If you're a recent graduate struggling to land that first role, you're not imagining things. A new paper examining millions of American workers reveals something stark: since ChatGPT went mainstream in late 2022, employment for workers aged 22-25 in AI-exposed occupations has plummeted 13% relative to their older colleagues. The traditional career ladder assumed you started at the bottom and climbed up. AI just removed the bottom rungs entirely.
Why Retrieval Practice Beats Endless Study
The ability to pull information from memory in a challenging environment > Constant reading, reviewing and preparing tonnes of notes.
From SEO to AEO: How to Make Your Brand Appear in AI Search Results
Understanding the fundamental shift from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
Why Arattai’s Positioning Matters And India’s Product Ambition Gap
I analyze why Koo and Hike failed despite millions of users. And why Zoho's Arattai may be repeating their mistakes. I argue that, at its core, it’s the difference between "Made FOR India" and "Made FROM India." To be clear: Zoho is uniquely positioned to break this pattern. They've proven they can compete globally in B2B. The question is whether Arattai's positioning reflects that ambition.
The Writing Looks ChatGPTish
When people say they can spot AI writing from a mile, what do they actually mean? Excessive em dashes? Short paragraphs? Words like "delve" and "meticulous"? LinkedIn was full of cringe long before ChatGPT. AI didn't invent buzzwords or performative prose. The algorithm simply picked what went viral. We're pretending that before ChatGPT, all writing flowed from pure creativity. As if "On Writing Well" and "The Elements of Style" never existed. We always followed rules. But our inability to follow them perfectly made our writing unique. AI follows rules perfectly. That's the problem. I explore this paradox in this essay.
Why AI Made Marketing Generalists Unstoppable
"Pick a lane and stay in it." For decades, this was our career insurance policy. Specialize. Build your moats. Become indispensable. But AI just bulldozed those barriers. Now synthesis matters more than specialization. AI accidentally brought back the Renaissance generalist. Leonardo da Vinci would dominate today's marketing world. The ability to synthesize, not specialize, is the new competitive edge.
Deception by Design: India’s Crackdown on Dark Patterns
Let me paint a picture you're familiar with. You're booking that weekend getaway. "Only 2 seats left!" the website screams. Then comes the guilt trip: "No thanks, I don't want to save money." Finally, the sting: ₹500 "convenience fee" appears at checkout. Sound familiar? You've just been played by "dark patterns." India just banned 13 of these psychological tricks. And, companies have 3 months to do a self-audit and comply. Here's what they don't want you to know.. but, you must anyhow.
Forget AI Imitating Us, We Are Imitating AI
Ever feel like LinkedIn posts sound... a bit too perfect these days? Or like certain words are suddenly everywhere? You're not imagining it. I dive into a fascinating and unsettling trend: we might be starting to sound like AI, not the other way around. Drawing on insights from the Max Planck Institute and literary critics, I explore how platforms and AI tools are subtly reshaping our language, making it more uniform and less uniquely human. It's not just about what we write, but how it impacts trust and authenticity in communication.
2025 AI Trends in Content Marketing
I discuss 2025 AI Trends in Content Marketing, diving into the Ahrefs report and my own insights.
How to make your podcast stand out
I talk about how to make your podcast stand out. Especially when the podcast market is saturated, and your guests are overexposed. How do you overcome podcast fatigue?
Musings by Madhav 