Clay Bavor from Sierra sat down with CNBC to explain that AI agents complete tasks instead of just answering questions. Thrilling stuff. Revolutionary. A computer program that does things.
The big idea is that AI agents will change how software companies get paid. Right now companies charge subscriptions or per-seat licenses. Tomorrow they might charge per task completed. Or per customer interaction handled. Or per sale closed by a robot that doesn't need health insurance or a lunch break.
Bavor says these agents are moving from demos into real business workflows. Customer service. Sales. Support. All the jobs where companies already dream about replacing humans but couldn't quite pull it off with a phone tree and a chatbot named Kevin.
Here's the business model shift nobody's pricing in. If AI agents work, software companies bill per outcome. If they don't work, software companies still bill per seat and blame implementation. It's a heads-I-win-tails-you-lose situation dressed up as innovation.
The co-founder forgot to mention one workflow detail. When the AI agent f*cks up and refunds the wrong customer or promises free shipping to Lithuania, someone still has to fix it. That someone costs money. That someone is not an agent.
Retail traders will buy Sierra's competitors on this news. They'll compare TAM projections. They'll model adoption curves. They'll convince themselves they're early to the next platform shift.
They won't ask the simple question. If AI agents are so good at closing sales, why does Clay Bavor still need to go on CNBC to pitch his company?
Photo by on Unsplash
Leave a Comment