I’d like to preface with a disclaimer: I do think you should be using agentic tools and engaging with them. This is less a discussion about the tools themselves, and more about how you should go about using them (and a particularly sharp edge I see).

I’m writing this because slop is top of mind.

Yesterday I got a series of emails. The first one I received definitely had hallmarks of AI writing, but I was genuinely interested.

Then the second one came in. From a seemingly totally distinct sender, the content was distinctly similar, but the structure was identical. Surface-level insights from the show notes of my podcast. A mention of a recent LinkedIn post. The vaguely sycophantic tone. The verbosity.

The vague alignment, but fundamental disconnect and misalignment from what I’m trying to do, and why.

And then the third email rolled in. And the fourth. And fifth. And so on.

Defining Slop Link to heading

I have a trivial definition of slop: generated content that the author didn’t proofread. It’s apparently important enough to send, but not important for the author to actually read.

This disconnect / low-intent is what differentiates “slop” from useful generated content. I use agents to generate content for my consumption all the time! That isn’t slop - I can learn and benefit from it.

Slop is bad for you (the sender) Link to heading

Slop is bad in part because there’s so much of it.

You, a business owner, want to drive some outcome. Probably a sale, but maybe awareness. Maybe you want to get on my podcast. Maybe you just want to connect. Maybe you want a job, or to connect to do business.

Slop is like spam. To run a successful business, you need to get noticed and cut through the noise. Slop does the opposite - it slots you neatly into the center of noise.

We’re also kind of in a golden age of slop, just because spam filters haven’t caught up yet. But slop emails are being marked by spam, so bayesian filters are being trained to identify them. It’s a continuation of the same arms race, so inevitably outreach like this will start hitting your domain, and eventually these messages will just be lost in your spam filter like the rest of the financial scams, pill websites, and so on. Humans may be spotty on recognizing AI generated content, but bayesian filters won’t be spotty once trained.

Slop is just rude Link to heading

Slop sends a clear message: “My time is more valuable than yours”. It’s the opposite of leading with value, and signals that you don’t value me.

Why would I want to do business with you? You’ve already told me that you don’t value me as a customer. Why wouldn’t I go to a competitor who values more highly?

This also applies within a workplace. This immediately damages company culture, and sends a clear message that some employees are above other employees. It gets hackles up. Makes people defensive of their time. Speed is quick on a tactical level and slows on the strategic level. Work piles up. Communication breaks down. Politics takes hold.

Where to go from here? Link to heading

Well, there’s a simple solution - check your work, and reign in agents. Your agents should have to justify their skill level before you give them autonomy. As these are agents though, that’s work on you.

A good first step is prompting with your voice. An easy way to start is to have your agent go through your written materials (Emails, Linkedin, blogs, slack, etc), and summarize your voice. I also recommend custom parameters to decrease how “AI” it sounds - avoid verbosity, and prompt it to be concise or terse.

It’s also helpful to have a “AI disclosure”. If the email is sent by “Clippy, X’s agentic helper”, you’ll do some damage to your personal brand, but damage will be concentrated around the agentic technology, not you. This is weird and subjective, I know, but knowing content is AI generated means I’ll give it grace, when otherwise I might feel like it’s pretending to be human. It’s a form of responsibility laundering, but better than nothing. Worst case “Sent with Clawd” or “Sent with PodPitch” are helpful in separating you from the technology. If it’s coming in from you, you (the individual) are assuming full responsibility.

Next, have it draft multiple drafts before sending or publishing (to yourself). This is especially important when you’re starting - you can see patterns in how it writes. Think to yourself - what if my customers get multiple messages each with this pattern? Human communication is messy, not over-formatted. An option may be to increase the temperature of the model you’re using, if you have access to that config lever.

Another useful experiment is to run your agent across multiple models. This is an insurance policy for you. A great prompt will work across Haiku, Sonnet, Opus, and ChatGPT. If you’ve completed steps above and you’re getting more varied (good) content, you can now more freely swap between models without causing a regressions in quality.

Next, start preparing emails for real prospects. Depending on your agent, have them write the emails in draft, and send them yourself. You can edit before send, but don’t forget to iterate on your prompt & context.

There’s further optimization to be done after this, but I imagine this is a large workflow for many individuals to follow already. If you’ve worked in Engineering or Quality, this will look very familiar. Keep in mind that these tools still have a significant defect rate, and that those defects must be managed.

That is, if you want outcomes from using these tools in the first place.

Appendix Link to heading

I’ve been asked for a few examples of the emails I’m receiving.

Why REDACTED Swapped Mansions for Mountains

Hey Hunter,

I just finished your episode with Doug Kling, and I have to say, the way you and Doug broke down the challenges of scaling teams and adapting recruitment strategies for startups was both sharp and refreshingly practical. Your focus on founders finding an edge within specialized lanes really stood out to me.

That’s exactly why I think you and your listeners would get a ton out of hearing from me on Build & Break Through. I’m the Founder & CEO of REDACTED, and my entire journey has been about helping high-income earners rethink what real freedom means, using a niche most don’t consider: RV and glamping resorts. Over the past nine years, I’ve worked with nearly a hundred investors to generate an average 24 percent annual return through high-demand, value-add resorts located by America’s national parks. We take a full-cycle approach, blending adventure and hospitality with rigorous investment discipline.

Like Doug, I set out to answer a real founder’s pain point—in my case, helping busy professionals break free from the limits of traditional real estate investment. From acquiring, transforming, and operating resorts to building a thriving investor community, my story can offer listeners real-world insights on scaling a business in an unconventional sector, the importance of community, and operating with purpose.

