BB Digest: Google's secret AI app

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Hey folks, I have a confession to make.

Yesterday, I wasted more than 2 hours. Not really though. I was trying to write some internal documents with the new o1 models. These are definitely smarter than GPT-4o, but they still need my constant help to do the job. I talked with Peter about this way of using AI in running Ben’s Bites—one that keeps the human touch while increasing efficiency.

ps, workshops resume next week. We have also added two new workshops:

• How to use Townie AI to create full-stack apps in minutes on 22nd October.

• How to 3x product development speeds with ChatGPT prototypes on 29th October.

TLDR; inside today’s newsletter

• NotebookLM’s craze, OpenAI’s revenue & losses and Zapier updates.

• ICYMI: new courses and tutorials for you to learn

• snack n skill - bite-sized lesson to create GTM plans with AI

• 5 new AI tools to try.

• 6 interesting posts on AI’s future and case studies.

• to-do’s

Alright, let’s get to it!

 🔎 Trends & news

• NotebookLM, A side project from Google is becoming everyone’s favourite AI app. It recently launched a feature to create audio podcasts from the text content you add to it. These podcasts are gripping, with realistic voices and banter—not just more of the text-to-speech bore. (see: notes on how it likely works). Besides “Audio Overviews”, NotebookLM also gives a great UX to “chat with your documents”. Tutorials to use it at work are coming.

• OpenAI dev day starts today in San Francisco. There is no main event livestream this year, but I reckon @swyx and @danshipper will be there to give us a sneak-peek. Shockingly few rumours around what to expect too. But we have our share of info leaks from the OpenAI’s latest funding round. WSJ broke down what it earns, NYT spilt what it loses. Apple’s not investing anymore, and SoftBank is chiming in for the first time.

• Zapier announced new AI features to automate your work at ZapConnect ‘24.

• California’s governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1047 - The controversial AI safety bill.

• What can your engineers do with an extra hour? Unblocked augments your source code with context from GitHub, Slack, Confluence, and more, so everyone gets answers about the codebase without having to search for them. Give an hour or more a day back to your team with Unblocked.*
  *sponsored

👀 ICYMI: New stuff we’ve launched

• New course: How to run your agency with AI. It walks you through the overall setup and then individual tasks—sharing one of them in the Snack ‘n’ skill section below.

• Four examples of using AI in spreadsheets.

• Techniques to become a top 1% ChatGPT user.

• Create press releases based on industry trends and company performance data.

🍽️ Snack ‘n’ skill

Learn how to develop an agency GTM plan with AI

Your agency's services are valuable, but not to everyone. A scatter-shot approach to marketing will waste resources and dilute your message. You need a laser-focused Go-To-Market strategy that zeroes in on your ideal clients. Thanks to AI, it’s possible without spending weeks on research and brainstorming.

Step 1. Craft buyer personas with AI

Start by feeding your agency's website to ChatGPT. Based on service descriptions, and any existing client data, ask it to generate detailed buyer personas.

Step 2. Build your AI-powered GTM plan

• Create persona-specific outreach templates with each persona's unique challenges and aspirations.

• Develop a quarterly marketing roadmap. This includes content strategy, social media tactics, and potential partnership opportunities.

• Set SMART goals and KPIs which go beyond vanity metrics, focusing on your needs.

Tip: Export key outputs (persona profiles, email templates, quarterly plans, KPI dashboards) into dedicated docs or spreadsheets. Next quarter’s planning won’t have to start from scratch.

This walkthrough is a condensed version of this tutorial. It's part of our new course: How to run your agency with AI. Check it out for more examples and full tools setup.

⚙️ Top new tools

• New in AI* - See generational stereotypes brought to life by AI. Explore generational insights today!

• Townie - AI assistant to help you build full-stack apps in minutes.

• Open NotebookLM - Convert your PDFs into podcasts with open-source AI models.

• babyagi 2 - Python framework for building a self-building autonomous agent.

• Fluency - Create process documentation in seconds.

• Wispr Flow - Speak naturally, write perfectly & 3x faster in every app.

More tools here →
*sponsored

 📜 Interesting posts

• AI can (mostly) outperform human CEOs.

• What are AI agents—and who profits from them?

• Breaking down the best AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini).

• Strategies to beat the AI bots and keep your jobs.

• How News UK and Reach are using AI in the newsroom.

• Data analysis in the era of generative AI. (research paper, but good read on use cases)

📌 To-dos

• Let us know if you have any tutorials or courses you want us to create—we’re always open to ideas.

• Share this with your friend/colleague and bring them along for the ride.

That wraps things up for today! See you again on Thursday. 👋

Ben