Rogue Startups

• RS350: Authenticity, Content Strategy, and the Future of Marketing with AI

  Startup marketing can feel like a maze, right? In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig chats with  Brendan Hufford of Growth Sprints about how to cut through the noise and actually connect with your audience. They dig into everything from creating raw, authentic content to dialing in your SEO strategies and uncovering your brand’s real voice. If you’ve ever felt a little lost with your marketing (or just want some fresh ideas to make your plan actually work), this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Highlights from Craig and Brendan Hufford’s conversation: AI in SEO: how artificial intelligence is reshaping the digital marketing landscape Why old methods don’t work anymore—and the mindset shift needed to move forward Building new skill sets: why continuous learning is essential for marketers and founders Staying ahead of the curve with new tech, trends, and tools How entrepreneurs can use AI to market their businesses more effectively Content atomization and distribution: breaking big ideas into bite-sized content across multiple channels Maximizing social platforms like Instagram, Twitter (X), and more “Zero-click content”: how to thrive on platforms that discourage external links Optimizing for virtual retargeting and platform-native algorithms Overcoming the “trust recession” and rebuilding credibility with your audience Turning one-star reviews into marketing gold Creating a gravitational pull that draws customers toward your brand and story The power of self-perpetuating content that continues to work for you over time Why founders shouldn’t try to do everything alone—and how to delegate effectively Finding your authentic founder’s voice and building trust through genuine content Resources and Links from This Episode Brendan Hufford on LinkedIn: com/in/brendanhufford Growth Sprints: https://growthsprints.co/ Email me: [email protected] Find me on Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt If you feel like Rogue Startups has benefited you, and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes. Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Feel free to reach out to me: Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn: Craig Hewitt Email: [email protected]   Chapters (00:00:00) - The Best Guest for Marketing: Brendan from Growth Sprints(00:00:54) - How to Get Out of Stuck in the Past With SEO(00:05:33) - What Do You Do To Stay Fresh?(00:07:33) - Where Are You on the AI Spectrum?(00:12:32) - How to Leverage AI in Content(00:14:56) - Instagram vs. Twitter: Brand Safety(00:19:14) - PODCAST: Short Form and Long Form(00:19:51) - Facebook, LinkedIn: No More 'Zero Click'(00:20:59) - Content and Zero-Click Marketing(00:24:57) - Content Investment: The Trust Recession(00:30:19) - How to Build a Growth Strategy With SaaS Founders(00:33:10) - There's a better way to sell an SEO(00:36:51) - In the Elevator: Founder Gravity(00:37:55) - How to manage your LinkedIn and YouTube accounts(00:42:39) - How to Start a Business on a Single Channel(00:45:41) - Growthsprints: End of 2021(00:48:16) - Ideas for Digital Marketing...(00:52:46) - How to Build a Content Board with a Single Person(00:56:16) - How to Tell a Funny Story on a Podcast(00:57:00) - Brendan on Talking To Himself

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• RS349: Ranking In ChatGPT with Devesh Khanal

