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Welcome to Volume 253 👋
Happy Thursday!
In this week’s newsletter, we cover:
- 🤖 GPT-5 Release: What’s New and What it Means for Search
- 📉 The Amplifying Power of Reddit on the GPT-5 Launch
- 👀 The Latest in B2B SaaS This Week
- 🧠 This Week’s Brain Food
- ➕ The Best Content Across the Web
Let’s get into it.
🤖 GPT-5 Release: What’s New and What it Means for Search
It’s only been a week since OpenAI launched GPT-5, and so much has changed already:
- Users pushed back against model deprecation and automatic routing
- The “PhD in your pocket” message fell flat as GPT-5 struggles with simple tasks
- OpenAI reversed course (twice) to give users more model access and control
For marketers, this chaotic launch is a reminder of the scope and volatility of the AI search landscape. 700 million weekly ChatGPT users now have new models to assist them with web browsing, and we’re still learning what impact it’ll have on brand discovery and referrals.
While the GPT-5 launch didn’t include any explicit announcements about changes to ChatGPT’s web browsing function, there’s been a marked shift in citation alignment over the last four months.
According to Profound: ChatGPT citations now align 33% with Google results (up from 12%), while Bing citations dropped from 26% to 8%.
With 77% of ChatGPT users now searching the web through AI, our latest analysis of the GPT-5 launch covers what this means for brand visibility, including:
- Why citation tracking across AI platforms is now essential
- How to monitor brand sentiment in AI responses
- The tools needed to track mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity
Check out the full breakdown of the GPT-5 launch and what it means in the expanding search landscape.
🔉 Carnegie x Foundation: The Future of Content in the Age of AI
Most teams are stuck creating more and more content while seeing diminishing returns. What they don’t realize is that this isn’t a matter of volume, it’s a matter of approach. Great stories still beat AI-generated fluff, but only when paired with smart systems and strategic distribution.
On September 3rd, Ross joins Voltaire Santos Miran, Executive VP of Creative and Web at Carnegie, to discuss the recipe for creating great content in the age of AI:
Story, system, and scale.
In this webinar, Ross and Voltaire break down how to turn one powerful story into an entire content campaign and where AI actually adds value (hint: it’s not replacing human creativity).
What you’ll walk away with:
- A framework for human-centred storytelling that scales
- Tactical approaches to content repurposing and distribution
- Strategic AI applications that amplify rather than replace creativity
- Real-world examples of content systems that perform
Whether you’re leading marketing, enrollment, or content strategy, this session will transform how you think about building content that resonates, scales, and drives results.
Register for the session and discover how to create campaigns that work harder, rather than being harder to create.
📉 The Amplifying Power of Reddit on the GPT-5 Launch
GPT-5’s debut was supposed to be a victory lap for OpenAI. Instead, it became a case study in how fast a launch can unravel when Redditors get involved.
When I wrote last week about brands handling feature and product releases on Reddit, I had no idea we were just days away from seeing that play out at the highest level for the whole world to see.
OpenAI framed GPT-5 as a leap forward: PhD-level insights, a sleeker interface, and unified models. But within hours, users were in open revolt over losing their favourite models. They forced two public reversals in a single week, bringing back GPT-4o, o3, and 4.1, and clawing back control from the initially enforced automatic routing.
Reddit quickly became the amplifier for this dissatisfaction, with r/ChatGPT lighting up in the hours after launch. By the time of Altman et al.’s GPT-5 AMA, the frustration was already widespread. The AMA was just one visible moment in a much larger backlash.
Just look at this collection of Reddit posts that Min Choi recently shared on Twitter:
Not only did Reddit posts about GPT-5 being “horrible” climb to the top of the SERPs on launch day, but the crushing feedback spilled into news articles, blog posts, and cross-platform social media commentary. It became an omnichannel dissent campaign with Reddit posts as the source of truth.
Altman’s decision to hint at restoring GPT-4o in a Reddit comment shows just how much sway the platform holds.
For any brand, the lesson is clear: ignore Reddit at your peril.
