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Imperfect MarketingNovember 30, 2025 · Host: Kendra Corman

How can AI scale innovation 10x faster in your business?

Amir Elion joins Kendra Corman on Imperfect Marketing to explore how AI can scale innovation 10x - from systematic innovation methodologies and real-world AI marketing use cases to Amazon's Working Backwards process and the importance of keeping humans in the loop.

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What you'll learn in this episode

In this conversation, Amir Elion, CEO of Think Big Leaders and former AWS Innovation Programs lead in the Nordics, joins Kendra Corman on Imperfect Marketing to explore how AI can scale innovation 10x faster. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Amir shares practical insights on turning innovation from a slow, manual process into a rapid, systematic capability powered by generative AI. These are topics Amir regularly speaks about at conferences and corporate events across Europe.

Innovation is a system, not a spark

A key theme is Amir's view that innovation is a systematic profession, not just a moment of inspiration. As a member of the Innovation Leaders Association in Stockholm, he points to ISO standards for innovation and established methodologies like SCAMPER and TRIZ. The breakthrough comes when you teach AI these methodologies - suddenly you can ideate, prototype, and role-play with customer personas at 10x the speed, not just 10% faster. This systematic approach to innovation is a core part of Amir's keynote presentations and workshops.

AI in marketing - real use cases that work

Amir shares concrete examples of AI-powered marketing workflows. A gaming company used AI to automate SEO content creation for hundreds of games - processing unstructured data from studios, generating tagged web pages, and translating to multiple markets - reducing manual work 100-fold. He also describes using AI tools like Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini for competitive research and market analysis, effectively replacing the need for a dedicated research team.

Avoiding AI slop - the human in the loop

The conversation tackles the growing problem of AI-generated low-quality content. Companies investing heavily in AI sometimes see worse results because people use it as a copy-paste machine rather than a collaborative tool. Amir's advice: train AI with examples of your brand's best content, break workflows into steps with human review checkpoints, and remember that you are liable for what AI produces - nobody is going to sue the AI.

Navigating risks with a practical framework

Rather than avoiding AI due to risks, Amir advocates a three-tier risk framework: low-risk internal experimentation where people can freely explore, medium-risk applications requiring additional testing, and high-risk customer-facing use cases needing human approval at every step. His key insight - the biggest risk is not understanding what the risks are, because your team or suppliers will use AI whether you have a strategy or not.

Book Amir as a speaker

Amir regularly delivers keynotes and workshops on the topics covered in this episode - scaling innovation with AI, Amazon's Working Backwards methodology, practical AI adoption for marketing and business leaders, and navigating AI risks strategically. He speaks at conferences, corporate leadership offsites, and industry events across Sweden, the Nordics, and Europe. Learn more about Amir's speaking topics and availability.

Key Topics Discussed

Innovation as a systematic process

Why innovation is a methodology, not just a creative spark - and how treating it as a profession with best practices and even ISO standards enables organizations to scale it consistently.

AI scaling innovation 10x

How generative AI tools enable 10x faster ideation, prototyping, and role-playing with imaginary customer personas - transforming innovation from a slow manual process to a rapid, scalable capability.

AI-powered marketing workflows

Real-world examples of AI in marketing - from a gaming company automating SEO content for hundreds of games to using AI for competitive research and multi-language market expansion.

The AI slop problem

Why companies investing in AI sometimes see worse results - the copy-paste content problem, and how training AI with brand examples and keeping humans in the loop prevents low-quality output.

Navigating AI risks and compliance

A practical three-tier risk framework for AI adoption - from low-risk experimentation to high-risk customer-facing applications - and why the biggest risk is not understanding the risks at all.

Mastering AI tools strategically

Why picking one or two AI tools and learning them deeply beats chasing every new release - including hidden features like deep research, projects, and model selection within ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Amazon's Working Backwards methodology

How Amazon starts every innovation with the customer problem, writes an imaginary press release describing the future outcome, and only then builds the solution - a process Amir led at AWS in the Nordics.

Customer-first marketing lessons

Amir's biggest marketing lesson - how starting with the product instead of the customer's pain led to scattered messaging at a VR startup, and how pivoting to customer-first thinking transformed the approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can AI scale innovation in business?
AI can scale innovation by acting as a systematic innovation co-pilot - helping with rapid ideation, prototyping, customer persona role-playing, and competitive research. Amir Elion describes achieving 10x faster innovation, not just 10% improvement, by teaching AI established methodologies and using it as a collaborative team member in the innovation process.
What is Amazon's Working Backwards methodology?
Working Backwards is Amazon's customer-obsessed innovation process. Teams start with a specific customer problem, write an imaginary one-page press release describing the future solution and how it delights customers, and only then work backwards to build it. If you can't clearly articulate the value in one jargon-free page, you shouldn't start building.
How can AI help with marketing without creating AI slop?
Train AI tools with examples of your brand's high-performing content so it learns your style, tone, and audience. Keep humans in the loop at key checkpoints - don't give AI one prompt and expect a full campaign. Break the workflow into steps where humans review and provide feedback between AI-generated outputs.
What are the biggest risks of using AI in business?
The biggest risk is not understanding what the risks are. Hallucinations, biases, and liability for AI-generated promises are real concerns. A practical approach is a three-tier risk framework - low risk for internal experimentation, medium risk requiring additional testing, and high risk for customer-facing applications needing human approval at every step.
Which AI tools should I start with?
Pick one or two tools that fit your specific use case and learn them deeply. Most people barely scratch the surface of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini - missing features like deep research, projects, and model selection. Master one tool thoroughly rather than jumping between all 50 available options.
What is innovation as a systematic process?
Innovation is a profession with established methodologies, best practices, and even ISO standards - not just random creative sparks. Amir Elion, a member of the Innovation Leaders Association in Stockholm, describes how systematic approaches like SCAMPER, TRIZ, and Working Backwards make innovation repeatable and scalable across organizations of any size.
How is AI being used in marketing today?
Real-world examples include gaming companies using AI workflows to automate SEO content creation for hundreds of games - including multi-language translation - reducing manual work 100-fold. AI tools also support competitive research, content generation, and campaign ideation, though human oversight remains essential for quality.
What was Amir Elion's biggest marketing lesson?
At a VR and augmented reality startup, Amir fell in love with the product and started pushing it at conferences without first understanding customer pain points. His messaging was scattered and inconsistent. The lesson - start with the customer's problem, not your product. The company eventually pivoted to a B2B OEM approach by listening to customers first.
What topics does Amir Elion speak about?
Amir Elion delivers keynotes and workshops on scaling innovation with AI, Amazon's Working Backwards methodology, enterprise AI strategy, and practical AI adoption for business leaders. His talks blend real-world experience from Amazon Web Services and Nordic enterprises with actionable frameworks that audiences can apply immediately.
Can I book Amir Elion as a speaker for my event?
Yes. Amir speaks at corporate events, conferences, and leadership offsites across Europe and internationally. His speaking topics include AI-powered innovation, Working Backwards methodology, and AI strategy for marketing and business leaders. Visit amirelion.com to learn more and book a session.

About Amir Elion

Amir Elion is an AI strategist, innovation consultant, and keynote speaker based in Stockholm, Sweden. As CEO of Think Big Leaders, he helps Nordic and European enterprises develop practical AI strategies, run innovation workshops, and build AI-powered products. Previously, Amir led the AWS Innovation Programs in the Nordics, bringing Amazon's Working Backwards methodology to companies like Volvo and KONE. He combines 25+ years of innovation experience with hands-on generative AI expertise.

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