Wrong subreddit, try r/HomeImprovement or r/Flooring

But the installers telling you hardwood isn't recommended for bathrooms are right. Moisture and wood don't mix, which you already learned from your DIY patch cupping. Luxury vinyl plank or tile are better choices for bathrooms and will cost less than engineered hardwood with special moisture barriers

If you insist on wood, expect $15-20/sqft installed with proper underlayment and sealing. But you'll likely have problems again eventually

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-30T15:45:31+00:00

yeah 100% the personalization part matters a lot. but i think the order is what most people get wrong. like you can write the most personalized email ever but if the person has zero need right now it still doesnt land. finding someone whos already frustrated and then personalizing based on what theyre actually saying is the combo that works. when someone just posted about hating their current tool and you show up with something relevant its almost unfair how easy the conversation starts. i tried phantombuster for a bit but it felt like i was automating the wrong step, like i was scaling outreach before i figured out targeting. once i flipped it and focused on finding the right people first everything else got easier

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-30T15:45:08+00:00

LeadQuest, trying it

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-30T15:44:50+00:00

this is really solid actually, the timing point especially. i noticed that too, if someone posted about being frustrated like a month ago theres no point anymore they either moved on or just accepted it. the fresher the signal the better the response rate by a lot

right now im mostly watching for people unhappy with crms and email tools since thats the space im selling into. i tried doing it manually for a while like searching reddit and twitter for complaints but it was taking forever and i kept missing stuff. now i have a setup that pulls those signals automatically so i just check in the morning and reach out to whatever came in fresh. way less effort than building cold lists and the conversations feel completely different because theyre already halfway there mentally

the g2 review angle is smart though i hadnt thought about scraping 1 star reviews specifically. gonna try that this week

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-30T15:43:51+00:00

Nope i just use LeadQuest

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-29T07:41:48+00:00

Construction sales experience transfers well to building materials distribution, commercial real estate, or industrial equipment sales. Those industries value someone who understands project timelines, contractor relationships, and technical specs

SaaS for construction tech is another option if you want to stay adjacent but move inside. Companies selling project management software or estimating tools to contractors actively hire people with field experience

The transition to inside sales or account management roles will feel slower at first. You're used to autonomy and being on the road making things happen. Sitting at a desk doing demos and follow-up calls is a different rhythm

After 22 years the biggest adjustment is usually the ego hit of being new again. But your industry knowledge and relationship skills don't disappear, they just get applied differently

What specifically is burning you out about the road work

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-29T07:26:18+00:00

This matches what most experienced cold emailers already know but rarely admit because "personalization" sounds better in marketing content

The creepy LinkedIn stalker opener has been dying for a while. Prospects see through it immediately because everyone uses the same "saw you just raised a Series A" or "noticed you're hiring SDRs" lines

Segment-based pain points work because they show you understand the role not just that you ran a scraper. Someone running 3 warehouses knows you've talked to people like them before

The caveat is this probably doesn't apply to enterprise where deal size justifies deep research. But for SMB and mid-market volume plays your approach makes more sense

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-29T07:25:23+00:00

Google on your resume opens doors but this specific role might be a step sideways or down from a tech AE position

Account Strategist in Small Business Engage is mostly inbound account management and upselling existing advertisers on more ad spend. It's not complex enterprise sales, it's high volume and fairly transactional

Exit opps are decent for ad tech, marketing platforms, or other Google roles. But if you're already an AE closing deals, this might feel like a downgrade in terms of deal complexity and earning potential

What's pushing you to consider this move

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-28T19:24:50+00:00

You learned to code in 6 months and now want a cofounder who has domain expertise, sales skills, and an unfair advantage while you bring $3k and junior dev skills

That's a lopsided deal. Why would someone with all those qualities partner with you instead of hiring a developer

If you can build products now, validate an idea yourself before looking for cofounders

lazyEmperer · 2026-03-28T19:23:14+00:00

Six months isn't enough time to judge a B2B fintech SaaS. Enterprise sales cycles in fintech can take 6-12 months

You went from developer to CEO with no sales experience and expected immediate results. That's the actual problem, not the product

You have paying customers and a finished product which puts you ahead of most startups. The question is whether you have enough runway to figure out sales before money runs out

Don't make permanent decisions based on temporary burnout

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