Reinvention, AI, and the Rise of Generation AI: A Conversation with Matt Britton
Recently, I sat down with Lenny Murphy for a deep dive into my personal and professional journey—from building one of the first social media agencies to transforming Suzy into a research tech powerhouse. What emerged was not just a conversation, but a reflection on reinvention, relentless innovation, and the pivotal role of AI in shaping the future of insights—and beyond.
From Crowdtap to Suzy: The Power of the Pivot
Suzy didn’t start as a research company. In fact, it almost didn’t survive at all.
Back in 2016, when I rejoined the company I originally spun out of my agency (then known as Crowdtap), it was at a crossroads. Social content creation was commoditized, Facebook’s programmatic ads had replaced influencer-based media buys, and the business model was faltering.
Instead of doubling down, I made the bold decision to pivot.
We went from a $10M revenue media platform to focusing on a $500K polling tool—because that small, underutilized part of the product was where customers found the most value. We rebranded as Suzy and reimagined the future of consumer insights.
Lesson: Sometimes, the smallest part of your business holds the biggest opportunity. Listen to your customers, not just your balance sheet.
Building at the Intersection of Storytelling & Data
One of Suzy’s core differentiators is the fusion of creative storytelling and research rigor. I brought in Katie Gross as our President—an industry veteran—to help elevate Suzy’s credibility in the research world.
Our edge? Blending the domain expertise of companies like Nielsen and Ipsos with a storytelling-first mindset from the ad world. This peanut-butter-and-jelly mix has powered our growth—and helped our clients better understand their consumers, not just measure them.
Takeaway for brands: Don’t just collect data—translate it into narratives that inspire action.
Suzy Speaks: AI-Powered Qual at Scale
When AI entered the scene, many companies focused on internal productivity. We took it a step further.
I personally prototyped AI tools—starting with a health bot for myself—and translated those learnings into Suzy. The result? Suzy Speaks, our AI-driven voice-based moderator that brings qualitative insights to scale.
But this is just the beginning. We’re already building tools that can recognize human emotion through voice and vision. Our bet? The future of research will be voice-first, emotion-aware, and frictionless.
Key trend: The traditional 20-question survey will disappear. Voice tech will lead the next era of consumer feedback.
Generation AI: Why Gen Alpha Will Change Everything
My new book, Generation AI, launches May 6th and tackles one big idea: Gen Alpha—born into a world of AI—will reshape every corner of business, culture, and society.
If my first book YouthNation captured the rise of social media, Generation AI is about what comes next. It dives into:
How AI will change education, parenting, and work
What companies must do to stay relevant
And why voice will become the dominant user interface
💥 Pre-order now and use code GENAIMAY25 for 25% off → Get your copy here
Reality check: The AI train isn’t slowing down. If you're not on board, you're standing on the tracks.
Final Thoughts: Lessons in Leadership
If there's one thing I’ve learned:
Your network is your most valuable asset. Invest in it early.
Back exceptional talent relentlessly. Age and title don’t define impact.
Perfect is the enemy of progress. Launch, learn, and iterate.
Suzy is a two-decade overnight success. And now, with AI at our core and a new generation on the rise, we’re just getting started.
