The Art of Commerce

Anish Raul has made several major decisions this year that could shape the next five. Some looked reckless from the outside, but each one took far longer to make than people might expect.

In EP71 of The Art of Commerce, Anish and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar talk about how people actually make decisions when they do not have perfect information. They discuss why delay can sometimes be more costly than action, how experience helps you recognize patterns and see the bigger picture, and why being decisive does not simply mean making fast choices. Jinx also shares how he weighs best- and worst-case outcomes, challenges yes-or-no thinking, and uses experience to know when there is enough information to move forward.

This episode covers:

· Why speed is not always courage and slowness is not always care

· How uncertainty and anxiety can cause people to delay decisions

· Why waiting too long can sometimes create more risk than acting

· How to know when you have enough information to make a decision

· Why experience helps you “zoom out” and see the full picture

· How testing points and counterpoints can reveal better options

· Why some decisions require more deliberation than others

· The difference between “spreadsheet math” and “reality math”

· How to think about reversible and difficult-to-reverse decisions

· Why strong leaders take responsibility for the decisions they approve

· How younger professionals can build better judgment through mentors, smaller decisions, and greater accountability

· Why explaining your thought process can build trust in your decision-making

· Why good decision-making does not mean getting every decision right

The central lesson is simple: you will rarely have 100% of the information. The goal is to know when you have enough, understand the risks, make the call, and be willing to own the outcome.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj

For years, Anish Raul saw leaving a corporate career as a one-way door. But after thinking more seriously about what he wanted from his career, that assumption started to change.

In EP70 of The Art of Commerce, Anish and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar talk about alternative career paths, creating opportunities outside a traditional job, and building more control over where your career can go. They discuss Anish’s decision to take First Figures more seriously, Jinx’s experience building his own business before returning to corporate life, and why career moves do not always have to be permanent. They also explore experimentation, product-market fit, career identity, optionality, and the difference between fear and productive concern.

This episode covers:

· Why leaving a corporate role does not have to be a one-way door

· How to think about career changes as different routes rather than one fixed path

· Why Anish created a personal job description and 90-day plan before making his next move

· How Jinx used conversations, market research, and real-world feedback to shape his business

· Why entrepreneurs should focus on creating value and generating revenue before worrying about scale

· Why mistakes, wrong names, and imperfect ideas can be fixed along the way

· How side projects and content creation can help test an alternative career before fully committing to it

· Why waiting for the perfect opportunity can hold you back

· How building projects outside your day job can create more confidence and career optionality

· Why focusing on what you can control can turn fear into productive action

The central lesson is simple: career optionality is built by taking action. Experiment, build relationships, create work, learn from the market, and develop skills and projects that give you more than one path forward.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

In 2025, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar made a series of predictions about where AI, marketing, and technology would be heading in 2026. Now, they are checking the receipts.

In EP69 of The Art of Commerce, Anish and Jinx revisit those predictions to see what actually happened. They discuss the rise of AI agents, why companies are still struggling to redesign teams and workflows around new technology, whether AI innovation is beginning to plateau, and why businesses are asking harder questions about ROI. They also explore AI-generated advertising, wearable AI, privacy concerns, and the continuing challenge of measuring the real impact of creative work.

This episode covers:• Why AI agents are starting to break down organizational silos• Why simply adding AI tools is not enough if teams and workflows are still built around old systems• What the steam engine can teach us about redesigning organizations around new technology• Why some areas of AI are becoming more incremental while AI video continues to make bigger leaps• Why token costs are pushing companies to think more seriously about AI ROI• How AI is becoming part of mainstream advertising and video production• Why human taste still matters in avoiding “AI slop”• The opportunities and privacy concerns around AI wearables and smart hardware• Why marketers still struggle to measure the true impact of creative• Why creator advertising could continue to grow• How Gen Z could benefit from entering the workforce as an AI-native generation

The central lesson is simple: AI adoption is no longer just about having access to better tools. The bigger challenge is redesigning teams, workflows, creative processes, and business decisions around what the technology can actually do.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

Crocs has introduced a brand ambassador who will never age, need an agent or create an off-camera scandal: Niles the Crocodile.

