In this conversation, Sophie Wyne sits down with Linny Kresch, co-founder of Tandemly, to discuss the evolving landscape of customer experience, artificial intelligence, and the challenges facing modern startups. Linny brings a unique perspective to the table, drawing from her diverse background in tech giants like IBM, Silicon Valley startups, and management consulting. Her blend of tech expertise and psychological insight offers a fresh take on the intersection of technology and human-centered business practices. Get ready for an enlightening discussion that challenges conventional thinking and offers fresh perspectives on enhancing customer experiences!

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Video Transcript:

Sophie: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Linny, for joining. We're super excited to have you. Thanks for taking the time.

Linny: Absolutely. I'm so excited to be here and always chatting with you is such a pleasure.

Sophie: Yeah. No, absolutely. Well, really looking forward to our conversation today around customer experience space, AI, your experience in the startup world. And yeah, we can kind of kick things off. I would love to just start by diving a little bit more into your journey. How did you get the idea to start Tandemly? What was that experience like?

Linny: Yeah, Tandemly. So I grew up through the tech space. So my first job out of school was IBM. Definitely wanted to be, you know, 2011, 2012, that timeframe dating myself and wanted to kind of be in the thick of it. So did that for a few years, moved to Silicon Valley, did some work at some series A and series B startups in partnerships and in sales, and just sort of saw how the culture and how things could really go awry, you know, mix co-founders mixed with funding, mixed with chaos, mixed with, you know, kind of like this free money market that we experienced for a long time, you know, in tech and just saw how things could really go wrong. Like I experienced myself. 

So when I finished in Silicon Valley, I ended up going to grad school because my therapist at the time was working with Google, Google search inside yourself and was developing that leadership program. So it gave me inspiration. I think, you know, inspiration and outrage are two great places to kind of start. So she gave me inspiration for how I wanted to kind of live. So after grad school, I joined a management consulting firm and then at the time just had sort of values differences with the people there. You know, my co-founder and I were actually at the same firm and just realized that, you know, startups and providing that scaffolding as they grew and scaled was a huge opportunity that a lot of consultants weren't really taking advantage of. And then the one thing with startups is the time. And so we started Tandemly as a way to provide these early stage startups as they get their funding, the project management needed, the, you know, advising needed, the coaching needed, the HR scaffolding needed so that these companies could grow in scale from about 15. We focused on companies that are about like 15, helping them get to about one, about 100 or so. So we, you know, kind of came from a place where, you know, they were more traditional consultants. We wanted to be a little bit edgier, you know, more innovative, if you will. And my co-founder and I started Tandemly three years ago.

Sophie: Amazing. And it's been so exciting to watch that happen as well. And the development you guys have been so successful. I'm curious as someone that works really closely with startups and advising, what has, what have been any takeaways or learnings you've had in the customer experience space or knowledge management? I'm sure that's been a, you know, a hot topic in some cases.

Linny: Yeah. Consumer experience is interesting because I think it's an intersection of you know, technology and then hospitality. And ironically, my husband has a hospitality company. We manage high-end short-term rentals here in Northern Arizona. And I think where people are missing the mark in a lot of ways is they're too tech focused and there's that, you know, they're not really like incorporating that human element or they're too element focused and they don't have the skills and the manpower to kind of, to provide that level of high touch service to the masses. And so that's kind of like what I'm seeing and what I think is interesting in the space.

Sophie: That's super fascinating. How are you finding organizations marrying that those two kind of entities together when it comes to self-serve or when they're getting started with customer service? What, how did they kind of make sure that they keep those in mind throughout every stage of customer experience?

Linny: Yeah, I think keeping the human focus is really important. So using technology as a tool to bring that to the masses. And so I think companies that are doing it well are marrying, like it's a perfect marriage between, you know, somebody who really understands the psychology, someone who understands the humanity mixed with like, what, what can software do? So, you know, as I had mentioned before IBM, I sold software for a really, really long time. And so I think when you're installing software, it's really important to understand what can software do? What can it not do? And then what are the, what are the things that you can do to fill that gap, especially when you're not, you know, you're implementing something new. I also think companies that are doing it well are thinking about those transitions. So, you know, change management 101, like if you're transitioning from one vendor to another, like what is that experience like for the, for the customer, for the consumer, for the person using the technology? So I think thinking those things through are important as well.

