We replaced our sales team with 20 AI agents—here’s what happened | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr)

Overview

This episode dives into how Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr, replaced his entire sales team with 20 AI agents managed by just 1.2 humans. He shares his firsthand experience of implementing AI in sales, the tools and strategies that worked, and his predictions for the future of sales and go-to-market (GTM) in the age of AI. The conversation explores the transformative impact of AI on sales roles, the extinction of traditional SDRs, and how individuals and companies can adapt to thrive in this new landscape.

Notable Quotes

- AI is replacing the jobs people don't want to do today, and it is displacing the mid-pack and the mediocre. — Jason Lemkin, on the impact of AI on the workforce.

- If you can go do this and get it live into production, you're hyper-employable. — Jason Lemkin, on the importance of learning to implement and manage AI tools.

- The best startup you're ever going to have is probably the one you're working at today. Don't quit if you have happy customers. — Jason Lemkin, on leveraging existing opportunities in the age of AI.

🤖 The Rise of AI in Sales

- Jason replaced his 10-person sales team with 20 AI agents and 1.2 humans, achieving similar performance with significantly higher efficiency.

- AI agents handle tasks like outbound emails, inbound lead qualification, and customer support, working 24/7 without breaks.

- AI is particularly effective at replacing repetitive, low-value tasks, such as email-based SDR roles and lead qualification.

📉 The Decline of Traditional Sales Roles

- Jason predicts that email-based SDRs and BDRs will be extinct within a year, as AI can perform these roles more effectively and efficiently.

- The future of sales will focus on fewer, highly skilled individuals managing AI agents rather than large teams of junior salespeople.

- Sales professionals must adapt by learning to work with and manage AI tools to remain relevant and valuable.

🛠️ Practical Advice for Adopting AI in Sales

- Start by identifying a single pain point in your sales or support process and implement an AI agent to address it.

- Choose vendors that offer hands-on support and training to ensure successful deployment.

- Train AI agents using the best-performing scripts and workflows from your top salespeople to maximize effectiveness.

🌐 The Future of Go-to-Market in the AI Era

- The traditional GTM playbooks are becoming obsolete, but the core plays (e.g., outbound, webinars, events) still work when adapted for AI.

- AI will enable sales teams to scale their efforts, with some companies targeting $3–5 million in revenue per rep, compared to $300–500K in the past.

- Companies must embrace AI to stay competitive, as the winners in the AI space are growing at unprecedented rates.

💡 Becoming Hyper-Employable in the Age of AI

- Sales leaders should personally implement and manage AI tools to understand their capabilities and limitations.

- Junior salespeople should embrace AI tools and become experts in using them to enhance their productivity.

- The ability to deploy and manage AI agents will become a highly sought-after skill, making individuals hyper-employable in the coming years.