  Today on Rogue Startups, Craig sits with Devesh Khanal from Grow and Convert to talk about how to get your brand showing up at the top of search results in LLMs. They dive deep into the world of AI SEO—covering everything from debunking myths about large language models to sharing actionable strategies for ranking your content in both Google and AI-driven search tools. Devesh is the “convert” side of Grow and Convert. In addition to co-founding the company, he runs Growth Rock, a conversion optimization agency that helps e-commerce brands increase online sales through user research, usability testing, analytics evaluations, and A/B testing. Before launching into the marketing world, Devesh worked on financial strategy and cost modeling for a biofuels startup—and he also holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from U.C. Berkeley. Highlights from Craig and Devesh’s conversation: Bottom-of-funnel SEO vs. top-of-funnel queries How to use LLMs as a marketing tool Debunking common myths about LLMs in SEO Does community content promotion (like Reddit) actually work? The correlation between Google rankings and LLM results Identifying customer pain points and achieving product–market fit Why to avoid “fluff” writers and generic AI writing tools Resources and Links from This Episode: Devesh Khanal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deveshkhanal/  Grow and Convert: https://www.growandconvert.com/  Email me: [email protected]  Find me on Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt If you feel like Rogue Startups has benefited you, and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes.  Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Feel free to reach out to me: Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn: Chapters (00:00:00) - How to get your brand to show up in ChatGPT or(00:01:21) - Why Our Traffic's Down 50% vs. 2 years ago(00:08:29) - ChatGPT's Google Rankings(00:09:47) - Pushing the Bottom of the Marketing Flourish(00:13:33) - Tim Ferriss: The Bottom of the Sales Cycle(00:16:21) - Category keywords and alternatives: What is SEM(00:18:49) - The 3 Types of Jobs in the SEO Market(00:21:23) - How to Get Your Bottom-of- Content to Rank in(00:30:05) - Don't Get On Reddit(00:35:36) - How to Get Your Lead Generation Solutions Recommended by LLMs(00:40:03) - Can You Rank in LLMs With ChatGPT?(00:45:30) - Do We Need AI in Our Jobs?(00:50:48) - Is AI Taking Over Your Business?(00:53:07) - Waverider vs. AI in Marketing Writing(00:59:06) - Grow and Convert: The AI Writing Tool

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• RS348: Not Exactly White Hat AI-SEO with Lars Lofgren

  In today’s episode, Craig sits down with AI-SEO expert Lars Lofgren to unpack the future of AI-SEO in a world dominated by artificial intelligence. They explore how to attract and retain traffic through both on-site and off-site strategies like Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, and beyond. With AI rapidly reshaping the digital landscape, the traditional rules of content and inbound marketing are being rewritten. Should SEO still be your top focus? How do you build brand authority when search algorithms are changing every day? Tune in for practical tips and bold insights on what’s working now—and what’s next. Highlights from Craig and Lar’s conversation: What does SEO even mean in the age of AI? How the search landscape has shifted with AI’s rise The #1 thing to do now to thrive in AI-powered search results Top of Funnel (TOFU) vs Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) marketing Why Google prioritizes specific landing pages for specific products The companies gaming AI—and how it’s disrupting traditional SEO How to get your brand seen in AI answers and social media feeds The surprising impact of Reddit on SEO strategy Why SEO best practices feel more unclear than ever Authentic content vs high-volume output, what wins with AI? Building trust: How to make your site feel real to your visitors Ads, paid influencers, evangelists: what actually pays off? Resources and Links from This Episode Lars on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larslofgren/  Lars’ website and newsletter: https://larslofgren.com/  Lars on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/larslofgren.bsky.social  Lars on Twitter/X: https://x.com/larslofgren?lang=en  Find me on Twit... Chapters (00:00:00) - Interviewing Lars Lofgren on AI-SEO(00:01:20) - What to Call AI SEO?(00:03:23) - SaaS Companies: The AI SEO Challenge(00:05:56) - Top of the funnel and AI in the SEO(00:09:57) - SEO Training: Bottom of the funnel vs(00:12:43) - What's The Difference Between a Keyword and a Topic?(00:16:10) - Is Content Still the Only Way to Win on Google?(00:22:46) - Local SEO: Don't Get Duped By Fake Reviews(00:27:00) - How to Build a Brand on Reddit(00:33:39) - How to manage content at the startup level(00:35:55) - What Do You Think of SEO?(00:40:28) - How to Optimize Content for AI in 2020(00:46:19) - How to Build a Content Team(00:50:13) - How Do You Get Your Personal Brand Out There?

