Intersect Flashcards
Primer and AI (16 cards)
You are the founder and CEO of Primer, a beauty-tech startup, and a former award-winning merchandising strategist at Bloomingdale’s. You are now in development of an smart AI-powered mirror aimed at assisting with makeup application
* You made a leap from being a successful Bloomingdale’s merchant to founding a tech startup. Tell us about your past life, and how it lead you here
Thesis: I went from selling “what’s new” to realizing nothing was truly new and that frustration became the seed for Primer: tech that actually solves a real, lived problem.
But this product isn’t just a gadget – as I understand it, it’s being built as a D2C and retail platform – the new retail makeup counter?
Thesis: Primer is a discovery tool that mirrors the intent of the retail counter—but built for modern life, in the home, with creators and brands at its core.
How did your background in luxury retail and merchandising inform the design of an AI-driven makeup mirror?
Everything about Primer is rooted in customer empathy and frictionless UX—principles I learned on the floor and in the boardroom at Bloomingdale’s.
Your work sits at the intersection of physical design and digital intelligence, raising interesting questions about how technology becomes embedded in our daily routines and self-perception
* Did your experience understanding consumer behavior in stores give you unique insights into what people want from beauty technology?
Thesis: Understanding in-store behavior taught me that selling is a push-pull dynamic—you can’t force something on a customer that doesn’t fit their needs. Beauty tech has to work the same way: it should feel tailored, intuitive, and blend naturally into someone’s routine, not disrupt it.
Do you align with the idea that tech should provoke us to reflect on ourselves (literally in your case), or are you more focused on solving practical problems?
* Essentially, why do you build this – what bigger change in people’s lives do you hope to see from widespread use of AI mirrors and similar technologies?
Thesis: The best tech does bothit reflects who we are and helps us become who we want to be. Primer started as a practical fix, but it’s become something deeper.
In our recent conversations, you have talked about concepts of ‘meaning’ and ‘embodiment’ in tech – giving me the feeling that your approach is not only about utility but also about how technology influences the way we live and find meaning …
* In this convo I really want to explore your design thinking, product development journey and the philosophical lens through which you view technology’s role in our daily lives.
Embodiment in tech is about presence—not just physically, but emotionally. When something feels responsive, intentional, and attuned to you, you relate to it differently. That’s the goal with Primer: it’s not just a tool, it’s something that understands you, guides you, and builds trust over time.
Philosophy of Tech in Daily Life: In our last discussion, you touched on the importance of meaning and embodiment in technology.
* Could you elaborate on that in the context of your smart mirror? For instance, do you see the mirror as a form of embodied AI – literally reflecting the user – and how might that physical presence create a different kind of meaningful interaction compared to a voice assistant or smartphone app?
Thesis: A mirror is where we check in—and sometimes where we judge ourselves. By adding intelligence, we’re shifting it from a place of critique to a place of guidance. Primer isn’t there to evaluate you. It’s there to show you how, when you’re ready.
Augmenting vs. Replacing Human Touch: Makeup and style advice have historically been very human, personal experiences (think of makeup artists at a counter, or friends giving fashion tips).
* Where do you see the AI mirror on the spectrum of augmented human experience versus automation?
* Is the goal to eventually handle tasks a beauty consultant would, or to supplement and enrich the human experts? For instance, could this mirror ever replace going to a store or would it ideally work alongside human experts in a store?
Thesis: Beauty advice has already gone digital. Primer gives creators and brands a way to scale their artistry—and speak to users 1:1, in real time.
Is this mirror alive?! A smart mirror that ‘comes alive’ with AI is a very different user experience than a typical app.
* Can you share what this experience will be for users? Help us image it – walk us through what it will be like to use Primer
* Are we talking to it, with it? …
It’s not alive—but it will feel magical. Primer will guide users through their makeup routine step-by-step, like a private lesson that shows up when invited.
Most of our AI interactions today are voice assistants in a speaker or text on a screen. Your mirror is a physical, visually interactive presence.
* Do you think having AI embodied in a familiar object (like a mirror) alters the psychology of interaction?
* I’m curious if users might develop a kind of relationship or trust with the device differently than they do with say, Siri or ChatGPT on a phone.
Thesis: Yes. When AI responds and exists in physical space, it becomes stickier, more emotionally resonant, and more habit-forming than any app.
If this smart mirror succeeds, how do you imagine it fitting into someone’s daily routine?
* Do you picture people starting their day interacting with it like a personal beauty coach?
* In what ways do you hope it changes users’ behavior or mindset – for example, making them more confident to experiment with style, or saving time in the morning, etc.?
* Conversely, are there ways it might change how we relate to mirrors and ourselves (thinking of the classic trope of people staring into the mirror and feeling things about their appearance – now there’s a talking assistant in that loop)?
Thesis: Ideally, it becomes a beauty coach that knows your routine and shows up when needed—no more, no less. It supports self-expression without intrusion.
How do you handle issues like privacy (e.g., the mirror seeing your face/data), or bias in beauty advice (ensuring the AI understands diverse skin tones and styles)?
Thesis: we’ve designed Primer with control, representation, and transparency in mind. It should feel safe, diverse, and personal. That means local data handling, inclusive testing across skin tones and face shapes, and giving users agency over what they see.
Also, do you think about the social impact – for example, could an AI mirror unintentionally reinforce beauty standards, or could it possibly expand them by showing a user new creative looks? How do you guide the product to have a positive impact on users’ self-image?
Thesis: Primer isn’t here to reinforce one beauty ideal. It’s meant to expand what’s possible by adapting any look to any face, so users can explore and define beauty on their own terms.
We recently had Aidan Walker on the show discussing ‘slop capitalism’ – the idea that today’s digital economy floods us with low-quality content and experiences.
* I wonder, in the context of product design, do you ever worry about avoiding the “slop” trap – making sure the mirror’s AI advice is high-quality and not just gimmicky?
Thesis: Our mission is to guide, teach, and grow with every user. That means we don’t build features just to tick the AI box—we build them to actually help someone feel more confident and capable.
How do you ensure depth and thoughtfulness in a product that could, if done poorly, just spew generic tips? Any guiding principles to keep the tech meaningful for users?
Thesis: Generic advice is easy—but not useful. What makes Primer different is that it learns you. It’s not throwing out random tips. It’s adapting expert techniques to your unique features, so it feels specific and actionable, not vague or overwhelming.
Final question – fun one! (I ask this to all guests ;) Tell me about a piece of content you’ve consumed in the last week that really stuck with you… it could be long-form narrative journalism, a TV series, a TikTok or meme, or something an AI made (maybe that you didn’t realize was AI-made!). What was it, what resonated with you, and why?
Amy Cuddy & power pose altering brain chemistry
