Our INBOUND25 Recap: Big Shifts in Marketing, Sales, and AI

HubSpot’s INBOUND25 brought together marketers, sales professionals, and tech leaders at San Francisco’s Moscone Center from September 3–5. The event offered a first look at the latest HubSpot product updates and key insights shaping the future of marketing, sales, and customer experience. 

This year’s announcements centered on AI-powered growth, unified data management, and more connected, customer-centric workflows, and we walked away with more than just notes. We left with a clearer vision of how AI, data, and rising customer expectations are reshaping the way we work. 

In this post, we’re highlighting the key takeaways that stood out to our team, and how we plan to turn those insights into action. 

HubSpot Updates from INBOUND25 

The conference delivered packed sessions, major product announcements, and meaningful conversations about AI’s evolving role in marketing and sales. For businesses using HubSpot, these updates go beyond new features. They signal a strategic shift toward building smarter, more adaptive systems powered by the right balance of human insight and AI. 

It’s no longer about siloed teams or disconnected tools. It’s about collaboration between people, platforms, and AI to deliver faster value and better outcomes. 

Beyond the keynotes and product reveals, INBOUND25 offered valuable opportunities to network with peers, share real-world challenges, and rethink how we work together and smarter. 

We weren’t just there to listen, we came looking for ideas we could take home and put to work. We attended different sessions, compared notes, and challenged each other’s assumptions. The conversations we had after each keynote were just as valuable as the presentations themselves. 

Our Team’s Top INBOUND25 Takeaways 

INBOUND25 was packed with insights, from bold product launches to AI strategy sessions, and even challenges to rethink traditional marketing frameworks. While many sessions were rooted in AI, the themes went beyond automation. They challenged us to build more intentional, adaptive, and human-centered systems. Here are the updates and ideas that stuck with us most:

1. Loop Marketing: HubSpot’s New Growth Model

Team takeaway: Go-to-market isn’t linear anymore, it loops. 

What it is: HubSpot’s new model: Express, Tailor, Amplify, and Evolve replaces the outdated funnel and even the flywheel. It’s designed for modern teams where humans and AI work together to continuously improve the customer journey. 

Why it matters: The Loop Marketing approach recognizes that customer engagement is ongoing, not a one-time conversion. Every interaction is a chance to evolve the experience and build relevance. 

Our thoughts: This shift resonates. We see a future where storytelling isn’t just personalized but rather adaptive. AI helps sharpen our messaging, but the story still comes from human understanding. 

2. The End of Traditional Organic Traffic: From SEO to AEO

Team takeaway: Ranking on Google isn’t enough. We now need visibility in AI-generated summaries. 

As AI becomes the first stop in the search journey, fewer users are clicking through to websites. Search is evolving into Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and content must be designed to educate AI models, not just human readers. 

What this means: Marketers need to shift from just optimizing for clicks to building content that teaches AI models who you are and why you matter. Relevance, clarity, and authority now matter more than traffic alone. 

Industry insight: By 2028, AI-powered search is projected to surpass traditional search volume. That means building brand influence in AI summaries will become as critical as ranking used to be. 

3. HubSpot’s Data Hub + Smart CRM: A Unified Foundation

Team takeaway: Good data is only valuable when it’s actionable, and that’s what HubSpot delivers. 

Formerly known as Ops Hub, HubSpot's Data Hub uses AI to unify, clean, and enrich CRM data across your tech stack. Features like smart segmentation, real-time syncs, and role-based views allow teams to work from a single source of truth. 

This isn't just a CRM upgrade but a strategic layer that unblocks trapped data, improves segmentation, and supports real-time decision-making. 

Why this matters: Clean, connected data is the foundation of AI-powered workflows. It improves targeting, reduces manual work, and gives teams the clarity they need to make faster, better decisions. 

What stood out: Tools like Smart Insights now surface account timelines, activity summaries, and AI-driven recommendations that support real-time alignment across sales and marketing.

4. AI-Powered Commerce Hub (CPQ): Fast, Frictionless Selling

Team takeaway: HubSpot’s quoting engine just leveled up. 

What’s changed: HubSpot’s CPQ tools are now enhanced with AI to help configure complex deals, generate accurate quotes, and suggest next steps. It’s like a smart assistant that minimizes back-and-forth and makes it easier to keep momentum in the sales process. 

Why this matters: For teams managing layered pricing structures or custom solutions, this reduces friction and frees up sales reps to focus on relationships instead of administrative tasks. 

Broad value: This is a significant step for businesses looking to streamline workflows, shorten sales cycles, and improve buyer experience, particularly those handling high volumes of quotes or tailored service offerings. 

5. Smarter Marketing & Sales Hubs: AI That’s Actually Helpful

Team takeaway: AI co-pilots are no longer hypothetical, they’re in action. 

What’s new: 

AI now supports: 

• Campaign planning and segmentation
• Personalized messaging at scale 
• Auto-generated follow-ups, meeting prep, and deal risk alerts 
  
  

Why we liked it: These tools don’t just automate, they are proactive support. With proactive recommendations and hands-off execution, teams can stay focused on strategy rather than scrambling to react to missed signals, stalled deals, or shifting customer behavior. Better prioritization, less chaos and more time for strategy.