In EP68 of The Art of Commerce, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar discuss why Crocs is turning a six-foot mascot into what its CMO describes as a long-term investment in scalable intellectual property. They explore what separates a memorable mascot from another brand icon—and why creating the character is only the beginning.

This episode covers:

• Why Niles represents a different kind of brand investment

• The difference between a mascot, an icon and brand personification

• Why Crocs must continuously invest in content around the character

• How Niles could expand into entertainment, experiences and new products

• The difference between borrowing attention and creating an owned cultural moment

• How Crocs has used celebrities and partnerships to reach existing audiences

• Why AI could reduce the cost of building original content and intellectual property

• The importance of long-term commitment from leadership and investors

The central lesson is simple: launching a mascot makes a statement, but building a valuable brand asset requires patience, consistent storytelling and the conviction to keep investing.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

What happens when a baseball team stops thinking about ticket sales and starts thinking about fans?

In EP 67 of The Art of Commerce, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar explore how Jesse Cole turned the Savannah Bananas into one of the most talked-about sports brands by building the entire experience around one idea: Fans First.

They break down how the Savannah Bananas use attention-grabbing branding, repeatable entertainment, unexpected moments and a strong internal culture to turn casual customers into loyal fans. They also explore the business model behind that strategy, including why maximizing profit on every ticket may matter less than building long-term relationships that lead to merchandise sales, repeat attendance, media deals and word of mouth.

This episode covers:

• How the Savannah Bananas grew from struggling ticket sales to a waiting list of millions

• Why their unusual name, yellow branding and entertainment-first approach immediately grab attention

• Why getting attention means nothing if the underlying product is not good

• How repeatable moments and rituals help create a recognizable fan experience

• Why unexpected “magic” moments can turn bad experiences into memorable ones

• How the Bananas transformed a rain delay into entertainment instead of dead time

• What “Fans First” means beyond Jesse Cole’s book

• Why Savannah Bananas think beyond individual transactions and focus on long-term fandom

• How merchandise, touring, broadcasts and repeat customers support the business model

• Why baseball was particularly well suited for this kind of reinvention

• What the Grateful Dead and Phish can teach brands about building long-term fan communities

• How Apple, Adobe and Chase create value beyond their core products through experiences and community

• Why physical experiences can help brands create emotional connections that are difficult to reproduce digitally

• What marketers and business leaders can learn from the Savannah Bananas approach to fandom

The key takeaway: Fandom is not created by calling your customers a community. It comes from consistently giving people a great product, memorable experiences and reasons to keep coming back. The Savannah Bananas show what can happen when a business stops optimizing every interaction for immediate revenue and starts building relationships for the long term.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul/

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

Klarna’s CMO says “Klarna has no fans.” But is that a problem?

In EP 66 of The Art of Commerce, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar unpack the growing

obsession with brand fandom and ask a bigger question: Does every brand actually need fans?

They explore why some brands, like Netflix, naturally lend themselves to fandom, while utilitydriven businesses like Klarna may be better off focusing on having a great product and loyal

customers. They also discuss the difference between having customers who repeatedly choose

your product and true fans who will advocate for your brand—even when the product isn't

perfect.

This episode covers:

• Why Klarna’s CMO says “Klarna has no fans”

• Whether brand fandom is overhyped in modern marketing

• The difference between fans, loyal customers and customers who simply have a choice

• Why the product has to deliver on the promise

• How Netflix turned a utilitarian streaming service into a global fandom

• Why Netflix’s fandom came from product innovation and content, not just memes and

marketing

• Why some product categories naturally lend themselves to fandom more than others

• How brands can build customer loyalty even when fandom isn't realistic

• Whether financial brands and utility businesses can create genuine communities

• Why you can't build fans on top of a bad product

• What The Art of Commerce itself can teach us about building a community

The key takeaway: Not every brand needs fans. But every brand needs a product that delivers on

its promise. Fandom may be an aspiration, but it should come from the strength of the product

and the experience. Not from simply adding “community” or “culture” to a marketing strategy.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul/

