In this episode of The AI Grapple, Kate vanderVoort is joined by Simon Yencken, Founder and CEO of Fanplayr.
What if you could deliver hyper-personalised experiences that delight customers without creeping them out?
Simon is a true pioneer at the intersection of AI, behavioural data, and e-commerce. His career has taken him from global finance and SaaS to founding Fanplayr, a company that's helping brands deliver smarter, faster, privacy-respecting customer experiences.
We dig into how AI is reshaping e-commerce, why privacy-first strategies are critical for survival, and what the future holds for businesses brave enough to embrace the next wave of AI innovation.
If you’re in marketing, business, or tech — this is an episode you won't want to miss.
🎯 Key Highlights
✔️ Simon's Journey to Fanplayr From legal partner in Australia, to global finance at Reuters, through the dot-com boom, SaaS success stories — and finally founding Fanplayr to bring real-time optimisation to e-commerce.
✔️ What Fanplayr Actually Does
Using patented segmentation technology and AI-driven personalization to enhance customer experiences, increase conversion rates, and boost lifetime value — all built on first-party data.
✔️ The Rise of Privacy-First Personalisation Simon explains how Fanplayr helps businesses move beyond third-party cookies, using tools like Privacy ID to comply with GDPR and still deliver tailored experiences.
✔️ How AI is Revolutionising Online Merchandising Beyond basic recommendations, Fanplayr’s AI matches users with exactly what they want — even before they know they want it — using machine learning and personalisation engines.
✔️ The "Creepiness" Factor We discuss how to personalise without feeling intrusive — and why transparency and trust will define the next decade of online customer relationships.
✔️ Regional Differences: US vs Europe Simon shares why privacy regulations are tougher in Europe, and how businesses are adapting differently in the US and UK markets.
✔️ ChatGPT, Hype vs Reality Simon shares his take on large language models like ChatGPT, and why the future of AI won't be one single exponential curve — but rather a series of powerful "S-curves" as new breakthroughs emerge.
✔️ AI’s Impact on SaaS and Business Models
Why the SaaS pricing and licensing world is ripe for disruption — and how traditional tech giants will have to evolve or risk being left behind.
✔️ Avoiding the AI Bubble Simon warns about the huge number of AI startups building on shaky ground — and shares why sustainable innovation will be what separates winners from losers.
✔️ What Excites Simon About the Future AI is at the start of a genuine tech revolution — and it’s opening opportunities that are bigger and more exciting than anything since the rise of the internet.
📌 Connect with Simon Yencken:
- Visit Fanplayr.com: Learn more about Simon’s company and solutions.
- Connect with Fanplayr on LinkedIn
Know a someone who needs to hear this? Share this episode with a friend, team member, or mentor who’s ready to embrace AI and lead with clarity.
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