What’s the best toilet paper to buy? Two ply? Soft? Environmentally friendly?

Does thinking about this bring you joy? Or is it something you think about once a year (if that) and then just order the same thing over and over again? You might not even remember the brand you decided to buy. You just keep buying it over and over, like an automaton.

Automaton? Do you mean agent?

Yes, you do. Because your agent will be buying your toilet paper, and all the other random utilitarian things you need. Toothpaste, soap, razor blades, dishwashing liquid. You won’t even have to set up a recurring order that you sometimes have to pause when you go on vacation. Your agent will place the order for you, just before you need it, always ensuring you get the best price (if that matters to you).

We are speeding toward a world in which agents are involved in most buying decisions. Some transactions will be entirely automated. Others will be more of a collaboration between agents and humans.

What types of transactions will be the most resistant to this automation?

• Expensive things for consumers.
• Things that are sold via fun/entertaining shopping experiences: online auctions, online video shopping, offline cool stores.
• Things that bring you joy or define you: clothes, some food, decor, jewelry, handbags, throw pillows, eye glasses, books, games, specialty coffee, mechanical keyboards.

In these cases, people will want to stay more involved in the buying experience. But even there, we may see agents within the curation process or the actual buying process (e.g. an agent places a bid in an online auction just in time to win the item).

If you’re a founder who is selling a product, you need to think about whether you’re selling primarily to an agent or a human being. Agents’ power over transactions will affect your product and GTM strategy.

Some companies will soon be selling primarily to agents. Are you one of them? If so, you need to know how those decisions will be made. Which vector will they be optimizing around? Price? Delivery time? Quality or durability (as understood from online reviews)? This article by Tina He describes some of the factors to think about when designing for agents:

“An AI agent… analyzes its underlying data by looking for “machine-readable structure,” such as specific product names like “Brand X Trailblazer Boot”; key features, such as “waterproof” and “ankle support”; and categorizations like “hiking,” “outdoor gear,” and “footwear.”

Several purchase types will be resistant to this automation. For these purchases, you want to make it as entertaining to shop for as possible. This is what will ensure humans will keep coming back. There’s already been an ongoing trend that merges shopping with entertainment. Platforms like whatnot, palmstreet, and TalkShopLive are examples that are relevant today.

But even in these categories, you’ll STILL have to adapt to agents. Because the agents are the ones who will bring the humans to your site.

This is a brave new world. Go forth and serve your agent overlords. 😉