AI Agents, Clearly Explained in 40 Minutes | Wade Foster (Zapier)
1Description
Wade is the co-founder and CEO of Zapier. We’re both sick of everyone calling everything an “AI agent” so we had some real talk about what actually works instead. Wade gave me a practical demo of his AI workflow that triages 100+ emails to 10 and shared exactly how to find automation opportunities on your calendar.
Wade and I talked about:
(00:00 ) Why most people asking for agents actually want workflows
(01:25 ) The AI automation spectrum explained with real examples
(05:16 ) Live demo: Wade's email agent that triages 100+ emails down to 10
(13:27 ) The difference between APIs vs MCPs
(18:52 ) Making Zapier AI-first: Why the CEO memo isn’t enough
(24:08 ) Wade's response to AI influencers saying "RIP Zapier"
(32:09 ) How Zapier tests for AI fluency in job interviews
(35:31 ) How to identify what to automate with AI in your calendar
This episode is brought to you by Vellum.Use the code AIAGENTS25 to get 25% off your first 3 months with Vellum: https://vellum.ai/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=PeterYangPodcast
📌 Get my top 10 takeaways: https://creatoreconomy.so/p/ai-agents-clearly-explained-in-40-minutes-zapier-wade-foster
Where to find Wade:
X: https://x.com/wadefoster
Website: https://zapier.com
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