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• RS347: How to Rank Any Brand In AI Results

  This week on Rogue Startups, Craig chats with Mike Buckbee from Knowatoa about how AI is changing the game for brands. With tools like ChatGPT taking over the way we search and discover businesses, Mike breaks down what you need to do to get your brand noticed in the AI world. From content strategies to getting your site in front of the right eyes, this episode’s got the lowdown on how to stay ahead in an AI-driven world. Michael is a serial entrepreneur and software developer who has founded multiple successful startups in the cybersecurity space. With over a decade of experience in marketing and technology, he previously worked as a Director of Demand Generation for a public cybersecurity company, as well as consulting for multiple YC startups. Knowatoa’s mission is to help businesses win the AI search game by ensuring they remain discoverable, relevant, and competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Highlights from Craig and Mike’s conversation: How to get your business in front of customers in the AI-driven world New strategies for success: creating brand-specific content that attracts customers What "Face vs Space" content really means Where AI is training and how it impacts businesses The role of txt: Is it still important, and what’s the best alternative? Why you should ask ChatGPT questions about your business Personalized AI search results: Are they working for or against you? Why your content should be on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Reddit The growing role of LLMs in social etiquette and advice How search, companionship, and advice are blending in the AI space What does all this mean for businesses in the future? The future of business is pay-to-play Will AI take 30% of our jobs? The "floor" may rise, but the "ceiling" will stay human   Resources and Links from This Episode Knowatoa: https://knowatoa.com/ Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbuckbee Email: [email protected] If you feel like Rogue Startups has benefited you and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes. Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Feel free to reach out to me: Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn: Craig Hewitt Email: [email protected] Chapters (00:00:00) - AI SEO in Inbound Marketing(00:01:10) - Noah Toa: The Only AI-based Tool for S(00:05:02) - How HubSpot is Preparing for AI-based Resignation(00:13:28) - How to Optimize Your Website With Google Search(00:17:18) - Is LLMs Txt important for your site?(00:23:09) - Ask ChatGPT: How Much of its Intelligence Is Based on(00:25:02) - What's AI Doing To Your Company?(00:32:43) - How Social Networks Are Affecting Business(00:35:28) - Deep Learning and the Google Cloud(00:37:08) - Top Tech Thinkers: The Future of Content(00:46:11) - Noah Toa: A Landing Page for New Users

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• RS346: What 11 Years in SaaS Really Looks Like

  In this episode of the podcast, Craig sits down with longtime entrepreneur Colin Bartlett, cofounder of StatusGator, to explore what it really takes to build, and sustain, a SaaS business over the long haul. With more than a decade at the helm of a company that helps users monitor service outages, Colin shares hard-won insights from 12 years of entrepreneurship and 11 years of running StatusGator. The conversation dives into how founders’ perspectives evolve, especially in today’s turbulent tech landscape, and how to stay grounded and successful through all of that craziness. Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation: How Colin and StatusGator did when Google Cloud went down for a few hours The factors that can determine whether or not free trials can work for your business The difference between the company in the beginning versus 10+ years down the road How their businesses fit into the current markets (alongside AI and other tech advances) Appreciation and respect for the businesses in such uncertainty Plans, trajectories, and what the future holds for them Views on profit in the SaaS industry Their team structures and how to hire and maintain a team in the AI era Staying fresh in the market after you’ve been in the business for a while The benefits of having a cofounder SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) compliance and privacy standards How many hours does your team have to work to be a value to your company?   Resources and Links from This Episode Colin Bartlett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinabartlett/ StatusGator: https://statusgator.com/ If you feel like Rogue Startups has benefited you, and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes. Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Feel free to reach out to me: Twitter: @TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn: Craig Hewitt Email: [email protected]   Chapters (00:00:00) - Talking Startup With Colin Bartlett(00:01:51) - Flare on the Internet Outage(00:03:48) - How Do You Capture Leads From Free Signups?(00:09:18) - How Long Can You Keep Working On Your Startup?(00:14:42) - How Do You Think Your SaaS Business Should Be Profitable(00:16:53) - What Your Team Looks Like on SaaS(00:19:12) - How We Run a WordPress Team(00:21:34) - How to Hire a Team in the AI Era(00:25:46) - Top Executives: How AI Will Affect the Business in 2(00:31:20) - Podcaster on An Economic Dip(00:32:17) - How Do We Stay Fresh After 11 Years?(00:37:22) - If You Had to Pick A Boss, What Would You Do?(00:38:39) - Cisco on SOC2 Compliance(00:42:30) - How much Time Should Your Team Work?(00:46:48) - How To Get Things Done As A CEO

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