Decoder with Nilay Patel Sierra CEO Bret Taylor on why the AI bubble feels like the dotcom boom
195 snips
Sep 11, 2025 
In this discussion, Bret Taylor, CEO of AI startup Sierra and chairman of OpenAI, shares insights from his extensive tech career at Google and Facebook. He discusses the transformative potential of AI, particularly in customer service, with innovative pricing models that incentivize successful outcomes. Taylor highlights the rapid advancements in AI, including autonomous agents and their impact on user experience. He also draws parallels between the current AI hype and the dotcom boom, warning of the need for alignment with human values as we navigate this evolving landscape.
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Genesis Of Sierra
- Bret Taylor left Salesforce just as ChatGPT launched and became obsessed with the technology.
- He and Clay Bevor decided over lunch to start Sierra focused on AI agents for customer experiences.
Price Agents By Outcomes
- Charge customers for measurable outcomes rather than hours or seats to align incentives.
- Build product ease-of-use and partner closely on deployment to ensure success.
AI Changes Customer Economics
- Large enterprises benefit most because AI reduces contact-costs by orders of magnitude.
- That enables conversations at scale that were previously uneconomical and can drive retention and market share.
