Agentic Web Executive Briefing
Agentic Web Executive Briefing
Prepared for: Board and C-Suite Level Executives
Prepared by: Danny Denhard, Coach, Consultant, Advisor
Date: 28/05/2025
Read Time: 5 minutes - Q&A will be needed.
This is available as a Google doc, so you can amend and address internally. Request access to the Google Doc here
Executive Summary
The agentic web is the next phase of the internet. We are about to embark on a shift from human-created web (from researching product or problem to transacting), to agents (bots) creating and organising content, completing tasks, connecting with brands and other agents and transacting on our behalf (somewhat autonomously)
Bottom Line Impact: Larger SAM, bigger revenue opportunity, large investments required. We have to be a first-level mover. By moving early, we can capture early adopter revenue and become the brand humans and agents trust, gain a first mover advantage, we need to be able to change internal thinking to influence our market position. In this current market, our competitive advantage will have to be leading the market in adapting to the new tech and creating great user (human and agent) experiences.
Critical Industry Shift Overview
Current Web To Agentic Web
Timeline: 18 Months - Starting Now. Expect ramp Q4 2025
Magnitude: High Impact - Industry-wide change required. From opening up bot access (most are now disallowed and protected via tools like Cloudflare), amending web protocols (APIs, etc) and technological shifts. Once the agentic web starts, it will not stop.
What's Happening:
A permission-based web protocol is being enabled in the AI technology shift
Microsoft are leading the charge of allowing agentic (bots) to complete tasks such as researching, downloading and transacting on websites/apps (or agent-to-agent (aka A2A). Microsoft will be using the Anthropic (Claude) MCP protocol and building on top of protocols to enable agentic transactions.
Low to no adoption yet - this is new technology, but will accelerate with huge investments being made into AI and directed by Microsoft
Microsoft appear to have aspirations of policing the agentic web similar to how Google does currently
Strategic Implications For Our Business:
Opportunities:
Market expansion will grow over time, and being long-term focused is vitally important. More productive humans will mean an increase in the market and growth of brand and tech opportunities.
Being seen as the brand and go-to for core products in our space is more important than ever to ensure revenue growth, market expansion, and any moats we believe we have
Customers will follow the usual crossing the chasm cycle; innovators and early adopters will invest significant time and money into being first in automation of tasks and building the best agents. The early majority may have to shift into early adopters, not to be left behind in productivity and cost savings. Customers will demand the brands they know, like and trust lead the market
Short term:
Improve technology and tech stack,
Invest in hiring the right FTE, and external consultancies will increase our capabilities. Many team members will struggle to adapt, and could see team members leave
Ways to incorporate new AI planning and build out new revenue models. First mover advantage, while competitors struggle with how the web is evolving is imperative to win the early battle
Mid-term:
Create a high-trust brand, increase revenue and repeat customers (agent + human customers/users), early ROI in AI investments and automations
Expanding our scope, there will be an opportunity to scale, whether this is in supply chain, increase national/internal ordering and fillfulment and in some cases consider offering a fully translated global experience
Long-term:
Increased SAM and SOM, market expansion, and more productivity will likely mean more ordering and more effective Marketing
Revenue acceleration through 24/7 autonomous operations and enhanced customer experience
Threats:
Short-Term:
Poor technical implications and low trust (negative press) will erode trust and impact transactions.
Not handling customer support effectively and quickly, agents will expect real-time error handling and real-time solutions; otherwise, it will go to another site or agent to transact
Increase in hack attempts - hacks will be more sophisticated
Early overinvestment based on output of audit and strategic review
Huge increase in tech and infosec may be premature while the market matures and catches up
Underinvestment will lead to poor outcomes and revenue loss
Right now, there is no verification engine/vetting planned; this will need to be built or verification will be controlled by a big tech player like Google, Apple or Microsoft
New human and agent behaviours will lead to an increase in issues, from credit card rejections, chargebacks (unwanted actions taken, wrong tasks set by human-to-agent), incorrect attribution, new configurations required for CRM systems (agents to be connected to customer accounts and approved)
Mid-Term:
Poor risk calculations and implementation will mean high fraud or claim backs from agents and humans unaware of transactions
Questions that need to be answered will be: who do you market to - human and agent or to agent to handle and filter?)
High discount use and race to the lowest price with pressure from automated systems to reduce pricing, as it will be hyper effective in finding savings, the lowest price and the most effective ways to buy items or plan trips.
If we are slow to the market and slow down agent actions, we will loss sales, market share and it will impact how we are seen by LLMs, guiding agents and customer satisfaction will drop quickly.
Required Response:
Short Term: Immediate & For Next 6 Months
Full specification of the new tech architecture requirements, new budget will have to be assigned
A full strategic review and realignment of priorities to be completed post-tech audit and review. Expect many mid to high effort, mid to high impact tasks to be reassigned
Full training is required to connect the business with the new seismic shift.
Workforce change management - experienced leaders and those with transformation experience are critical to take the lead in market shifts - potential new hires are required to deal with project and scope change
Marketing and Growth to build out new flows, including Marketing channels, CRM flows. Customer support will require new levels of training, and any AI implemented will need to be updated and prepared for new levels of Q&A and interactions
Budget reforecast and reforecasting critical - there will be a need to bring forward spend and request additional investment to win
Urgent need for new AI and agent governance frameworks and compliance protocols
Regulatory uncertainty requires proactive engagement and adaptive strategies
If you find yourself or your team struggling with AI I offer dedicated and bespoke AI workshops, get in touch to ask any specific questions.
