Executive Interview Series: Joe Yakuel on Building Content That Moves at the Speed of Commerce
Ecommerce performance doesn’t end at fast load times or seamless checkout. For brands to grow, content needs to scale just as smoothly as infrastructure. brkfst.io, the leading UGC platform for retail and ecommerce brands, helps companies build creative workflows that move at the speed of commerce.
In this interview, Joe Yakuel, founder and CEO of brkfst.io, shares how user-generated content (UGC) can unlock performance across the funnel, why speed and structure go hand in hand, and what breaks when brands scale without a creative system built to keep up.
Atwix: What role should UGC play across the full ecommerce journey: from PDPs to ads to post-purchase?
Joe Yakuel: UGC used to be reserved for top-of-funnel social, but that’s completely changed. Now it drives impact across the entire journey. A UGC video on a product page can be the difference between bounce and conversion. An unboxing video can set expectations and reduce returns.
The key is mapping UGC to customer intent. Early on, people want social proof. Mid-funnel, they need clarity: how does this work, fit, feel? Post-purchase, they’re looking for support and validation. If you build UGC with that journey in mind, it becomes a performance tool, not just content.
Atwix: For performance-driven eCommerce brands, how do you balance speed with control when it comes to creative?
Yakuel: Speed doesn’t mean rushing. It means you’ve removed the blockers. The way to move fast without losing control is to build a strong structure from the start. That means defining what “good” looks like, building tight briefs, working with creators who actually understand the brand, and keeping the feedback loop short and specific.
That’s what we’ve built with brkfst.io. The approvals are fast because everyone’s aligned from the brief. The content works because the creators are authentic. When you build the system right, you don’t have to trade control for speed. You get both.
Atwix: How should brands be thinking about content differently when they expand to marketplaces or retail partners?
Yakuel: Once you move beyond your website, you lose control over the customer experience, and that’s exactly when content has to work harder. You can’t assume someone will land on your site, watch your hero video, and read your full product story.
On marketplaces and in retail, attention is fragmented. UGC can fill those gaps. A short creator video can show how a product fits, feels, or functions faster than a polished brand asset ever could. And because it’s rooted in real use cases, it performs better in low-context environments like Amazon or TikTok Shop. It’s not about lowering quality, it’s about increasing relevance.
Atwix: If a brand has great ecommerce infrastructure but weak content output, what’s the first thing they should fix?
Yakuel: Your ecommerce stack might be built for speed, but if your content process can’t keep up, you’re stunting your own growth. The site loads fast, inventory updates in real-time, but you’re still waiting two weeks to get an ad approved or a video live on a PDP.
The first thing to fix is the disconnect between pace and output. If your backend can support daily inventory updates and real-time shipping data, your content should be just as responsive. That means having a creative engine that can test, learn, and deploy quickly. Not one that’s always catching up.