How Help Scout Moved From Traditional SaaS To An AI-Native Product Company: A Conversation with Nick Francis & Luis Morales of Help Scout

In this episode of Deployed: The AI Product Podcast, we talk with Nick Francis, CEO and Co-founder, and Luis Morales, VP of Engineering at Help Scout, about their journey integrating AI into their established (13 years in market!) customer support platform.

Nick and Luis share candid insights on:

• How they shifted from skepticism about AI to embracing it as a tool for delighting customers
• Their process for experimenting with AI features, from summarization to automated email drafts
• Challenges in prompt engineering and building effective RAG systems
• Creating a new role for an AI product quality expert with deep customer knowledge
• Transitioning to an experimentation-driven engineering culture
• Making the bold decision to completely overhaul their business model and pricing

The conversation covers both high-level strategy and tactical details of Help Scout's AI development process. Nick and Luis offer valuable perspectives for any company looking to thoughtfully integrate AI capabilities into existing products.For product and engineering leaders navigating the complexities of AI adoption, this episode provides practical advice on balancing innovation with customer needs. Tune in to learn how Help Scout is leveraging AI to enhance the customer support experience while staying true to their values.