INBOUND25: Loops, Relationships, and the Early Days of AI

This year marked the first INBOUND outside of Boston and the first to land in San Francisco, a city that feels like both a testing ground and a glimpse into the future. Between sessions, we wandered into some of the best food we’ve had at any conference (and for a team with a pizza obsession, declaring “one of the best ever” is no small thing). We also had the chance to strengthen bonds with clients who, as always, reminded us they are as much friends as business partners. And in true Silicon Valley style, we capped it off with a Waymo ride—autonomous driving that’s been in action for years, but still felt like the future pulling up to the curb.

As always, the real magic of INBOUND is the mix of perspectives you take home. We walked away with different highlights, takeaways, and ideas we’re eager to put into practice. Here’s what stood out to us:

Scaling Impact, Not Output

If 2024 was about learning to work with AI, 2025 is about using it to scale what actually matters. The theme that kept surfacing in every session I attended was simple: consistency, clarity, and speed without losing the human spark that makes marketing work.

We’re past the “more content, more channels” era. The new mandate is impact over output. That starts at the brand level: tight voice guides, reusable templates, and visual systems that keep outside partners and sales reps on-brand while still letting teams tailor for the buyer in front of them. It continues in campaign design: short-form, stackable, and designed to move—from passive viewing to active doing.

HubSpot’s new Marketing Studio reinforces this shift with a shared canvas, live stats, and an AI sidebar (Breeze and ICP agents) that makes campaigns continuous loops of learning. Pair that with The Loop Marketing Playbook—Express, Tailor, Amplify, Evolve—and you see the throughline: move fast, learn faster, and keep humans at the center.

“Events aren’t content dumps; they’re energy transfers. Treat campaigns the same way.”

— Jessie Duford, Senior Client Success Manager

Rethinking LinkedIn and the Role of AI

At INBOUND, I dove deep into LinkedIn Ads and walked away convinced that most of the platform’s “best practices” aren’t actually best. A tighter, three-stage funnel works better: build awareness, nurture the curious, and then focus on conversion. Execution is everything: permanent location targeting, clean naming conventions, no wasted audience expansion, and creatives built to prove themselves before scaling.

The real unlock? Commenting as a growth engine. On LinkedIn, visibility comes as much from showing up in conversations as it does from posting. That makes people, not logos, the driver of growth. Pair that with creator partnerships, visual-first posts, and zero-click content that educates before it sells, and suddenly LinkedIn feels less like an ad platform and more like a place for real connection.

AI showed up here too, but with a caution: it should support the human voice, not replace it. For me, that hit home. I realized I’ve been underusing AI in my workflow, and I’m ready to experiment with how it can sharpen social campaigns and strategy without losing authenticity.

“People connect with people, not logos. On LinkedIn, that means your team is your brand.”

— Maribeth Martin, Social Media Coordinator

From Relationships to Revenue in the Age of AI

INBOUND25 wasn’t just about product launches. It was about relationships and reinvention. The most valuable time was face-to-face: with our team, with clients like Middleby, and with new friends who reminded us that trust and empathy drive growth. As George B. Thomas said: “You don’t have clients... you have friends who pay you money.”

The sessions echoed that shift. AEO—Answer Engine Optimization—is the new SEO. Large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are quickly becoming traffic channels in their own right. If SEO defined the last decade, AEO will define the next.

For TMC, the implications are clear: evolve roles toward Growth Managers who connect success to revenue, and build with AI at the core. HubSpot’s Commerce Hub, Breeze Agents, and Breeze Studio aren’t bells and whistles; they’re signs that agencies need to start creating their own AI-powered tools, products, and training.

“AEO is the new SEO. If search built the last decade, answer engines will build the next.”

— Erik MacPherson, CEO

From Funnels to Loops, From ROI to Real Value

The last time I was in San Francisco in the spring of 2023, it wasn’t for a conference. It was to apply for our Portuguese visas—a day of nerves, paperwork, and hope that became the launching pad to Lisbon. INBOUND25 felt like a similar turning point: not a beginning, but a moment that makes the next chapter possible.

Last year, I had what I called an AI-Opening Moment, a permission slip to step through the door into a new world. This year wasn’t that. There were no surprises. Instead, there was affirmation. HubSpot isn’t just acknowledging AI anymore; it’s building around it. That’s why the old funnel is gone, replaced by The Loop: Express your identity, Tailor messages to people, Amplify across channels, and Evolve in real time.

The deeper lesson came from Dharmesh Shah: “You to the power of AI.” The point isn’t to save time but to do more with the time we have. ROI still matters, but real value will come from curiosity, creativity, and connection amplified by AI. Hearing Zack Kass describe AI as the start of a new renaissance (something I've been talking about since a recent trip to Florence) only underscored that truth.

What struck me most was how early we still are. Even here, many are just beginning to explore the map of AI. That’s not a weakness. The truth is, it's an opportunity. If we experiment, share, and act responsibly, we move forward together.

“The future isn’t ROI for its own sake. It’s You to the power of AI—doing more with the time we have.”

— Chad Stamm, Creative Director & AI Integrator

HubSpot’s AI Shift from Busywork to Real Work

What stood out to me at INBOUND25 is how quickly HubSpot is turning AI into a teammate instead of a tool. Breeze Agents install in seconds and can now recap calls, hand off tasks, and manage follow-ups without you lifting a finger. It’s the kind of automation that frees people to spend more time where it matters: building relationships and driving sales.

The other headline is data. With the new Data Studio, marketing, sales, and service teams can finally connect everything—spreadsheets, Snowflake, external sources—into a single source of truth. Smarter data means better reporting, cleaner workflows, and more unified decisions across the customer journey.

On the campaign side, Marketing Studio makes it easier to launch. You can pull in assets from past campaigns, drop in meeting notes that AI transforms into ideas, and manage the whole workflow in one place. Add AI-driven personalization for landing pages, CTAs, and emails, and you get content that feels more human without piling on busywork.

The caution flag is email. Deliverability was a recurring theme. Even small spam complaint rates can sink your entire domain. HubSpot is rolling out tools to protect sender reputation, but the message is clear: email still matters, and protecting it matters even more.

All of this fits within the broader Loop framework: Express who you are, Tailor to individuals, Amplify across channels, and Evolve in real time. HubSpot is building toward that cycle, and the throughline is obvious. AI should not replace people. It should remove the friction, unify the data, and make personalization real.

“AI should not replace people. It should remove the friction and make personalization real.”

— Melissa McFarland, Senior Client Success Manager

Closing Thoughts

From scaling impact to reinventing LinkedIn, from deepening client friendships to redefining the funnel, INBOUND25 was less about discovery and more about confirmation: AI is no longer a concept, it’s the framework.

And just like that Waymo ride through San Francisco, it’s a reminder that the technology is here. The question is how fast—and how responsibly—we’re willing to drive it.

♾️ Master the four stages of Loop Marketing: Express, Tailor, Amplify, Evolve.

♾️ Unlock step-by-step playbooks for AI-era marketing growth.

♾️ Speed up campaign creation with AI-aligned brand voice.

♾️ Co-create with AI: human strategy + AI execution.

♾️ Equip your team with rituals, roadmaps, and reporting aligned to the Loop.