#33 Nick Francis, Co-Founder & CEO, Help Scout

In this episode of Inside the Workflow, Scott welcomes Nick Francis, Co-founder and CEO of Help Scout, for a deep, thoughtful conversation on entrepreneurship, customer support, product vision, and doing hard things—both in business and life.

Nick shares the 14-year journey of Help Scout, from its early days as a simple shared inbox tool to its transformation into a mission-driven customer support platform with a new pricing model designed for the AI era. He opens up about founding the company with close friends, the influence of hospitality on product design, building remote-first culture with intention, and why he’s obsessed with solving the customer support problem.

In This Episode, We Discuss:
 • The founding story of Help Scout & TechStars beginnings in Boston
 • Why great customer experiences are at the core of their product
 • Lessons from hospitality and brand building
 • Adopting a remote-first culture and maintaining team connection
 • How AI is transforming customer support—and how Help Scout is adapting

Whether you’re a founder, product builder, or support leader, this episode is packed with wisdom on building a durable business while staying true to your values.

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