Agents of Scale

In this discussion, Jason Cottrell, CEO of Orium and new president of the MACH Alliance, shares insights on transforming enterprise AI from theory to practice. He emphasizes the power of composable architectures over monolithic solutions, highlighting a case study where a retailer achieved 5x growth in nine months. Jason argues that leveraging many specialized AI agents is more effective than relying on a single mega AI. He also delves into how brands can enhance customer experiences through personalized shopping assistants and direct chat-based commerce.

Shishir Mehrotra, a renowned technology CEO and former product lead at YouTube, discusses the game-changing rebranding of Grammarly to Superhuman. He reveals how their proactive AI assistant, Superhuman Go, transforms work by seamlessly integrating into over 1 million apps. Shishir shares insights on running products as a compound startup, the pivotal role of partnerships in expanding the agent ecosystem, and how AI is reshaping company culture through faster prototyping and ritual practices. This conversation gives a glimpse into the future of AI-driven productivity.

Ben Kus, Chief Technology Officer at Box, joins Wade Foster to discuss the evolution of AI in handling enterprise unstructured data. They delve into how AI transforms extensive data into actionable insights, making tasks manageable without needing extensive data science expertise. Ben explains the importance of trust in AI adoption, emphasizing the need for strong security and governance practices. The conversation also highlights the role of agents in streamlining workflows, ultimately transforming how businesses leverage their data effectively.

AI that sells, reasons, and closes like your top rep? It sounds terrifying—but it’s not. Amanda Kahlow’s Superhumans are proving that automation doesn’t erase people; it elevates them. Her team rewards employees who replace their own jobswith AI by promoting them, not firing them. And her customers? They’re seeing sales cycles shrink from 22 days to 2 and average deal sizes double.In this episode, Zapier CEO Wade Foster and Amanda dig into what “AI-led growth” really means—and why the smartest move in 2025 isn’t resisting AI, it’s learning how to lead with it. They unpack why 76% of 1Mind’s pipeline now comes from their own AI, and how org charts are evolving around a new role: the agent manager.It’s a grounded, surprisingly human look at the future of work—and a reminder that the best way to stay relevant is to build the AI version of your best self. As Amanda puts it: “Your sellers hallucinate—AIs do it less.”

For Chris Pedregal, CEO of Granola, AI isn’t about replacing thinking—it’s about deepening it. He joins Zapier CEO Wade Foster to talk founder-to-founder about what it takes to build products that think with you, not for you. Together they explore why it’s the best time in history to be a builder, how AI can eliminate busywork without erasing human judgment, and why context will define the next decade of AI.From living on the bleeding edge to running their own company on Granola, this is a masterclass in building AI that actually makes people smarter.

Replit’s mission: turn 100 million people into builders. CEO Amjad Masad joins Zapier CEO Wade Foster to discuss the real blocker to AI adoption—creativity, not code—and how enterprises can unlock it. They cover why most users freeze at the prompt, how social contagion drives adoption, and why your next “employee” might be an AI agent sitting in Slack.

What does it take to reinvent a billion-dollar SaaS company in the age of AI? For Intercom, the answer was refocusing the business, betting everything on an AI-first future, and a $50 million pricing model gamble. In this episode, co-founder Des Traynor pulls back the curtain on the bold moves that reset Intercom’s trajectory and turned its AI agent, Fin, into a powerhouse that resolves 65% of customer conversations. If you’re leading AI transformation, this is the playbook: how to make the painful cuts, how to reset culture, and how to price AI in a way that actually works. It’s not theory—it’s the story of one of the biggest AI reinventions in SaaS.

Howie Liu, Co-founder and CEO of Airtable, leads a discussion with Zapier CEO Wade Foster on scaling businesses responsibly. They highlight the importance of a culture of experimentation in successfully adopting AI technologies. Liu emphasizes that tinkering and a company-wide experimental mindset are crucial for effective AI deployment. The conversation reveals how scaling with customer needs in mind can help enterprises evolve without losing their core values, offering valuable insights for leaders aiming for sustainable growth.

Joe Zapian, a self-taught automation expert, shares his incredible journey from living in his car to transforming businesses with AI and automation. He reveals how he stumbled upon Zapier while working at a roofing company, leading to a passion for creating systems that streamline processes. Joe emphasizes the importance of curiosity and small wins, and how he used GPT as a tutor to master tech concepts. He encourages others to start automating with practical, high-value tasks, proving that anyone can reshape their trajectory with the right tools.

What started as a “texting call center” for real estate leads is now an enterprise platform powering millions of conversations across industries. Verse—acquired by NICE and trusted by brands in healthcare, higher ed, and financial services—evolved from 100% human to AI-first, with humans still in the loop to train, guide, and build trust.Zapier CEO Wade Foster sits down with Verse co-founder Avi Tal to talk about how Verse layered automation one step at a time, why clients went from avoiding the word “AI” to demanding it, and how Zapier became their secret weapon for integrating with any CRM without armies of engineers.