MarTech Interview with Marc Fanelli, SVP, Global Digital Audiences & Operations & COO, Eyeota

Everyone says "just get an AI tool and watch the magic happen." But magic isn't a strategy. And you've already learned that the hard way. If you've watched a $200/month subscription collect dust beca

Everyone says "just get an AI tool and watch the magic happen."
But magic isn't a strategy. And you've already learned that the hard way.

If you've watched a $200/month subscription collect dust because nobody on your team touched it, you're not alone. You didn't fail. You were sold a solution without a problem attached to it.

Here's what a recent conversation with a senior data executive made clear: the biggest shift in AI right now isn't capability — it's explainability. The companies winning with AI aren't using the most powerful tools. They're using tools they can actually explain to themselves and their teams.

That's the real test. Not "is this AI impressive?" but "can I tell you in plain English what problem this solves and how I'll know it's working?"

If you can't answer that in two sentences, you're not ready to buy. And that's okay.

Before your next AI decision, write down one workflow that costs you time every single week. Just one. That's your starting point — not a platform, not a consultant pitch. A real problem with a measurable cost attached.

That one sentence of clarity is worth more than any demo call.

What's the AI tool you bought that never got used — and looking back, what was missing?

#AIStrategy #SmallBusiness #BusinessOwner #AIImplementation

Original Source

That shift reflects a broader expectation that AI-driven marketing should be explainable, not opaque. With the push to ingest as much data as ...