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👀 What’s the Latest in B2B SaaS This Week? 👀
💰 Profound Raises $35 Million for AI Search Optimization | Adweek
🎢 Sam Altman addresses ‘bumpy’ GPT-5 rollout, bringing 4o back, and the ‘chart crime’ | TechCrunch
🌐 Perplexity offers to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion | CNBC
🔒 Reddit will block the Internet Archive | The Verge
📉 Only 12% of AI Cited URLs Rank in Google’s Top 10 for the Original Prompt | Ahrefs Blog
🚨 New Podcast Alert: ChatGPT-5 Just Changed the Game 🚨
If you thought AI was moving fast before, buckle up. OpenAI just released ChatGPT-5.
In the latest episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross breaks down why this release is different.
We’re talking about AI that can build entire applications from a single prompt, maintain complex reasoning across extended conversations, and deliver professional-grade output that rivals human experts.
The game has fundamentally changed, and here’s what you need to know:
- AI is now the new productivity baseline. Mediocrity just became unsustainable when AI can deliver solid output instantly. Those who adapt will thrive; those who don’t risk obsolescence. It’s that simple.
- Real-world applications are already disrupting industries. Designers creating brand kits in seconds. Founders launching landing pages with a single prompt. Customer support automating interactions at scale.
- Early adoption equals competitive advantage. Skipping AI in 2025 is like ignoring the internet in 2005. The window for being an early adopter is closing fast.
- This is about capability, not just efficiency. GPT-5 helps you work at a level that wasn’t previously possible. Complex reasoning, advanced coding, diagnostic capabilities, and design work can now happen in minutes.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcast or Spotify to understand exactly how to position yourself for the AI-powered future that’s already here.
🧠 This Week’s Brain Food 🧠
Today I read about the vast neural network that lies under our feet. Fungal threads that people call the “Wood Wide Web.”
Apparently, a common fungus shoots out long, strand-like tubes and merges with tree roots, forming Mycorrhiza (fungus + root in Greek). These Mycorrhiza connect trees underground across entire ecosystems and create communication highways that span miles. These networks help trees share nutrients, water, and even warning signals about insect attacks or drought.
The initial theory suggests that parent trees use these fungal networks to nurture their offspring, sending more resources to their struggling seedlings. Different tree species—even natural competitors—help each other survive through these underground alliances. There are even claims that forests with intact fungal networks are more resilient to climate change, disease, and environmental stress.
Like most Disney-esque visions of nature, there’s some debate about the extent of this relationship between fungi and forests. Because these networks are so delicate, it’s difficult to actually test and measure the extent of what’s going on.
I, for one, don’t mind the idea of plants and fungi helping each other out. The next time you walk through woods, remember: you might just be standing on top of one of nature’s most sophisticated communication systems.
Want to sponsor our next issue? Reply to this email, and we’ll share how you can reach more SaaS founders and marketers today.
🏅 Reddit Post of the Week
Google advises businesses to choose a brandable domain name over a generic keyword domain in r/marketing
🎖️ LinkedIn Post of the Week
Claude code just logged into Ahrefs, pulled GSC data, and wrote part of my SEO strategy in 3 minutes. by Gael Breton
🤳🏽 Nice Finds You Should Binge
- The Attention Economy and Young People | No Mercy / No Malice
- I’m a secret Reddit lurker | The Daily Californian
- AI search is booming, but SEO is still not dead | Search Engine Land
- Perplexity’s 59 Ranking Patterns and Secret Browser Architecture Revealed | Metehan Yesilyurt
- Summer Research Series: How AI Is Reshaping the College Search | Carnegie
💻 Job Postings Worth Checking Out
Looking for a new opportunity? Here’s a round-up of some exciting job openings in the B2B SaaS space.
- Foundation: Reddit Specialist
- Foundation: B2B Content Marketing Strategist
- Foundation: Content Creator
- Foundation: Content Marketing Manager
- Foundation: Applied Research Specialist
- Foundation: Director of Digital Marketing
Want us to include your job postings in our next issue? Reply to this email, and we’ll share how you can reach more SaaS professionals today.
🎧 What We’re Wired Into This Week
What if Metallica were a Reggae Band? 🌴🎸 Metallijah [AI Reimagined – Not Real]
This SaaS news smattering is brought to you by Ethan Crump!
If you have any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you want to see in this newsletter, feel free to email Leigha Henderson at leigha@foundationinc.co. We’re always looking for ways to improve and provide the best B2B SaaS marketing resources.
Have a great weekend!
