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Zohar Gilad is co-founder and CEO of Fast Simon, which helps retailers optimize their e-commerce sites from merchandising to search.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? Fast Simon helps online retailers make more money, grow faster, and make their customers happy. My job as CEO is to lead the company from vision (where we want to be) through to strategy (how we get there) to execution (making it happen).
One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? How much time I spend with customers to deeply understand their needs and pain points. This direct customer insight is key to product market fit. It guides our product roadmap.
What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? That would be like asking a parent which child they love the most.
Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? I am excited about vector search and large language models such as ChatGPT. The shopper experience in e-commerce is quite complex: It is visual and textual, inspirational and search based, and it alternates between all of the above. Vector search technology and ChatGPT make it possible to deliver the online equivalent of the ultimate human sales assistant in a real store.
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What’s your go-to coffee order? Macchiatone, which is a cross between macchiato and cappuccino (macchiato with extra foam).
Worst piece of advice you’ve received? Early in my career, I thought I wanted to work in venture capital or banking because it’s what many of my classmates did after we graduated with our MBAs. Two mentors of mine convinced me to stay in the software industry, despite what was trendy at the time. Now, as a tech company founder, I’m glad I listened to those mentors and my gut.
What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? [When I was 15,] Blue Suede Puma running shoes with a yellow stripe. They were sent as a gift by a friend in the US. Back then, branded products were quite expensive and considered a luxury where I grew up. It was the first global brand product that I ever got. Now, as a frequent traveler, I love the Peak Design backpack, a gift from my wife. It’s thoughtfully made to create a roomy, well-compartmentalized backpack packaged in a cool design.