Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Jacob Bank, founder and CEO of Relay.app, a platform building AI agents to revolutionize how we work. **About the Episode:**This conversation explores the evolution of AI agents and how Relay is solving customer problems by automating cross-tool workflows. Jacob, a former product lead at Google (Gmail, G Suite), shares his entrepreneurial journey from academic AI research to building productivity tools. He discusses the challenges of product development in the fast-paced AI landscape and the importance of integrations for a successful product.Jacob explains how Relay transitioned from a workflow tool to an AI-powered automation platform. He delves into their customer acquisition strategy, focusing on product-led growth and community building, with a strong emphasis on content and partnerships.**Key Discussion Points:*** Evolution of Relay from workflow tool to AI agent platform* Building AI agents that integrate with various tools* Prioritizing integrations and the importance of robust APIs* Balancing AI automation with human-in-the-loop capabilities* Customer acquisition and the power of community building * Usage-based pricing models for AI agents* Jacob's entrepreneurial lessons learned* Scaling strategies and fundraising considerations* The future of work with AI agents**About the Guest and Host:****Jacob Bank:** Founder and CEO of Relay.app. Former product lead at Google (Gmail, G Suite), founder of Timeful (acquired by Google).→ LinkedIn: Search for Jacob Bank (currently waiting for LinkedIn Integration)→ Website: https://www.relay.app/**Nataraj:** Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.→ LinkedIn: / natarajsindam→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.io**Timestamps:*** 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction* 00:58 - What is Relay and how did it get started? * 07:18 - Transitioning to an AI agent platform * 08:06 - Prioritizing tool integrations* 12:14 - Traction and company scale* 13:30 - Driving adoption and product-led growth* 19:57 - Upcoming integrations* 24:19 - Open-source integrations discussion* 26:38 - Competition and differentiation* 28:15 - Pricing models* 30:19 - Lessons from previous company* 32:35 - The future of AI agents* 38:06 - Scaling and fundraising* 41:43 - Working at Google vs. StartupSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#StartupProject #Relay #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Agents #AIWorkflows #NoCode #Automation #Productivity #SaaS #Integrations #CommunityBuilding #ProductLedGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation
