Analyst Relations has always been a relationship business; it’s not all about dot placement.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Alyssa Stone to unpack what actually makes AR effective in 2026: earning analyst trust, building real executive relationships, and knowing which individual analysts truly influence buyers and sales cycles.

They explore how AI is reshaping AR workflows (from research to briefing prep), where automation genuinely helps, and why AI can’t replace experience, intuition, or human connection. Alyssa also shares a candid look at the disruption hitting the analyst ecosystem itself, including declining market values and layoffs at firms like Gartner and Forrester, alongside the rising relevance of independent and second-tier analyst firms.

If you lead AR, comms, product marketing, or GTM strategy, this conversation offers a grounded, real-world playbook for navigating both AI transformation and analyst market upheaval.