

How Does Clay Fit Into Automattic’s Ecosystem?
Jul 15, 2025
Zachary Hamed and Matthew Achariam, co-founders of Clay, share insights into their personal relationship management tool recently acquired by Automattic. They discuss how Clay consolidates contact data from multiple platforms while prioritizing user privacy and thoughtful design. The conversation also reveals how AI features like Nexus enhance outreach and memory. With a strong WordPress background, they hint at exciting future integrations that aim to transform identity and CRM in the Automattic ecosystem.
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Origin Story: Built For The Founders
- Zachary and Matthew built Clay because their contacts were fragmented across many apps and they wanted a single, beautiful home for relationships.
- They launched a landing page and found strong demand after sharing the David Rockefeller index-card story.
Designing For Human Memory Limits
- Clay consolidates contacts to overcome human memory limits like Dunbar's number and then adds tools to maintain relationships.
- The product focuses on automated reconnect reminders and surfacing key moments to keep relationships active.
AI Needs Personal Contact Context
- Clay's AI features bring personal contact context into drafting messages and searching networks, improving personalization beyond generic prompts.
- They limit scope and keep features opt-in to balance privacy with AI utility.