
The Shadow Buyer & The Algorithm Economy: When AI Researches and Algorithms Decide Who Wins with Tanay Sarpotdar
From Mindful Minutes by Tanay Sarpotdar
May 15, 2026 · 10 min · Season 3 · Episode 7
About this episode
This episode discusses the impact of AI on buyer behavior and marketing strategies, introducing the concept of the Shadow Buyer and the Algorithm Economy.
Before your buyer speaks to you, something else already has. In this episode, we unpack the rise of the Shadow Buyer —where AI tools research, compare, and shortlist options long before a human enters your funnel. Alongside this, we explore the Algorithm Economy , where visibility is no longer earned through campaigns alone, but through how machines interpret, rank, and recommend your brand. The result? You’re no longer competing for attention—you’re competing for inclusion in AI-shaped decisions . This episode challenges traditional assumptions around funnels, SEO, and content strategy, and introduces a new reality: 👉 If you’re not being recommended, you’re not being considered.
People in this episode
Host: Tanay Sarpotdar
Topics covered
- AI tools
- Shadow Buyer
- Algorithm Economy
- visibility
- content strategy
- SEO
Keywords
- AI research
- buyer behavior
- marketing
- decision making
- content strategy
- SEO
- visibility
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