AI Search, ChatGPT Visibility & the New Discovery Land Grab (with Apoorv Sharma)

Getting fired on Day 1 doesn’t mean you failed — sometimes it means you’re just getting started.In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, host Reed Hansen, Chief Growth Officer at MarketSurge, sits down with Apoorv Sharman — a marketer, founder, and AI discovery strategist who’s helping brands get found inside ChatGPT, AI search, and LLM-powered recommendations instead of getting buried on page 10 of Google.Apoorv’s journey is anything but conventional:Fired as an Amazon delivery driver on Day 1 Freelancing nights while grinding a 9–5 Building and selling a startup pre-COVID Climbing from intern to marketing manager Now running Derivate X, helping brands win the next discovery land grabWhile most marketers are still arguing about SEO tweaks, Apoorv is focused on a much bigger shift: how people actually discover products when they stop “searching” and start asking AI.In this conversation, we cover:Why search behavior is fundamentally changing and where it’s going How ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and LLMs are reshaping discovery Why top-of-funnel SEO is dying and what’s replacing it The “librarian” metaphor that explains AI search perfectly What still matters from traditional SEO and what doesn’t Why small businesses now have a real shot at outranking giants How brands can influence AI recommendations without massive backlink budgets What an AI discovery engagement actually looks like in practiceIf you’re a founder, marketer, agency owner, or business leader asking:How do I show up when someone asks ChatGPT for the best solution?This episode is for you.CONNECT WITH APOORV SHARMANWebsite: https://apoorvshrm.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apoorvshrm/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@apoorvshrm X / Twitter: https://x.com/apoorvshrm Agency: https://derivatex.agencyMARKETSURGE LINKSWebsite: https://marketsurge.io Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio X / Twitter: https://x.com/marketsurging Book a Strategy or Demo Call: https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/marketsurge/demozvwcxwWant to stay ahead of what’s actually working in marketing right now? Head to MarketSurge.io and see how we help businesses grow smarter, faster, and louder.Because your next breakthrough shouldn’t be a guess.