Sophie: Love that. Love that. And that makes us, or that gives us to the next topic that I want to talk about, which is another very hot topic. And that is AI. So I would love to know your thoughts on, you know, of course, AI is a really general and massive topic. How do you see AI playing a role within, you know, the topic that we were just talking about in customer experience, but even in, you know, remote teams and kind of embarking on this next stage of, I think, just tech innovation?

Linny: Yeah, AI is super interesting because I think, you know, with clients at heart, my co-founder and I've worked with, they've been using it to kind of, especially when you're a startup, right? Make yourself seem bigger. Cause a lot of things as you're convincing those early stage companies, you know, invest with me, a lot of companies have been burned by startups before products that don't work, you know, hardware that doesn't work. And so I think it's important to, to kind of keep that thread. I think there's a couple things with AI, even my husband's business has used quite a bit of AI. It's funny because I think when used well, it can be spectacularly effective. So I know the, you know, what you all are trying to do and arguing with Ariglad is super cool. It, the technology works. I think it's going to help people. I think, you know, when it doesn't work, it spectacularly fails. And then the therapist in me is wondering like, what are we doing with the ethics of AI? Like who's seeing the data? Where is the data? Whose data are we using? So, you know, lots of questions as we kind of move into this, into this, you know, wild west space of AI.

Sophie: Definitely. And I'm really curious because, you know, you have this deep psychology therapy oriented background. How would you counsel founders or people who are on this kind of cutting edge of AI to keep those ethical questions in mind without hindering, you know I guess ethical innovation? Like how do you have that balance?

Linny: I mean, I, we always use in like situation behavior impact. So like, what's the situation that you're in? What, what behavior choosing to do? And so a lot of our own personal values are driving the behavior that we choose to do, and then what's the impact of the behavior. So if you're, you know, rooted in a reality where you need things to be cheaper, better, faster, you might make some, some moves down the line that aren't as ethical than taking your time. So I think, you know, to your question of like how to counsel founders, I think, you know, again, like change management, like there's version one of whatever you're doing, but like how does version one connect you to version five? So what's the version that you need? What's the best version? What would be the best end state? And then like, how do you piecemeal your way there so that you're at least following the thread? So you're not kind of going in different directions as you, you know, are running, running at a dead sprint, frankly.

Sophie: That makes a lot of sense. Would you say kind of getting that balance right is the biggest challenge that is facing startups and leaders with AI, or is there anything else that comes to mind?

Linny: I'd be interested and curious to know what you think. I think there's a lot of challenges around it. But yeah, what are your thoughts on this?

Sophie: Yeah, I mean, I think the ethical aspect is just a huge, it's a huge conversation. And I think it does need to be talked about a little bit more, because I think, yeah, I don't know, I think there's like the very extreme, which is sci fi, we've all seen the movies where AI gets its own life. But it seems so insane and extreme that it's kind of, you know, it doesn't obviously have to go to that extreme. I think there's just a lot of morality questions in the middle that are really just a part of the boring day to day work that comes with AI. And I think there hasn't really been a lot of structure around those conversations around what should we be thinking about when we're just thinking, you know, sitting down coding and coming up with a new idea. And yeah, I think that's at least been my kind of perspective. Are there any human behaviors that you would be like, I guess, patterns, you know, when you think about humans in situations where they're really desperate to make a product work, or they're really looking to meet their, you know, monthly sales goals? Are there any situations that you've seen before where humans can potentially kind of push things a little bit too far when it comes to technology and what it's capable of? Because they're just focusing on the short term goals? And I suppose what are the long term goals we need to be thinking about?

Linny: Yeah, I mean, I think, I mean, we've seen a lot of founders, you know, in our work, behave in, I'll call it like, there's that scarcity and abundance mentality. And I think scarcity can often lead to kind of deceit, you know, which is sort of lying, right, lying about the top numbers, lying about the bottom line numbers, you know, and I'm wondering if that behavior, you know, can feed into some of the AI narrative that's going on right now, which is, you know, you know, like, is this real? Is it not real? Like this, this concept of reality testing comes to mind for me. Yeah, there's a lot, a lot to consider.

Sophie: What does reality testing mean? I'm curious. That sounds really interesting.

Linny: Yeah, it's a psychological principle. And it's basically one when somebody is experiencing psychological distress, it's a way in which they can understand like what's real and what's not real. And so, you know, it, it's where, how do I describe this? So like, for instance, if I'm a founder, and I'm in a challenge, like, let's just say like, right now, so we're in a challenging fundraising situation, right? Interest rates have been really high. VCs aren't loaning the money that they used to. It's really hard to get clients right now because a lot of companies are thinking about, you know, medium risk, high risk situations. There's a lot of, you know, reductions in force. People are rethinking their strategy. Like it's a, it's a tough environment. 

