<p><strong>🌟 Episode Overview:</strong></p><p>In this episode of <em>Marketing in the Age of AI</em>, host Emanuel Rose sits down with tech veteran and startup builder <strong>Vidar Hokstad</strong>—a consultant who transformed decades of hands-on engineering, DevOps leadership, and startup grit into an AI-powered approach to modern business. From navigating the rapid evolution of AI tools to building marketing systems as a self-described “non-marketer,” Vidar breaks down what it <em>actually</em> takes to compete and grow in today’s AI-driven era.</p><p>This episode is a must-watch for technical founders, consultants, startup leaders, and anyone curious about how AI is reshaping execution, productivity, and go-to-market strategy.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>📘 What You’ll Learn:</strong></p><ul><li><p>How technical leaders can turn AI + agents into real business value</p></li><li><p>Practical ways non-marketers can build pipelines using LLMs</p></li><li><p>Why fast-moving AI innovation requires constant experimentation</p></li><li><p>How Vidar tests and refines marketing messaging using AI</p></li><li><p>The difference between structured (Codex-style) models and exploratory models like Claude</p></li><li><p>How to build personal AI workflows, agents, and automated systems</p></li><li><p>Common pitfalls when integrating AI into operations and consulting workflows<br></p></li></ul><p><strong>👤 Featured Guest:</strong></p><p>Vidar Hokstad is a UK-based consultant with <strong>30+ years in startups</strong>, from cofounding his first company at 19 to leading engineering, DevOps, and AI initiatives across multiple venture-backed organizations. Known for his ability to blend deep technical skills with real-world business execution, Vidar now helps teams adopt AI, automate workflows, and scale operations with modern agents and LLMs. </p><p>Connect with Vidar: LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode Highlights:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Vidar’s journey from introverted coder to consultant supporting global startups</p></li><li><p>Why many technical founders struggle with marketing—and how AI fills the gaps</p></li><li><p>How he built a fully AI-generated website and automated lead workflows</p></li><li><p>Real examples of Vidar testing messaging with LLMs to find the right niche</p></li><li><p>A behind-the-curtain look at how Vidar uses coding-centric LLM interfaces</p></li><li><p>How agents can autonomously execute tasks (and why that’s both powerful and risky)</p></li><li><p>The importance of documenting workflows, examples, and instructions for AI</p></li><li><p>How Vidar builds repositories of instructions to train agents for recurring work</p></li><li><p>Security considerations every non-technical user must understand before using agents</p></li><li><p>Why specialized tools often get replaced by more capable agents<br></p></li></ul><p><strong>🔗 Connect &amp; Explore More:</strong></p><p><strong>Host – Emanuel Rose</strong> </p><p>LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2b-leadgeneration/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2b-leadgeneration/</u></a> Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/emanuelroseauthor/"> <u>https://www.instagram.com/emanuelroseauthor/</u></a> Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EmanuelRoseAuthor"> <u>https://www.facebook.com/EmanuelRoseAuthor</u></a> YouTube:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@marketingintheageofai-ec6fx"> <u>https://www.youtube.com/@marketingintheageofai-ec6fx</u></a> Website:<a href="https://emanuelrose.com/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/</u></a></p><p><strong>Guest – Vidar Hokstad</strong> LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>📚 Further Reading &amp; Resources:</strong></p><p>Blog Post: <em>How Technical Leaders Turn AI and Agents Into Real Business Value</em><a href="https://emanuelrose.com/how-technical-leaders-turn-ai-and-agents-into-real-business-value/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/how-technical-leaders-turn-ai-and-agents-into-real-business-value/</u></a></p><p>Emanuel’s Book – <em>Authentic Marketing in the Age of AI</em><a href="https://emanuelrose.com/product/authentic-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/product/authentic-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/</u></a></p><p>Host Website:<a href="https://emanuelrose.com/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to <strong>like</strong>, <strong>comment</strong>, and <strong>subscribe</strong> for more interviews, insights, and strategies on navigating marketing in the age of AI. Drop your questions in the comments—we’d love to hear how you’re using AI in your business!</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>#MarketingInTheAgeOfAI #AIForBusiness #AIMarketing #StartupLife #TechLeadership #AIConsulting #AIWorkflow #LLMTools #Agents #BusinessAutomation #MarketingPodcast #VidarHokstad #EmanuelRose #AIProductivity #CustomGPTs #DevOps #StartupFounder #AIInnovation #FutureOfWork #ArtificialIntelligence #PodcastEpisode #BusinessGrowth #TechConsultant #AIImplementation #OpenAI #Claude #GPT</p>

Marketing in the Age of AI

Emanuel Rose

From Introverted Coder to AI-Driven Consultant: Vidar Hokstad on Thriving in the Age of AI 🚀🤖

