AI is changing how small online sellers decide what to make
MIT Technology Review / 4/6/2026
💬 OpinionSignals & Early TrendsIndustry & Market Moves
Key Points
- The article explains how AI is beginning to influence decision-making for small online sellers, changing how they choose products to develop and sell.
- It uses the example of Mike McClary’s outdoor brand and the Guardian LTE Flashlight, highlighting how customer demand persisted even after the item was discontinued.
- It suggests that sellers can better interpret customer signals and market interest—potentially with AI—to decide what to produce next.
- The piece frames AI as a practical shift in day-to-day merchandising and planning for smaller businesses rather than a purely technical change.
For years Mike McClary sold the Guardian LTE Flashlight, a heavy-duty black model, online through his small outdoor brand. The product, designed for brightness and durability, became one of his most popular items ever. Even after he stopped offering it around 2017, customers kept sending him emails asking where they could buy it. When McClary…