So as a founder, you know, and you're, let's say you're kind of desperate to get new clients or desperate to get new things. Like it is like for them, what might be real in their head like some, some people are in sort of a denial situation where they're like, you know, I'm spending this much on employees. You know, I'm spending a bazillion dollars a year on employee costs for FTEs. I'm doing this. I'm doing this. Like if they were to run through a reality testing exercise, you know, you'd probably say like, look, like you're up against a lot. You might need to do a reduction in force. You might need to do a product pivot. You might need to use some of these technologies like AI to reduce the human capital layer. Some people are in complete denial. And so, you know, if they can't get themselves to a place where they actually are able to be kind of real interpersonally about what's happening in their environment.

Sophie: That makes a lot of sense. That's super interesting. Yeah. I think we're still in a little bit of a, like, I think five years down the line, we'll have run out of, you know, organizations that are running all the coattails of the last 10 years. You know, a lot of the funding will be actually gone. A lot of the realities will really have set in, but I think right now we are in a situation where, you know, sometimes denial in some situations is just better than reality. And it's not going to help your company. It's not gonna help you survive, but it helps you in the moment and it's, you know, a better pain reliever than facing what's really going on. 

Linny: And it's interesting because I think, I don't know if this will show up, but I'm actually in Arizona and it's a very different fundraising climate here and tech climate than the coast. So even though Phoenix, fifth largest city in the US right now, still likes high twenties in terms of venture capital, like deal flow. So a lot of like, we're getting a brain drain of founders kind of going to the coast. So there is, I think, something to be learned about being a founder in a scrappy environment like this. Like a lot of our founders here in Arizona are really scrappy, like they're bootstrapped. They've, you know, had to be because they couldn't access money. I think, you know, just cause you were smart and have an MBA and have like a prop, you know, your MBA project, you got funding for it in 2021. I don't think that's the reality moving forward. So I think it'll be very interesting, an interesting landscape as we kind of navigate some of these things that are going on.

Sophie: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I completely agree, you know, as a Canadian founder, I think that's a lot of the same situations of it's harder to raise capital. You have to be a lot more scrappy. And I think, although that was really, you know, not fun to go through at the beginning, cause you just wanted to, you wanted it to be as easy as, you know, some of the stories you heard when it comes to that, I think now it's really paying off we are super scrappy and it's just in our DNA, it's in our bloodstream and yeah, no, it's super interesting.

So no, those were the main questions that I have for you, Linny, and thank you so much. I was just super excited to chat with you and get your thoughts cause you have such a unique thought process around this because of your background and because of your experience. So just thank you so much for taking the time.

Linny: Absolutely. Thank you. This was so fun. I love talking about all these challenging topics and how they're interrelated. And, you know, I think the biggest thing is like, well, like what do we do with this information? And so I think, you know, like I love your point about staying scrappy, staying open, I think looking at the technology, looking at the tools that are available. I'm thinking about the level of lift, like how, how hard is it to implement? Like, I know if you all at, you know, at Ariglad, your I mean, your onboarding process is amazing and is very streamlined. So thinking about your tech partners, thinking about these partners as we move forward, I think it's going to be really key for people in this space.

Sophie: Totally. Absolutely. And thanks for being on board along for the ride.

Linny: Yeah, for sure. Thanks.

As the interview draws to a close, Linny's observations on the importance of adaptability, ethical considerations in AI, and the value of a "scrappy" mindset in challenging economic times resonate strongly. Her emphasis on balancing technological innovation with human-centric approaches provides food for thought for founders and business leaders alike. In an era of rapid technological advancement and economic uncertainty, Linny's insights serve as a reminder that success in the startup world requires not just cutting-edge tools, but also a keen understanding of human psychology and a willingness to face reality head-on. Thank you for joining us for this enlightening conversation!

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As we've explored in this interview, the intersection of AI and customer experience is reshaping how businesses operate. For those looking to put these insights into practice, consider exploring Ariglad. Our AI-driven tool takes the hassle out of knowledge management by automatically updating and organizing your knowledge base. By ensuring your team and customers always have access to the latest, most relevant data, Ariglad helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and human-centric service. Whether you're a scrappy startup or an established enterprise, Ariglad could be the missing piece in your quest to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

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