---
id: "quote-customer-journey-algorithm"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ The Second Revolution: Bots as Customers"]
tags: ["ai-agents", "automation"]
related: ["concept-machine-customer-first"]
speaker: "Stefano Puntoni"
speakers: ["Stefano Puntoni"]
quote: "The entire customer journey happened inside an algorithm."
sources: ["geo"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-geo"
originDay: 3
articleStem: "hbr-ext-13-ai-upending-marketing"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-is-upending-marketing-on-two-fronts"
sourceTitle: "AI Is Upending Marketing on Two Fronts"
---
# The entire customer journey happened inside an algorithm

> "The entire customer journey happened inside an algorithm."
> — [[entity-stefano-puntoni]]

**Context.** The AI agent researches options, weighs tradeoffs, and makes a purchase. **No person ever visited a product page or read a review.** This scenario is precisely what the [[concept-machine-customer-first]] strategy is built to serve — and why exposing structured, machine-readable data ([[action-prepare-ai-customers]]) becomes existential rather than optional.


## Related across articles
- [[quote-what-is-customer]]
- [[concept-dark-funnel]]
- [[quote-15-to-20-visits]]