A Better Lemonade Stand #313

💛 Sponsor

📧 Get Bigger Sales from Email & SMS

Omnisend handled the boring part of analyzing millions of emails for you, so now you get to geek out over some data, like:

• What’s the ideal subject line length? 

• Which magic words will make people actually open your email? (Spoiler: It's not "FREE PIZZA.")

• How many CTAs before you’re just yelling at people? (Asking for a friend.)

• How long should your email be before it feels like a novel? (Less Dickens, more tweets.)

• How big should the discount be to make someone actually care? (Because 5% ain’t cutting it, Karen.)

We’ve got all those answers wrapped up in one infographic. Check it out, then get back to more exciting things than reading millions of emails

📈 Trends

🔍 The AI Search Battle: Why Bing Just Became Essential

OpenAI’s ChatGPT just launched its own search engine, and it’s powered by none other than Bing.

Suddenly, Bing isn’t just that “other search engine” anymore; it’s at the core of what might be the biggest shift in search we’ve seen since Google took over the internet two decades ago.

For anyone in the content game, this is a big one. So, why should you care about Bing? Let’s break down what’s going on and why it matters.

🌐 Bing as the Backbone of ChatGPT Search

With ChatGPT Search integrating live search through Bing, you now have ad-free, in-depth, well-researched, conversational answers.

And while ChatGPT doesn’t yet match Google’s lightning response times, it’s aiming for a totally different experience: think longer, deeper, and less cluttered.

• Why it’s different: Instead of just throwing up a page of results, it pulls Bing’s top content, adds layers of analysis, and gives you a “here’s what matters” rundown.

• What this means for your content: Make sure your content is optimized for Bing. Ranking there could mean ChatGPT’s got your content on its radar too.

⚔️ Google’s Got Some Mean Competition – Finally

Google has held the monopoly on fast, scannable answers for years. They even trained us to expect instant answers with a single glance at a screen. ChatGPT’s search changes that up, pushing for a more deliberate, sentence-by-sentence read rather than “scan and go.” It’s a learning curve, but one that could reward richer, more detailed content.

• The Upside: ChatGPT’s model skips the ads (for now) and can dive into real-time data with Bing’s search strength behind it.

• The Trade-off: ChatGPT’s slower response might frustrate you. And yes, Google’s visuals are still unmatched when it comes to usability and branding.

✍️ Unique Content Becomes Your Differentiator

If you’re going to stand out in this AI search environment, cookie-cutter content isn’t going to cut it.

Think about creators like Dan Koe, who brings a distinct voice, personality, and insight to their work.

AI answers might give the “what,” but audiences go to people like Dan for the “why” and “how” opinion, perspective, and depth that AI can’t copy.

• What to do: When you write with your own style, throw in your takes, and focus on content only you could make, you’re way ahead. This is where people come for perspective, not plain facts.

• Why it matters: As search algorithms change, what will keep people coming back is trust in your voice and insight. You’re not just fighting to rank; you’re building a fanbase.

📈 Where We Are Now: Comparing Search Powerhouses

The AI search landscape is becoming more competitive, and each platform brings its own strengths. Here is a breakdown of the two major players in AI search according to Nathan Lands analysis:

1. ChatGPT Powered by Bing: ChatGPT is focused on delivering deep, context-rich answers rather than rapid-fire responses. Google remains unparalleled in speed and structured results, but ChatGPT appeals to users looking for thorough, conversational insights, even if the responses take a moment longer.

2. Perplexity’s Edge in Data-Heavy Results: Nathan found that Perplexity AI remains “king” for data-heavy queries, outperforming both ChatGPT and Google for accuracy on specific, stat-based questions. Perplexity’s design favors users in fields like finance or sports, where a deeper layer of data makes the search experience richer.

💥 AI Models: Fashion’s New Face, or Just the Latest Hype?

AI models are more than just for virtual girlfirends or boyfriends, they’re already starting to take over in the fashion space, and it’s happening fast.

Take Mango, for instance; they’ve gone all in, replacing human models with AI avatars in their campaigns, which are now rolling out faster (and cheaper) than ever.

And they’re not alone: brands like Levi Strauss, Nike, and high-end fashion brands are dipping into AI for everything from campaign models to full-on creative processes.

🔍 What’s Pushing This Trend?

1. Quick Turnaround, Low Costs: Fashion brands need a lot of content on a tight budget, and AI avatars solve both issues. With platforms like Glambase, creators and brands can build virtual “influencers” that handle everything from posting and engaging with followers to selling products, all on autopilot. Mango’s doing just this, using AI not only to front campaigns but to generate multilingual, market-specific ads in record time.

2. AI That Designs & Engages: Mango’s Inspire platform helps designers visualize and create products more efficiently. Tools like HeyGen’s moving photo avatars and Synthesia are creating lifelike, talking avatars that connect with audiences on a global scale.

🔥 Tools That Make It Happen

• Glambase: Think of it as an AI influencer-as-a-service. It lets you create digital personas that chat, post, and sell around the clock.

• HeyGen: Known for realistic, moving avatars. Perfect for campaigns that need a personal touch without the overhead.

• Mango’s Inspire & Lisa Platforms: Mango’s using Inspire to co-create with AI on designs, and Lisa, their conversational AI, to enhance customer service and global reach. Together, they optimize Mango’s entire pipeline.

