[SHORT] Bridging the Gap: How Product and CRO Are Merging with Hesh Fekry Artwork

No Hacks: Optimising the Web for AI Agents

Your next million website visitors won't be human.

AI agents are already browsing the web. Comparison shopping, researching products, filling out forms, booking travel, extracting information. And most websites are completely unprepared. Navigation that makes sense to humans confuses agents. Checkouts break. Critical information is invisible.

No Hacks is the podcast about this shift. We explore how to optimise websites for AI agents: what breaks, what works, and what companies need to do now to stay visible in an agent-driven web.

Hosted by Slobodan Manic (slobodanmanic.com), consultant and speaker on Agent Experience Optimisation (AXO).

New episodes weekly. Subscribe to the companion newsletter at nohacks.substack.com.

All Episodes

No Hacks: Optimising the Web for AI Agents

[SHORT] Bridging the Gap: How Product and CRO Are Merging with Hesh Fekry

March 07, 2025 • Slobodan (Sani) Manić

In this episode, I talked to Hesh Fekry from CXL about the evolving relationship between Product and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). How are these once-separate disciplines are increasingly overlapping in scope, mindset, and execution? The conversation touches on the historical separation of CRO from Product, the shift towards experimentation as a more fitting term, and how AI and new tools are enabling professionals to bridge skill gaps faster than ever before.

Key Takeaways:

CRO & Product Have Always Been Similar: While traditionally seen as separate roles, both disciplines focus on user insights, problem-solving, and optimizing user flows.
The Issue with the CRO Label: CRO as a term has long been tied to a narrow metric-focused approach (conversion rates), but its scope has expanded far beyond that.
Experimentation as the New CRO: The rebranding of CRO towards experimentation reflects the broader impact CRO professionals have, including retention, monetization, and pricing strategies.
AI is Accelerating the Shift: New AI-driven tools make it easier to fill skill gaps, allowing professionals to be more T-shaped and take on cross-functional responsibilities.
CRO Should Be Involved from Day One: Rather than stepping in after a product is built, CRO principles should be applied from the earliest stages to validate assumptions and de-risk decisions.
Product and CRO are Learning from Each Other: It's not just CRO learning from Product—it’s a continuous loop where both disciplines borrow and refine each other’s methodologies.

Notable Quotes:

📌 "Experimentation is just about expanding the role beyond a single metric." – Hesh
📌 "With AI, the skill gap is getting smaller, and the overlap is growing larger." – Hesh

📌 "CRO almost feels like it should be in the room from day one." – Sani

Product and CRO are no longer separate silos. They are converging into a more holistic approach to user experience, optimization, and experimentation. As AI and new tools continue to evolve, the ability to cross these boundaries will become a key advantage for professionals in both fields.

Tune in for a deep dive into how these changes are shaping the future of digital growth!

---
If you enjoyed the episode, please share it with a friend!