The way forward = pure agility
An interview with Rohan Kulkarni - former CMO & Founder of The Wordsmith AI. TL;DR: Write for skimmers, have a moat & AI startups will die if they don't solve real problems.
Read time: 5 minutes
The following is a conversation with Rohan Kulkarni, former CMO & Founder of TheWordsmith.ai, an AI writing copilot built for marketers by marketers.
You've been an engineer, corporate marketer, startup CMO & now founder. How'd that happen?
I started building software for semiconductors, then went business school, then switched to product marketing, then led market research at Visa, then was CMO at a series B startup.
And now I’m coming full circle and using all those accumulated skills in my current venture, The Wordsmith AI.
What’s changing in GTM?
In semiconductors, it was big players, big accounts, big partners. Big barrier to entry.
Moving to SaaS, it's a lot more dynamic. Low-code and no-code platforms let anyone (tech background or not) build stuff.
It’s easier to start things up these days. But harder to grow them in a sustainable way.
I think the separator is thriving in an environment where change is constant.
Why The Wordsmith?
I noticed a lack of AI tools specifically for marketers.
I’ve been in so many marketing roles and the eternal problems are permanently etched onto my brain.
So I created thewordsmith.ai – a tool designed to improve and streamline the entire creative process for marketers, fitting seamlessly into their daily workflow.
We're in the early stages, but we're gaining momentum.
How are you bootstrapping growth so far?
I'm keeping it grassroots for now. I go to events, talk to people, not spend money on paid ads.
Networking, getting organic interest and finding less typical ways to get the word out.
How should marketers evolve their messaging with market changes?
Evolve with how your customers actually talk and think.
At an influencer marketing platform I worked at, we shifted our headline from:
“AI-driven influencer marketing” → “Stories are only as powerful as the storytellers”
Just that simple change led to a 20% increase in demo conversions basically overnight.
Keep it simple, write for skimmers & be impactful. It’s really not more complicated than that.
How do you use this philosophy in your current product?
Our mindset is that AI should enhance, not dominate.
This idea is at the heart of everything we do. Features, sales, customer service.
The whole point is to make sure our actions always align with this belief.
I think we’re doing a good job at this.
Can you share examples of staying true to core principles?
Look at Apple. They've consistently maintained premium pricing and do not sway under market pressure.
Jeff Bezos has this widely used quote that said to focus on what won't change. For Amazon, it's fast delivery, fair prices, and ease of use.
In B2B SaaS you have to laser-focus on the customer needs that actually endure.
Yeah. For me as a copywriter, it’s sales. It’ll always be hard for companies to sell. I feel like as long as I stay true to solving hard sales problems with copy, I’ll never be out of work.
Exactly.
But when will AI companies realize this? I feel like a lot haven’t
We’re peak hype right now.
Many AI startups are creating impressive yet impractical tech. And there’s really no moats in terms of tech with everyone plugging into GPT APIs.
The focus is on funding and not solving hard customer problems that endure.
Mastering the basics gives you longevity even if it means slower growth.
In AI, being customer-centric is not optional.
What are some moats in this area?
You've got unique assets like Reddit’s data used by Google – that’s a real competitive edge.
Or network effects – like how LinkedIn has a massive, established user base.
User experience is another – HubSpot’s great at this which differentiates them from Salesforce.
Your biggest achievement as a CMO?
When I joined a company just as the market was booming and then hit a downturn, we still managed to grow 4x in 18 months.
That was pure agility & smart decisions and I’m really proud of that.
Any final thoughts?
Question if AI is improving or complicating things. Carve out your specialty, like yours in B2B SaaS copywriting, to stay ahead.
Oh, and stay human in your content.