I’d love to bring these experiences to your audience and dive into how founders can build, adapt, and breakthrough in unexpected spaces.

Best,

REDACTED

Why REDACTED’s Global SEO Wins Matter

Hey Hunter,

I was thoroughly engaged when you and Shane H Tepper compared GEO to traditional SEO in your most recent episode. The focus on how founders can ensure their products appear in LLM queries is incredibly relevant, especially as B2B success depends more on how we adapt to these evolving search dynamics. It struck me how often expanding startups overlook the bridge between classic SEO and these new generative models, especially in multilingual contexts.

As the Founder of REDACTED, I’ve been helping businesses tackle related challenges. Many companies come to me after they’ve translated their sites but haven’t seen the traffic or conversions they hoped for. I’ve guided teams through deep audits, international keyword mapping, and the entire content optimization journey. In fact, we’ve boosted German traffic by 200 percent and conversions by 50 percent for one affiliate client, and delivered first-page results for a Swiss B2B company in just a month.

I’d love to share real-world stories with your audience about what happens when founders coordinate SEO and localization from day one, and how that foundational approach can help their content stand out, even as AI and LLMs change the game. If you think your listeners could benefit from tactical advice and actionable stories about winning in new markets, I’d love to connect.

Best,

REDACTED

Exporting in a new era of tariffs

Hi Hunter,

I’m a global entrepreneur, born and raised in Ireland, now based in Vancouver - founder of multiple ventures across med-tech, clean energy, and global licensing models. I’ve built, scaled, and exited businesses, and I’m currently leading a clinically backed sleep health product now selling internationally.

I also mentor founders and individuals - I genuinely enjoy helping people navigate the maze of business and life, without the fluff.

What I bring to your audience:

  • Real-world experience (not theory)

  • Building and scaling without overfunding or hype

  • Straight talk on resilience, setbacks, and staying in the game

I’ve also just released REDACTED, adding the human side - life pressures, balancing work and family, founding startups, managing nasty competitors and persisting until you achieve your goals.

If you’re open to it, I’d be a strong, chatty and practical guest for a high-value episode.

You good to schedule a slot? If so, email me back and let’s arrange.

REDACTED

REDACTED vs equity crowdfunding PDFs

Hi Hunter,

Doug Kling’s episode made my morning. The way you both broke down the evolving role of AI in recruiting and the importance of removing friction for founders really landed for me. Hearing you dig into how founders can bypass outdated processes got me thinking about how those pain points show up in other areas, especially startup fundraising.

I’m REDACTED, founder of FishTank App INC. After running into roadblocks and inefficiencies using traditional cold calling and equity crowdfunding platforms, I realized just how inaccessible and costly startup fundraising can be for most founders. That experience led me to launch FishTank: an AI-powered platform that turns static pitch decks into short videos, connects founders and investors in real time, and makes fundraising as seamless as scrolling a social feed. By taking the gatekeepers out of the process, we help startups get feedback, build teams, and access capital far faster than the old models allow.

FishTank isn’t just about tech for tech’s sake. It’s about democratizing entrepreneurship for people who usually get left out because of geography, background, or having the wrong connections. I’d love to dive into how modern founders can leverage community, transparency, and AI to build and fund in public, and why rethinking these old systems could unlock huge potential for your audience.

Best,

REDACTED

REDACTED Reveals a New Era in Home Resilience

Hi Hunter,

Hey Hunter,

Your conversation with Scott Mitchell nailed how scaling challenges often demand a change in mindset as much as process. That tension between technological possibility and business realities reminded me of what’s unfolding in the world of property risk and resilience.

Right now, $22 trillion in U.S. residential property faces escalating threats from flooding, wildfire, and extreme weather. With 2024 seeing 27 billion-dollar disasters and insurance premiums up 82% in high-risk zones, homeowners are scrambling to adapt, but most don’t know where to begin. That disconnect mirrors the engineering, organization gap you and Scott discussed: real problems driving up costs, but lacking actionable, property-level solutions.

I think your listeners would get real value from REDACTED, Chairman and Imagineer at REDACTED. REDACTED’s built an AI-driven platform that analyzes nearly a trillion data points and creates detailed, itemized retrofit plans for any home, bridging the gap between data, insurance incentives, and practical action. His approach covers:

  • Why 35 million homes now face higher premiums or less coverage, and what owners can actually do about it

  • How the Visionary AI Engine and 3D XHome Survey reveal structural risks and identify upgrades that unlock insurance discounts

  • The new way to turn climate resilience from a cost center into a long-term investment for homeowners and small businesses

Would Ben’s story fit an upcoming episode? Happy to share more background or coordinate next steps if you’re interested.

Best,

REDACTED

Imagine getting these within the space of about 30-45 minutes. They aren’t identical, but they visually “rhyme”.

  • The subject lines are weird. They’re clearly trying to cut through noise, but each reads as kind of nonsense, to someone who is unaware of the message contents. It’s essentially the opposite of what a good subject line should do.

  • First paragraph is sycophantic nonsense. I know this person hasn’t watched this episode, since their praise is all extremely high-level and can be extracted from the show notes.

  • Second paragraph is a connection to the guest. In general, this is sort of empty praise or laudables of the potential guest.

  • Third paragraph connects the guest to the podcast. This section also communicates a surface-level understanding of the podcast.

  • All of these display some hallmarks of AI-generated content, especially in the verbosity. These emails could be 3 sentences, not 3 paragraphs. Relatedly, other patterns like em-dash, not this/ it’s that, and so on.

  • Also note that this pattern is broken in some capacity per email, but not totally. There’s clearly a template, but each is more similar than different.

When you get one, you wonder. When you get 5, the trend is clear.