🚧 The Real Challenges Here

• Human Connection vs. AI Efficiency: Will audiences miss the human element, or are they happy with digital faces? Overusing AI risks alienating customers who value authenticity.

• Lack of Human Touch: Many jobs, from models to stylists are at risk. Brands that rely heavily on AI may sacrifice the “human touch” that builds trust.

• Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: There’s been a lot of success stories (like this one) that make this sound like an easy money-maker, the reality is much more complex. Success takes real time, effort, and strategy, especially in an industry already cautious about AI replacing human creatives.

AI models aren’t just a novelty, they’re a strategic move for brands aiming to scale fast.

The best brands will balance AI efficiency with the human touch that builds real connections.

💡 Insights

🌐 Stay Ahead in the Creator Economy For 2025

Ollie Forsyth’s New Economies newsletter just dropped a new report, and the creator space is growing like crazy, up from 50 million to over 200 million creators worldwide in just a few years.

Here’s What to Watch For:

• AI-Powered Content Creation: Generative AI is helping creators produce high-quality content faster than ever. From writing scripts to designing visuals, creators are leveraging AI to streamline their workflow, opening up more time for community building and strategy.

• Niche Community Platforms: Creators are shifting to dedicated community platforms like Mighty Networks to foster deeper connections. By creating exclusive spaces, they’re building loyal audiences willing to engage and support on a personal level—think small, engaged communities over large, detached followings.

• Diversifying Revenue Streams: Ads aren’t the only game anymore. Creators are expanding their income with online courses, digital products, and subscriptions, which offer more stability and align with audience interests. It's a smart move that reduces dependency on fluctuating ad revenue.

👉 Get the Full Trend Report

🚀 Inside the Future of AI With the Man Himself

In a recent Reddit AMA, OpenAI’s leadership, including CEO Sam Altman and key executives, shared insights on what’s next for AI.

Here’s What You Need to Know:

• No “GPT-5” Yet: Altman sidestepped questions about GPT-5 but hinted at major releases on the horizon, possibly powered by the “Orion” model as OpenAI ramps up its compute resources.

• AGI Within Reach? Altman suggested that artificial general intelligence might be achievable on today’s hardware, which hints at OpenAI’s rapid progress.

• AI Agents Set to Go Mainstream: Kevin Weil hinted that 2025 could be the year of agentic systems that act autonomously, allowing AI to make decisions and perform tasks independently.

👉 Read the Full AMA Now

📱 Consumer Mobile Apps Are Making a Comeback

Consumer mobile apps are back in a big way, thanks to the recurring revenue model. Forget the hassle of shipping and returns; creators are shifting from promoting physical products to high-margin subscription apps that deliver steady income.

Consider this: A $5/month app subscription brings 12x annual revenue per user with minimal headaches. TikTok creators who once sold skincare and supplements are now driving subscriptions for apps that practically sell themselves.

Case in point? A simple font-style app is generating over $600K/month in MRR, showing you how huge the market’s potential is.

👉 Get the Full Scoop

🧰 Apps & Tools

📩 Marco: Unified email management tool that adds all your inboxes across multiple providers and devices.

🎥 Loomos: Video editing platform that transforms raw screen recordings into polished demos.

🎨 Gamma: Create stunning presentations, documents, and websites without design or coding skills.

📝 NoteThisDown: Digitize your handwritten notes and integrate them into your Notion workspace.

📧 Serif: An email assistant that learns your style and priorities to sort messages and draft replies automatically.

🤖 Product Updates

🎤 Suno’s Personas Let You Capture Any Vocal Style

Suno has just introduced Personas, a feature that lets you save and remix the vocal essence of any song to infuse it into your own tracks.

How It Works:

1. Select any song, hit Create, and choose Make a Persona to capture its unique vocal style and vibe.

2. Personas can be set as Public for visibility on your profile or Private for personal use only.

3. Add your own lyrics and style, just like any other song.

👉Create with Personas

💻 Claude AI Assistant Now on Desktop

Claude’s desktop app is here for Windows and MacOS, giving you direct access to its conversations without a browser.

The desktop app keeps things familiar, delivering the same experience you’re used to on the web for free.

👉 Download Claude for Desktop

🖇️ Everything Else

🎶 AI Lo-Fi Takes Over YouTube: As AI LoFi floods the music space, fans worry the human touch that made Lo-Fi beats so beloved may be slipping away. (👉 Get the Full Story)

💌 Grow Your Newsletter with Beehiiv Webinars: Whether you’re looking to boost your subscriber count, monetize, or engage more deeply, Beehiiv’s webinars have you covered. Dive into actionable strategies and expert insights to build and elevate your newsletter business. (👉 Explore All Webinars)

🔍 TikTok’s Secret Market Research Tool: Use TikTok Creator Insights to find out what people are really searching for to fill content gaps. (👉 Access TikTok Insights)

🛒 Perplexity Takes On Amazon: Perplexity just launched Pro Shop, a new feature that lets users shop directly on its platform. (👉 Read More About Pro Shop)

🖼️ Explore the World of AI: Bookmark this directory of top AI generators, from text and image to music and science. (👉See the Full Directory)