Transforming CRM with AI: Anis Bennaceur of Attention.com 

In this episode of 'The Next Next,' Jason Jacobs interviews Anis Bennaceur, co-founder and CEO of Attention.com, a company that automates sales operations through AI agents. They discuss the challenges of Anis’ first startup and the breakthrough moment with GPT-3 that led to the creation of Attention. The conversation covers how attention addresses CRM filling pains, the evolving role of AI agents, the balance between launching products quickly and maintaining innovation, and the future of AI in business software. Anis explains the practical applications of AI, internal uses at Attention.com, and offers insights on building AI-enabled workflows and autonomous agents. The episode also touches on company efficiency, hiring, future priorities, and the growing importance of AI in the tech industry. 

00:00 Introduction to The Next Next 

01:43 Meet Anis Bennaceur: CEO of Attention

02:51 The Genesis of Attention

03:56 Early Challenges and Breakthroughs 

06:01 Pivoting to CRM Automation 

09:54 Building and Launching the MVP 

21:05 Defining and Utilizing AI Agents 

28:04 Understanding Customer Needs and AI Autonomy 

28:47 Challenges in Tool Selection and Flexibility 

29:49 Building Features and Tooling Perspective 

31:43 Relationships with AI Providers 

32:53 Network Effects in B2B 

36:08 Implications of AI on Product Strategy 

39:09 Leveraging AI Internally 

41:39 Autonomous AI Agents and Workflow Automation 

48:02 Efficient Business Operations with AI 

52:49 Key Priorities and Future Outlook 

54:06 Final Thoughts and Shoutouts