u/TeaforTwo12

As someone who is just now getting started with marketing, I’m curious how much people actually use AI for marketing or if they steer clear. I wonder how much it actually helps or is it just letting you produce more material with no results.

Two things I'd like to hear from people who've been at this longer than me:

Has a customer ever called it out? Did an actual person tell you an email or a post sounded AI-written? I'm curious whether people notice and are upset by it, don't notice at all, or notice and just don't care.

What are some things you still insist on doing yourself and what are the things you let AI take care of? Are there certain marketing materials you notice do better coming directly from a human and some that really don’t matter if it's human or AI?

Thanks in advance for the help, I just want to make sure I am utilizing AI properly if it’s needed,  but not over doing it and shooting myself in the foot in the process!

I'd love to hear from people who've actually applied and received one.

A few things I'm trying to figure out:

• What was the program, and how did you find it? (Federal, state, city, corporate contest?)
• How long from submitting did you actually receive the funds? I've seen people mention anywhere from six weeks to nine months, and I'm trying to figure out if this is worth chasing this year or if it's a long game.
• How many hours did the application really take? 
• If your application was rejected, what would you do differently?

Just wanted to share this free resource for aspiring and current business owners! This free business center has tools like a business plan generator, operating agreement creator, name generator, small business courses, free legal forms, and more!

Spirit stopped flying on May 2, 2026. Every flight canceled overnight, 17,000 jobs gone. It's being sold off in pieces right now.

Here's the strange part: Spirit's big idea worked.

They were the ones who decided a plane ticket should only buy you a seat. Want a bag, a seat assignment, a snack? Pay separately. That let them advertise fares nobody could beat, and eventually more than half their money came from fees instead of tickets. 

But that was also part of their problem. With raising costs all around them, they couldn’t raise their prices because their whole business model was based on serving budget prices. If they raise their prices, it defeats their purpose.

Three things worth learning from this:

1. Losing money on every sale doesn't get better with more sales. It gets worse, faster.
2. If a bigger company can copy your advantage, it isn't protection. Once the big airlines offered a cheap fare and a real network, Spirit had nothing left to sell.
3. Waiting to get bought isn't a plan. Spirit's rescue was a merger with JetBlue. Regulators blocked it. Two bankruptcies followed.

Anyone have any ideas on what Spirit could have done differently? Have you come across a similar problem in your own business?

Having a good elevator pitch ready and on stand-by is always a good idea. I’m curious how other founders actually distilled their company down when they had 30 seconds with an investor.

Was it a clean one-liner? A problem-first hook? Did you lead with traction, the market, or the team? And looking back, would you pitch it the same way now, or completely rewrite it?

Drop yours below if you're up for sharing or any tips you have for others who are in the process of perfecting theirs!

As much as we want to be, we can’t be good at everything. We all have something we can improve on whether it be sales calls, marketing, or simply just saying no. What’s something you wish you were better at?