AI + a16z

The Future of Digital Workers


Listen Later

In this episode of AI + a16z, a16z Partner Joe Schmidt sits down with 11x CTO Prabhav Jain for an inside look at how AI-powered digital workers are reshaping sales and revenue operations. They discuss the evolution of agentic AI, the trade-offs between orchestration and autonomy, and the technical innovations driving 11x’s products, Alice and Mike.

Prabhav breaks down the challenges of real-time voice AI, the complexities of multimodal agent interactions, and why the future of enterprise AI is about delivering measurable customer outcomes—not just automation. They also dive into the fast-moving landscape of model providers, the impact of open-source AI, and how startups can stay ahead in an environment of constant technological change.

Plus, they explore 11x’s bold decision to re-architect its platform from the ground up, the lessons learned from scaling AI-powered sales automation, and what it takes to build truly effective digital workers.

Key Takeaways:
  • The difference between true AI agents and complex orchestrations—and why it matters.
  • How 11x built Alice and Mike to deliver human-like sales performance at scale.
  • The cutting-edge advancements shaping AI voice assistants and real-time multimodal interactions.
  • Lessons from rebuilding an AI platform while supporting a fast-growing customer base.
  • How AI startups can balance rapid iteration with long-term strategic bets.

For anyone interested in AI-powered automation, enterprise sales, or the future of digital work, this episode offers a front-row seat to the latest innovations pushing the boundaries of AI agents.

Learn more:

11x

Follow everybody on X:

Prabhav Jain

Joe Schmidt

Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

AI + a16zBy a16z

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

22 ratings


More shows like AI + a16z

View all
This Week in Startups by Jason Calacanis

This Week in Startups

1,281 Listeners

a16z Podcast by Andreessen Horowitz

a16z Podcast

1,008 Listeners

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch by Harry Stebbings

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

525 Listeners

The TWIML AI Podcast (formerly This Week in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence) by Sam Charrington

The TWIML AI Podcast (formerly This Week in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence)

439 Listeners

Y Combinator Startup Podcast by Y Combinator

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

214 Listeners

Practical AI by Practical AI LLC

Practical AI

196 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

315 Listeners

Raising Health by Andreessen Horowitz, a16z Bio + Health

Raising Health

143 Listeners

web3 with a16z crypto by a16z crypto, Sonal Chokshi, Chris Dixon

web3 with a16z crypto

58 Listeners

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups by Conviction

No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

106 Listeners

Latent Space: The AI Engineer Podcast by swyx + Alessio

Latent Space: The AI Engineer Podcast

70 Listeners

Crucible Moments by Sequoia Capital

Crucible Moments

88 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

419 Listeners

Lightcone Podcast by Y Combinator

Lightcone Podcast

18 Listeners

Training Data by Sequoia Capital

Training Data

31 Listeners