6. Hybrid Human + AI Teams: The New Operating Model

Team takeaway: AI isn’t here to replace us. AI is here to amplify us. 

INBOUND25 emphasized a balanced model where AI handles the repetitive, while people focus on creativity, relationship-building, and strategy. Organizations must now rethink team roles and build hybrid workflows by design. 

This shift encourages organizations to rethink roles and responsibilities, using AI to enhance productivity without losing the human touch that drives real connection and innovation. 

Why it matters: This a structural shift. Businesses that can clearly define what AI should own (and what it shouldn't) will operate faster, smarter, and more humanely.

7. AI Assistants and Agents: Automating with Intention

Team takeaway: AI can go beyond assisting, it can act. 

INBOUND25 showcased how AI Assistants are evolving to generate content, surface insights, and streamline reporting. Meanwhile, Breeze Agents, HubSpot's new AI-powered agents, go a step further: executing multi-step workflows in sales, marketing, and service without the need for constant oversight. 

Key enablers: 

• Gemini integration opens deeper AI capabilities within the HubSpot platform. 
• Breeze Marketplace The Breeze Marketplace offers a growing catalog of AI-powered tools and agents, autonomous systems that monitor key indicators like engagement, deal activity, or data anomalies, and take action based on set goals. 
• Flexible HubSpot Credits make it easier for any team to scale these tools based on their needs, without overcommitting to fixed plans or unused features. 
  
  

The value: These tools replace hours of repetitive work, while keeping data current, processes consistent, and teams focused on high-impact tasks.  

8. Rebuilding Sales Teams with Both Gut and Data

Team takeaway: Strong sales performance blends skill, structure, and soft signals. 

One standout session emphasized how more than 50% of reps don't fully follow the sales process, costing teams consistency and performance. While data and automation are key, soft skills like empathy, communication, and trust remain irreplaceable.  

Why it stood out: The session highlighted that while data and automation are critical, soft skills, like empathy, communication, and emotional intelligence, remain irreplaceable. Teams need a structured approach to identifying and developing soft skills, blending instinct with measurable coaching and accountability frameworks. 

What managers need: A repeatable framework to evaluate and develop these skills, combining gut instinct with measurable coaching strategies.

9. Everboarding: Rethinking Onboarding for Long-Term Success

Team takeaway: Onboarding doesn’t end after 90 days, and it shouldn’t. 

Many customers are left to figure out advanced features on their own, leading to underutilized products and unnecessary churn. Everboarding repositions onboarding as an ongoing, adaptive process tied to long-term outcomes not just implementation. Your onboarding strategy should evolve alongside your product and your customers. 

Why this matters: As product ecosystems become more complex, onboarding must evolve with the user. Supporting customers over time helps drive retention, satisfaction, and real value. 

More Strategic Shifts from INBOUND25 

Alongside the product updates, INBOUND25 highlighted deeper industry trends, shared by HubSpot and echoed by attendees across sectors: 

• Customer expectations are rising. They want faster outcomes, intuitive onboarding, and software that delivers real value from day one. 
• Marketing is being disrupted. Campaigns are less predictable, attribution is harder, and traditional SEO is giving way to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). 
• Companies are transforming. Winning organizations aren’t just adopting AI, they’re building AI curiosity across teams, enabling every employee to experiment, learn, and evolve. 
  
  

AI isn’t just another tool. Consider it a teammate, an intelligent assistant that helps you analyze, build, test, and improve. 

With the right mindset, smaller companies can leapfrog larger ones simply by being more adaptive, AI-integrated, and human-centered. 

What We’re Bringing Back: Ideas Into Action 

We left San Francisco with more than inspiration. We came back with a roadmap. 

We are rethinking how our campaigns are structured, adapting the Loop Model to better match modern buying behavior. Our content strategy is shifting too, with a focus on AI-search visibility without compromising clarity or voice. 

We are also exploring how HubSpot’s AI and data tools can help us streamline work across teams and unlock more meaningful, real-time collaboration between marketing and sales. 

These updates aren’t just exciting, they’re usable! When applied with intention, they help us move faster, think smarter, and work more effectively. 

A Few Moments from INBOUND25 

From standout speakers to insightful breakout sessions, INBOUND25 was as energizing as it was informative. We had the chance to connect with peers, learn from industry leaders, and explore what’s next for marketing, sales, and AI. 

Before we close, here are a few moments we captured during the event: 

Final Thoughts 

What stood out most at INBOUND25 wasn’t just the product updates, but rather, the mindset shift. AI is no longer a future concept. It’s here. It’s working. And it’s raising the bar for how we engage, operate, and grow. 

In the months ahead, we’ll be experimenting, testing, and learning as we go. The path forward isn’t about adopting everything all at once. Rather, it’s about staying focused, curious, and human-first. 

The companies that win won’t just be the ones with the most data or tools. They’ll be the ones that build trust, lead with insight, and adapt faster than the rest.  

Let’s keep the conversation going. Curious how these trends might fit into your strategy? Reach out to us, we’d love to compare notes and explore ideas together.