Why Most Agencies Aren’t Ready for AI: Mason Poe on the Future of Agencies

Running a digital agency today means embracing constant change. Few know this better than Mason Poe, founder of Edgar Allan. What started as a two-person team is now a 50+ person global agency pushing the boundaries of what a marketing website can be.

In this episode of the Better Mistakes podcast, we dig into Mason's journey, from getting fired to building a story-first, AI-aware Webflow agency, and what it really takes to grow in the middle of a shifting industry.

Here are five takeaways from our conversation:

Don't chase awards, solve real problems

Mason made it clear: not every project needs to win a design prize. Edgar Allan intentionally separates 80% of their work as revenue-driving client projects and saves 20% for internal innovation. The goal? Balance creativity with business sustainability.

The future of the web is question-answer driven

Edgar Allan isn’t just playing with AI, they’re rethinking how people find and engage with content. Their new site is structured around question-answer pairs, making it easier for both humans and AI agents to understand what they do. The future of websites? Think less brochure, more intelligent system.

Enterprise clients need a different mindset

Working with enterprise doesn’t mean bigger budgets, it means more complexity. Legal compliance, security, IT alignment. Webflow is finally ready for these challenges, but agencies need to level up their thinking. It's not just about visuals anymore.

Company culture is built through community

When Edgar Allan went fully remote, Mason focused less on "culture" and more on building community. From async playlists to Friday meetups and internal storytelling sessions, they’ve created a remote setup that feels human. It's not about forced fun, it’s about real connection.

CRO is the next big opportunity

Conversion rate optimization is moving fast, and Edgar Allan is ready. With AI-powered tools and modular content systems, they’re designing websites that evolve over time. One site, a thousand experiences. Less static, more performance-driven.

Why it matters

This episode is packed with ideas for agency founders, marketing teams, and anyone thinking about what comes after "just shipping pages." Edgar Allan is doing more than building websites, they're reshaping how digital experiences are planned, delivered, and measured.

Listen to the full episode with Mason Poe → https://youtu.be/vZiCPWVGuls

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