DEC 8, 202527 MIN
Marketing in the Age of AI

From Introverted Coder to AI-Driven Consultant: Vidar Hokstad on Thriving in the Age of AI 🚀🤖

DEC 8, 202527 MIN

Description

<p><strong>🌟 Episode Overview:</strong></p><p>In this episode of <em>Marketing in the Age of AI</em>, host Emanuel Rose sits down with tech veteran and startup builder <strong>Vidar Hokstad</strong>—a consultant who transformed decades of hands-on engineering, DevOps leadership, and startup grit into an AI-powered approach to modern business. From navigating the rapid evolution of AI tools to building marketing systems as a self-described “non-marketer,” Vidar breaks down what it <em>actually</em> takes to compete and grow in today’s AI-driven era.</p><p>This episode is a must-watch for technical founders, consultants, startup leaders, and anyone curious about how AI is reshaping execution, productivity, and go-to-market strategy.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>📘 What You’ll Learn:</strong></p><ul><li><p>How technical leaders can turn AI + agents into real business value</p></li><li><p>Practical ways non-marketers can build pipelines using LLMs</p></li><li><p>Why fast-moving AI innovation requires constant experimentation</p></li><li><p>How Vidar tests and refines marketing messaging using AI</p></li><li><p>The difference between structured (Codex-style) models and exploratory models like Claude</p></li><li><p>How to build personal AI workflows, agents, and automated systems</p></li><li><p>Common pitfalls when integrating AI into operations and consulting workflows<br></p></li></ul><p><strong>👤 Featured Guest:</strong></p><p>Vidar Hokstad is a UK-based consultant with <strong>30+ years in startups</strong>, from cofounding his first company at 19 to leading engineering, DevOps, and AI initiatives across multiple venture-backed organizations. Known for his ability to blend deep technical skills with real-world business execution, Vidar now helps teams adopt AI, automate workflows, and scale operations with modern agents and LLMs. </p><p>Connect with Vidar: LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode Highlights:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Vidar’s journey from introverted coder to consultant supporting global startups</p></li><li><p>Why many technical founders struggle with marketing—and how AI fills the gaps</p></li><li><p>How he built a fully AI-generated website and automated lead workflows</p></li><li><p>Real examples of Vidar testing messaging with LLMs to find the right niche</p></li><li><p>A behind-the-curtain look at how Vidar uses coding-centric LLM interfaces</p></li><li><p>How agents can autonomously execute tasks (and why that’s both powerful and risky)</p></li><li><p>The importance of documenting workflows, examples, and instructions for AI</p></li><li><p>How Vidar builds repositories of instructions to train agents for recurring work</p></li><li><p>Security considerations every non-technical user must understand before using agents</p></li><li><p>Why specialized tools often get replaced by more capable agents<br></p></li></ul><p><strong>🔗 Connect &amp; Explore More:</strong></p><p><strong>Host – Emanuel Rose</strong> </p><p>LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2b-leadgeneration/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/b2b-leadgeneration/</u></a> Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/emanuelroseauthor/"> <u>https://www.instagram.com/emanuelroseauthor/</u></a> Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EmanuelRoseAuthor"> <u>https://www.facebook.com/EmanuelRoseAuthor</u></a> YouTube:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@marketingintheageofai-ec6fx"> <u>https://www.youtube.com/@marketingintheageofai-ec6fx</u></a> Website:<a href="https://emanuelrose.com/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/</u></a></p><p><strong>Guest – Vidar Hokstad</strong> LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/"> <u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhokstad/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>📚 Further Reading &amp; Resources:</strong></p><p>Blog Post: <em>How Technical Leaders Turn AI and Agents Into Real Business Value</em><a href="https://emanuelrose.com/how-technical-leaders-turn-ai-and-agents-into-real-business-value/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/how-technical-leaders-turn-ai-and-agents-into-real-business-value/</u></a></p><p>Emanuel’s Book – <em>Authentic Marketing in the Age of AI</em><a href="https://emanuelrose.com/product/authentic-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/product/authentic-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/</u></a></p><p>Host Website:<a href="https://emanuelrose.com/"> <u>https://emanuelrose.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to <strong>like</strong>, <strong>comment</strong>, and <strong>subscribe</strong> for more interviews, insights, and strategies on navigating marketing in the age of AI. Drop your questions in the comments—we’d love to hear how you’re using AI in your business!</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>#MarketingInTheAgeOfAI #AIForBusiness #AIMarketing #StartupLife #TechLeadership #AIConsulting #AIWorkflow #LLMTools #Agents #BusinessAutomation #MarketingPodcast #VidarHokstad #EmanuelRose #AIProductivity #CustomGPTs #DevOps #StartupFounder #AIInnovation #FutureOfWork #ArtificialIntelligence #PodcastEpisode #BusinessGrowth #TechConsultant #AIImplementation #OpenAI #Claude #GPT</p>