The Hard Part with Evan McCann

David Hariri from Ada

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David Hariri is the Co-Founder of Ada.


Ada is the world’s leading customer service automation company. Built for the digitally transforming enterprise, Ada’s AI-powered customer service automation platform helps companies effortlessly resolve their customer inquiries in any language or channel.

Since 2016, Ada has powered over 4 billion automated customer interactions for companies like Meta, Verizon, AirAsia, Yeti, and Square.


Takeaways

  • Why Mike and David worked as customer support reps at other companies to find the true problem to solve.
  • Why the Buyer and User of a product are sometimes different and how you should build for them.
    • Design principles and open-source collaboration.
    • The importance and meaning of elegance in a product.
    • Balancing design and execution/timing.
    • How to do road mapping effectively with customers.
    • Dove into Paul Graham's Founder Mode and how David views founder involvement and feedback with his team.
    • How to give tough feedback on the work not the person and driving better results for the team and company while not being a jerk.
    • David's view on hiring for values and hiring for technical and design roles.


      • Chapters

      00:00 Starting ADA by Working as Customer Service Representatives

      01:59 The Importance of Focusing on the Problem First

      03:56 Firsthand Insights from Working in the Role

      07:51 Understanding Stakeholders in the Buying Process

      13:49 Doing More with Less and Prioritizing Partnership

      18:30 Hiring for Values and Building a Design-Driven Culture

      29:11 Appreciation for Design Principles and Open Source Collaboration

      36:13 Founder Involvement and Attention to Detail

      43:22 The Art of Giving Tough Feedback

      48:29 Generative AI in Customer Service


      Keywords

      Ada, customer service, founders, problem-solving, technology, user insights, stakeholder, design principles, open source, collaboration, execution, roadmapping process, customer commitments, problem prioritization, involvement, details, founder involvement, tough feedback, balance, generative AI, personal and professional life, dealing with hard times, finding balance

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      The Hard Part with Evan McCannBy Evan McCann