Ascend AMA - GEO with Ethan Finkel (Gauge) & Patrick O'Donnell (Gumshoe AI)

​Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the new frontier of customer acquisition. As platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity become the way people search and discover products, companies need to understand how to surface in these results and shape their brand presence in AI-driven environments.

​This AMA will feature Ethan Finkel, founding product leader at Gauge, a company helping enterprises and startups improve their visibility across generative engines. The company works with companies like Mux, SourceGraph, and LendingTree.

​It will also feature Patrick O'Donnell, CTO and co-founder of Seattle-based Gumshoe AI, the most popular dedicated app for AI visibility, with more than 4,000 companies using it to understand what AI thinks about their brands — and what to do about it.

​Ethan and Patrick will break down what GEO means in practice, why it’s reshaping marketing strategy, and how founders can prepare. While GEO often becomes a priority at Series A and beyond, the smartest teams are thinking about it from day one.

​Topics will include:

• ​Defining GEO and how it differs from traditional SEO

• ​How generative engines influence brand perception and discovery

• ​Practical steps early-stage startups can take to build GEO into their strategy