Episode 2 · · 00:46:47
Agencies Don't Need 20 People Anymore
We talk about what's actually changing inside agencies right now. Our AI agent buddy switched to Hermes, got a Slack integration, and is now pre-triaging tickets through MCP. We also get into why agencies are reducing headcount without losing output, why the line between agency and SaaS is getting blurry, and the Duolingo cautionary tale of going full AI too early.
Hosted by Chris Willow and Alex Zakka from Wayfront.
Show notes
Full show notes
Chapters: 0:00 How Wayfront decides what to build next 2:34 Why being nice to support actually gets you features faster 5:24 Buddy update: switching from OpenAI to Hermes 10:41 The AI automation agency hype vs reality 14:52 Claude controversies and Anthropic asking for government ID 18:21 Agencies are canceling seats and reducing headcount 18:50 The Duolingo cautionary tale of going full AI 20:24 Every agency owner wants to build a SaaS 24:11 How the traditional agency structure is flipping 27:03 AI adoption depends on where your agency is right now 35:15 Can AI handle onboarding for new Wayfront customers? 37:30 Setting up services and forms through MCP 39:48 Why agencies ignore good advice about order forms 43:39 Staying specialized vs building for everyone