AI is moving beyond writing copy, generating images, and helping marketers complete isolated tasks. The bigger shift is what happens when AI becomes part of the operating system of the business itself.
In this episode, Molly Pittman sits down with Devyn Merklin to talk about the evolution of Growth OS powered by Gary, the agentic system they're building and already using across real ecommerce businesses.
Devyn shares how his experience growing ecommerce brands eventually led him into agentic AI, and why the real opportunity is not simply having better technology. It's connecting your brand knowledge, historical performance, strategy, team communication, and execution into one ecosystem.
As Devyn puts it:
"It's less about the tech [...] it's more about the ecosystem we created that raises everybody up over time."
Molly and Devyn also walk through how they're already using Growth OS to analyze years of campaign data, build and improve websites, manage projects, execute marketing tasks, and surface strategic recommendations that would previously have taken teams days or weeks to uncover.
If you're trying to understand what agentic AI could actually look like inside an ecommerce company, this conversation gives you a look at where the technology is headed and how businesses are beginning to operate differently because of it.
How Devyn went from building ecommerce brands to developing agentic AI systems
Why AI is evolving from a collection of tools into an operational layer
How Growth OS combines brand knowledge, Smart Marketer IP, business data, and broader AI intelligence
Why strategy, not just execution, may be the biggest opportunity with AI
How Molly is using Growth OS to analyze years of Black Friday performance in minutes
Why existing AI agents and systems do not necessarily need to be rebuilt from scratch
How agents can work inside tools like Slack alongside human teams
Why project management becomes more powerful when the system understands the actual marketing context
How ecommerce businesses can use agents to identify and execute everyday operational tasks
Why Devyn believes the long-term advantage is the ecosystem around the technology, not simply the technology itself
How a network of businesses can make the underlying system smarter over time while keeping proprietary data separate
Growth OS powered by Gary: https://smartmarketer.com/growthos/
Smart Marketer Live 2026: https://smartmarketer.com/sml-2026/
Smart Marketer: https://smartmarketer.com/
Free Trainings & Resources: https://smartmarketer.com/free-resources/
Smart Marketer Agency: https://smartmarketeragency.com/
Omnisend: https://omnisend.com/smart
00:16 – Anthony introduces the episode
01:18 – A quick message from Omnisend
01:36 – Molly welcomes Devyn Merklin
04:10 – Devyn's beginnings in ecommerce and marketing
08:53 – Discovering Smart Marketer and learning direct response marketing
10:38 – Growing a business from early stage to eight figures
12:51 – Leaving to become an entrepreneur
17:52 – Learning through apprenticeship and experience
19:47 – The moment Devyn realized agentic AI could change ecommerce operations
22:16 – Molly's first look at Devyn's agent system
22:55 – Why Smart Marketer's accumulated IP became the missing piece
26:15 – What Growth OS actually does
28:24 – Combining brand intelligence, ecommerce strategy, and AI
31:39 – Rebuilding the Longer Together website with Growth OS
34:34 – Why Molly is more excited about AI strategy than AI execution
35:45 – Analyzing years of Black Friday data in minutes
38:53 – Why the ecosystem matters more than the technology
41:01 – How the Growth OS ecosystem becomes smarter over time
42:37 – Solving the problem of disconnected AI tools and agents
44:56 – Bringing AI into project management and team operations
47:19 – Moving from project management systems to true operating systems
48:58 – Devyn's real-world example of an agent fixing an ecommerce problem
50:34 – The mindset shift required to work with agentic systems
52:31 – Where Growth OS fits for businesses at different stages
56:51 – Giving AI agents a brand personality
59:18 – Why ecommerce experience matters when building these systems
01:01:34 – What competitors can replicate and what they can't
01:02:50 – Growth OS, Smart Marketer Live, and closing thoughts
Thank you for listening to the Smart Marketer Podcast!
If this episode helped you think differently about how AI could operate inside your business, share it with another ecommerce entrepreneur or marketer who needs to hear it.
If you're sharing on social, tag @SmartMarketerIG and use #WeOutHere.
Have questions or feedback? Reach us at support@smartmarketer.com.
Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit!