In this episode of AI + a16z, a16z Partner Joe Schmidt sits down with 11x CTO Prabhav Jain for an inside look at how AI-powered digital workers are reshaping sales and revenue operations. They discuss the evolution of agentic AI, the trade-offs between orchestration and autonomy, and the technical innovations driving 11x’s products, Alice and Mike.
Prabhav breaks down the challenges of real-time voice AI, the complexities of multimodal agent interactions, and why the future of enterprise AI is about delivering measurable customer outcomes—not just automation. They also dive into the fast-moving landscape of model providers, the impact of open-source AI, and how startups can stay ahead in an environment of constant technological change.
Plus, they explore 11x’s bold decision to re-architect its platform from the ground up, the lessons learned from scaling AI-powered sales automation, and what it takes to build truly effective digital workers.
Key Takeaways:
- The difference between true AI agents and complex orchestrations—and why it matters.
- How 11x built Alice and Mike to deliver human-like sales performance at scale.
- The cutting-edge advancements shaping AI voice assistants and real-time multimodal interactions.
- Lessons from rebuilding an AI platform while supporting a fast-growing customer base.
- How AI startups can balance rapid iteration with long-term strategic bets.
For anyone interested in AI-powered automation, enterprise sales, or the future of digital work, this episode offers a front-row seat to the latest innovations pushing the boundaries of AI agents.
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