We replaced our sales team with 20 AI agents—here’s what happened | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr)
We replaced our sales team with 20 AI agents—here’s what happened | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr)
We replaced our sales team with 20 AI agents—here’s what happened | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr)
In this forward-looking conversation, Jason Lemkin shares his firsthand experience transforming a traditional sales organization into an AI-driven operation, offering rare insights from the front lines of a rapidly evolving go-to-market landscape.
After losing key sales staff, Jason Lemkin replaced SaaStr’s entire go-to-market team with 20 AI agents and 1.2 humans—achieving comparable performance while drastically reducing overhead. He explains how AI now handles lead qualification, outreach, and scheduling, making most entry-level SDR and BDR roles obsolete within a year. While top AEs and leadership positions remain resilient, success increasingly depends on mastering AI tools through hands-on training and optimization. Jason emphasizes using platforms like Agentforce or Qualified rather than building in-house solutions, and stresses that effective AI deployment requires human oversight to avoid inefficiencies. Despite automation, AI is generating more work, not less—fueling demand for GTM professionals who can manage agent workflows, drive adoption, and deliver results. The future belongs to those who train their agents daily, embrace tools like forward-deployed engineers for implementation, and focus on high-value interactions where humans still outperform. Ultimately, fluency with AI is becoming the defining trait of career longevity and organizational success in the modern SaaS economy.
07:13
07:13
A non-sales-trained AI agent closed a $70K sponsorship, proving AI's sales potential.
12:29
12:29
AI is replacing mediocre sales employees while giving superpowers to the best humans.
16:45
16:45
Over 50% of prospects are now in the market for AI products, compared to 3-5% in traditional markets
19:20
19:20
Email-based SDRs and BDRs will be mostly extinct next year due to AI efficiency.
22:04
22:04
Only about 20% of current sales professionals may be suitable for startup roles in 2026–2027 due to AI-driven changes.
28:03
28:03
Mastery comes from doing it 20 times, not outsourcing.
28:41
28:41
Avoid building GTM tools internally unless you're Vercel or have dedicated engineering resources
34:37
34:37
AI agents can sell sponsorships and qualify inbound leads autonomously
36:40
36:40
Agent Force with Salesforce achieved a 70% response rate on neglected leads
44:39
44:39
An AI trained on the best salesperson can beat most human reps in outbound email performance
52:05
52:05
In-person sales close at a higher rate, but tech aims for full GTM automation.
52:39
52:39
AI agents now handle outbound lead finding, inbound engagement, and support tasks formerly done by humans
53:51
53:51
Without proper oversight, AI agent operations deliver zero ROI.
1:01:08
1:01:08
An employee quit after AI RevOps exposed his inactivity in CRM tasks
1:05:40
1:05:40
FDEs focus on customer success, not sales, ensuring the product works on day one
1:15:36
1:15:36
Salesforce customers should go live before paying, not after.
1:18:56
1:18:56
Gartner predicts next year will see the fastest acceleration of money into AI and software in a decade
1:23:47
1:23:47
After 150 days, AI agents can debate code-building, enabling non-coders to build.
1:25:27
1:25:27
Use an incognito browser and a new Gmail to test your product from a user's perspective.
1:27:19
1:27:19
Media over-dramatizes AI-related layoffs, which are often just an excuse for downsizing.
1:30:18
1:30:18
When AI agents form a hive mind sharing data, human GTM roles will be at risk
