Still Human? What 2017 Got Right About 2025

In 2017, I stood on stage at INBOUND and asked a question that felt cheeky at the time:

“Wait, are you human?”

Back then, marketing automation was taking off. Sales tech was getting faster. Bots were popping up on websites. Everyone was chasing scale.

But I had this growing concern that we were losing something along the way.

That talk was a call to slow down, just long enough to remember that behind every click, form fill, and funnel stage is a person. Not a persona. A real human being.

Now it’s 2025. AI writes our emails, runs our chats, and even generates entire campaigns. And if anything, the hunger for real connection has only grown.

So yes, we got a few things right in 2017. But more importantly, those lessons still hold up.

What I Saw Coming

Personalization was never the point. Meaning was.

I talked about using 1:1 video to build trust. The premise was simple: people respond better when they feel like you’re talking to them—not at them.

Today, AI can personalize almost anything. But without context or care, it rings hollow. People still want relevance. And relevance starts with listening.

Podcasting and small events weren’t trendy—they were human.

I encouraged marketers to lean into value-first gatherings and podcasting. Not because they were shiny or new, but because they created space for honest conversations.

Fast forward to now. Podcasting is everywhere. So are intimate, invite-only events. Because when people feel seen, they show up. That was true then. It’s even more true now.

Automation needed a filter.

Even in 2017, I worried about tech being used without intention. Spam dressed up as nurture. Endless workflows. Bots that weren’t smart enough to know when to hand things over.

Now we have generative AI on top of it all. We can scale faster than ever—but speed without discernment doesn’t build trust. The best brands still know when to automate and when to bring in a human.

What's Changed (and What Hasn't) 

The tools have evolved. The data is deeper. The possibilities feel endless.

But people? People still want to feel understood. They want to feel like more than just a line item in your pipeline.

Authenticity isn’t just sounding casual or cool. Being authentic also means being intentional. Knowing your audience. Showing up with something that’s actually useful, relevant, and real.

That’s what worked in 2017. And it still works now.

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

Looking back, I’m proud that we were paying attention early. That we weren’t so dazzled by the tech that we forgot about the humans on the other end.

But what matters most is how we show up now. The question isn’t whether we use AI. Of course we will. Do we use it as a shortcut? Or do we use it to buy back time to do the work only humans can?

Our life has become increasingly synthetic, so being real is more than a differentiator. It’s a responsibility.

And honestly, I still believe it’s the best strategy we’ve got.