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

AI agents are moving beyond simple chatbots. They can now analyze data, research competitors, plan campaigns and automate parts of the work marketers do every day. But does that mean humans are becoming less valuable?In EP 65 of The Art of Commerce, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar explore how AI agents are changing marketing and business workflows. Anish shares what he learned testing Adobe’s agentic marketing tools at its San Jose headquarters, how he built his own multi-agent CRO system, and why human judgment, business context and expertise still matter.This episode covers:· How Anish tested and broke Adobe’s AI agents at the Agentic Marketing Garage· Why AI can get you most of the way, but human judgment is still essential· Why different AI agents may need different LLMs to create genuinely different perspectives· How Anish built a system of data analysis, CRO and project management agents· How he reduced a process that could take two to four weeks to around 15 minutes· Why AI agents can feel like adding new team members to your workflow· How Jinx uses AI for competitive research and meeting preparation· Why beginners should start with one simple task and turn it into a repeatable workflow· How AI agents could help companies preserve institutional knowledge when employees leave· Why companies should not try to solve every problem with AI at onceThe key takeaway is simple: AI agents can dramatically increase speed and output, but they still need human context, judgment and expertise. Instead of trying to automate everything at once, start with one useful task, prove that it works and gradually build AI into your workflow.Connect with the hosts:Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul/Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

Hasbro, Mattel and Lego faced the same question: how can content turn physical products into powerful intellectual property? Their answers could not have been more different.

In EP 64 of The Art of Commerce, Anish Raul and Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar examine how three toy giants approached Hollywood and content. Hasbro bought a production studio, Mattel gave filmmakers more creative freedom with Barbie, and Lego stayed focused on its core business while carefully expanding its stories.

This episode covers:

• How G.I. Joe cartoons helped Hasbro increase toy sales

• Why Hasbro’s move into film production made sense on paper but failed in practice

• How Mattel turned Barbie into a major movie success

• Why creative freedom helped Barbie feel original and culturally relevant

• How Lego protected its brand while allowing filmmakers to explore new ideas

• The Disney content-to-product flywheel

• How stories turn toys into characters, communities and lasting IP

• How AI and 3D printing are making it easier to create new characters and products

The key takeaway is simple: content can create demand and strengthen a physical product, but brands do not need to control every stage of production. The right creative partners, clear guardrails and a strong understanding of your core business can produce better results.

Connect with the hosts:

Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul/

Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

What happens when a product goes viral before it even exists?

In EP 63 of The Art of Commerce, Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar interviews co-host Anish Raul about the story behind First Figures. It started with an AI-generated reel featuring a collectible figure inspired by Hindu mythology. The first video reached nearly 2 million views, a follow-up reached 6 million, and within a week, Anish collected 8,500 email registrations for a product he had not yet manufactured.

This episode covers:

• Why the product idea, not simply the video, went viral.

• How Anish captured demand before the attention disappeared.

• Why he moved his audience from Instagram to an email list.

• How performance data helped the second reel reach 6 million views.

• The challenge of turning an AI concept into a physical product.

• How First Figures validated demand across 200 cities and 16 countries.

• What it takes to keep an audience engaged while a product is being developed.

• The most important lesson for creators who suddenly go viral.

With 500 confirmed orders and growing interest worldwide, Anish shares what he has learned about content, distribution, product validation and launching an e-commerce brand in 2026.

Connect with Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul

Connect with Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/

Explore First Figures: https://firstfigures.com

Your first 90 days are about learning, listening, and building trust. But what happens after that?
In EP 62 of The Art of Commerce, Anish and Jinx explore the next phase of leadership, when the safety net
disappears and expectations shift from potential to real results. They discuss how to keep momentum
without a fixed finish line, use the trust you have earned, and grow from a people-pleaser into a leader who
can speak clearly, challenge ideas, and handle healthy debate.
This episode covers:
- The mindset shift from “what’s left?” to “what’s next?”
- How to earn trust in your first 90 days and use it wisely afterward
- Why strong leaders need healthy tension, not constant agreement
- A simple framework for difficult conversations: empathy, honesty, and relevant examples
- How to separate your identity from your ideas and accept better feedback
- Using AI as an ongoing leadership copilot or chief of staff
- Creating urgency and milestones when no external deadline exists
- Why long-term career growth requires both consistency and reinvention
The first 90 days may help you enter the role, but what you do next determines the leader you become.
Connect with the hosts:
Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul
Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinky