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  • The brief
  • Start here
  • Idea portfolio
  • Effort vs impact
  • This week · 6
  • This quarter · 9
  • Big bets · 3
  • Wildcards · 3
  • How we can help
Generated Oct 18, 2026
  1. Programmable
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growth playbook · Oct 18, 2026

irisagent.com (opens in a new tab)

IrisAgent growth playbook

Diagnosis

IrisAgent is moving sales off the founder: its two open roles are its first hunting Account Executive and a Sales Development Representative, both asked to build pipeline from outbound, warm intros and partners for a "small team with founder-led GTM". It has real proof (Dropbox, Tekion), a free plan that puts its badge on customer sites, and a ready-made offer for Forethought customers after Zendesk's acquisition.

This playbook turns those into a first-quarter pipeline for the new hires: a Forethought account list, free-plan follow-up, a parallel pilot and an AutoQA audit as door openers, and the basics (deliverability, a handoff kit, proof) a new sales team needs.

Growth Score

6/10

Biggest Opportunity

Use the Forethought acquisition and the free plan as dated, warm reasons to reach buyers, and win them with a side-by-side pilot scored by AutoQA.

Biggest Risk

Helpdesks are bundling their own AI agents and much larger rivals (Sierra, Decagon, Intercom Fin) dominate attention, so a two-person sales team must win on proof and speed rather than reach.

01

Start here

The three moves to make first. Each one is written up in full below.

  1. 1

    Work the Forethought switch offer account by account, starting with customers off Zendesk

    Pull 75 Forethought customers from public case studies, reviews and job posts that name Forethought, and note each one's helpdesk.

    High impact First result in 3 weeks
  2. 2

    Call every free-plan install at a company with 100+ employees within 48 hours

    Export free sign-ups from the last 90 days and enrich them with company size.

    High impact First result in 1 week
  3. 3

    A founder-to-AE handoff kit: discovery questions, demo path and pilot terms

    Record the founder's next three discovery calls and pull the questions that mattered.

    High impact First result in 2 weeks

02

Your idea portfolio

21 ideas, grouped by when to run them. Open any idea for how to run it: the steps, who to approach, copy you can use, and how to measure it.

  • 7 ideas are marked Unexpected: plays you are unlikely to have tried.

    3 of these are things Programmable can build and run for you.

Every idea placed by the effort it takes against the impact it could have. Quick wins sit top left; select a number to open that idea. The filters below narrow the list by status, timing, category and what Programmable can build.

Effort vs impactEach number is an idea. Select one to open it.
Impact →
Quick wins · 3Big bets · 5Fill-ins · 7Reconsider · 6
Effort →

Showing 21 of 21 ideas

This week 6

Quick wins with a clear first action.

  • 01

    Zendesk bought Forethought in March 2026, and IrisAgent already has a strong offer for Forethought customers (free migration, a parallel pilot on live traffic, 24-hour go-live, three months free) sitting in a blog post. A blog post does not reach a buyer whose renewal is coming up.

    High impactLow effort First result in 3 weeks Account Executive

    First action

    Pull 75 Forethought customers from public case studies, reviews and job posts that name Forethought, and note each one's helpdesk.

    How to measure it

    Parallel pilots started

    Now
    –
    Target
    6
    By
    8 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Build the list

      Case studies, G2 reviews and job posts naming Forethought.

      Sales Development Representative 2 days

    2. 2

      Add the helpdesk

      Clay technographics; non-Zendesk first.

      Sales Development Representative 1 day

    3. 3

      Write the sequence

      The acquisition, the stack question, the parallel pilot.

      Account Executive 2 hours

    4. 4

      Call and email

      Heads of Support and CX Ops, in Instantly and by phone.

      Sales Development Representative 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Ask about renewal

      In every first meeting.

      Account Executive ongoing

    6. 6

      Run parallel pilots

      Live traffic, side by side, 24-hour setup.

      Account Executive 2 weeks each

    7. 7

      Report weekly

      Meetings, pilots, renewal dates.

      Account Executive 15 minutes a week

    First result
    3 weeks
    Cost
    $0 beyond the three free months in the existing offer
    Owner
    Account Executive

    Smallest test

    Sequence 25 non-Zendesk Forethought customers this week.

    Run this outreach. The sequence sent for you: addresses found and verified, replies routed to your CRM. Usually live within days.

    Book a working session

    Why it works

    Build a named list of Forethought customers, sort by helpdesk (Salesforce, Intercom, Freshdesk first, then Zendesk), and run a two-week sprint: SDR sequences and calls, AE discovery on renewal dates, and the parallel pilot as the single offer.

    The new AE must build their own pipeline from outbound; this list arrives with budget, an AI agent already in use, and a dated reason to look. It is the fastest way to give a new hunter early wins.

    Ready to use

    EmailForethought customer outreach

    Subject: Forethought after the Zendesk deal
    
    Hi {first name},
    
    Since Zendesk acquired Forethought in March, a few support leaders on {helpdesk} have asked us what happens to their setup at renewal.
    
    If that is on your mind: we run IrisAgent beside your current agent on live traffic for two weeks, migrate your knowledge base for free, and you see both results before you decide. Most teams are live in 24 hours.
    
    Worth 20 minutes before your renewal?
    
    {name}

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Speculating about Zendesk's plans

      State only the acquisition; let the buyer judge their roadmap.

    • Free months erode margin

      Offer them only after a successful parallel pilot.

    Evidence

    • Search resultsZendesk acquired Forethought in March 2026 and is folding its AI agents into the Zendesk Resolution Platform.Source
    • Your websiteIrisAgent's Forethought post offers Forethought customers free knowledge-base migration, a parallel proof of concept on live traffic, a 24-hour go-live and the first three months free; IrisAgent is listed on the Zendesk and Intercom marketplaces.Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
  • 02

    The Free plan adds an AI Search widget with a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge to the customer's site. Free sign-ups at larger companies are support leaders testing the product themselves, and nobody in a founder-led team has time to call them.

    High impactLow effort First result in 1 week Sales Development Representat…

    First action

    Export free sign-ups from the last 90 days and enrich them with company size.

    How to measure it

    Meetings from free installs

    Now
    –
    Target
    20% of qualified sign-ups
    By
    4 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Export sign-ups

      Last 90 days.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    2. 2

      Enrich

      Size, helpdesk, title in Clay.

      Sales Development Representative 2 hours

    3. 3

      Set routing

      New sign-ups to the SDR daily.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    4. 4

      Write the call

      What they tried, what they need, the pilot.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    5. 5

      Call in 48 hours

      Companies over 100 people.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    6. 6

      Track

      Meetings and pilots by source.

      Sales Development Representative weekly

    First result
    1 week
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Sales Development Representative

    Smallest test

    Call the 20 largest free sign-ups from the last 90 days.

    Why it works

    Route free-plan sign-ups to the SDR with company size and helpdesk, call those over 100 employees within 48 hours, and offer a Standard pilot with agent assist on their real queue.

    The SDR is asked to book meetings for the AE and founder; free installs convert at many times the rate of cold lists.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Free users dislike sales calls

      Offer help with setup first.

    Evidence

    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
  • 03

    The new SDR will send sequences from Instantly, and the domain's DMARC policy is "none". Mailbox providers now favor senders who enforce authentication, and an open policy lets anyone spoof the domain.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Turn on DMARC reporting and check which services send as irisagent.com.

    How to measure it

    Outbound reply rate

    Now
    –
    Target
    stable or higher at 2x volume
    By
    4 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Enable reports

      DMARC aggregate reports.

      Founder and CEO 30 minutes

    2. 2

      List senders

      HubSpot, helpdesk, product email.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    3. 3

      Fix SPF and DKIM

      For each sender.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    4. 4

      Quarantine

      After a clean week.

      Founder and CEO 15 minutes

    5. 5

      Outbound subdomain

      Separate domain for Instantly.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    6. 6

      Warm up

      Two weeks before full volume.

      Sales Development Representative 2 weeks

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    Enable reporting today.

    Why it works

    Move DMARC from none to quarantine, then reject, after checking reports; send cold email from a separate subdomain with its own authentication and warm-up.

    Deliverability decides whether the SDR's work is seen; fixing it costs an hour and protects the main domain.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Legitimate mail rejected

      Quarantine first and read reports.

    Evidence

    • programmable.infoThe headline changed from "Human-like AI Agents for customer service" to the grounded-AI positioning. The domain's DMARC policy is "none", and the company lists SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI DSS plus a private, self-hosted option on Enterprise.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
  • 04

    IrisAgent has real results (Dropbox saved 160,000 email minutes in H1 2025; Tekion resolves 50% of chats) but they are spread across case-study pages. A new AE needs the closest peer in one glance.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Account Executive

    First action

    List every published result and its source.

    How to measure it

    First meetings using the sheet

    Now
    –
    Target
    90%
    By
    4 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Collect results

      From case studies and the homepage.

      Account Executive 2 hours

    2. 2

      Fill gaps

      Ask two customers for time to live.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    3. 3

      Design

      One page.

      Account Executive 2 hours

    4. 4

      Publish

      A customers page section.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    5. 5

      Use it

      In every first meeting and sequence.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    6. 6

      Refresh

      Monthly.

      Account Executive monthly

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Account Executive

    Smallest test

    Use a draft in the next five meetings.

    Why it works

    Build a single sheet and page: customer, helpdesk, channel, product used, result, time to live, with a link to each case study, and use it in every first meeting.

    The AE sells outcomes (resolution, productivity, cost to serve); a peer on the same helpdesk is the fastest proof.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Customer approval

      Use only already-public numbers.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteDropbox case study: 160,000 minutes of email handle time saved in H1 2025 and 2 minutes less per email, in production since September 2024, starting on Zendesk email. Maria McSweeney, Head of Global Support: "Working with IrisAgent feels like a true partnership."Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • programmable.infoSite scan: 238 blog posts, 22 use-case pages, 13 comparison pages (Ada, Aisera, Decagon, Forethought, Intercom, Sierra, Zendesk AI and others), case studies for Dropbox, InvoiceCloud, Camp Systems, Larian Studios and Muni-Link, and a separate demo page for Iris Control. YouTube has 5 subscribers.Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
  • 05

    Sales has been founder-led, and the first AE will run discovery, demos and pilots alone. What the founder knows about why deals close is not written down.

    High impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Record the founder's next three discovery calls and pull the questions that mattered.

    How to measure it

    Days to first AE-closed deal

    Now
    –
    Target
    under 75
    By
    first AE quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Record calls

      Three founder calls.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    2. 2

      Write questions

      Ten that qualify fastest.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    3. 3

      Demo paths

      Support leader and engineering leader.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    4. 4

      Pilot terms

      Scope, length, success measures.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    5. 5

      Objections

      Top three with answers.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    6. 6

      Shadow and reverse

      AE runs, founder watches.

      Account Executive 2 weeks

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    Write discovery questions only, use them this week.

    Why it works

    Write the kit in a week: ten discovery questions, the five-minute demo path by buyer (support leader or engineering leader), the standard pilot terms, pricing guardrails, and the three objections that come up most with answers.

    It shortens the new AE's ramp and keeps deals consistent while the founder steps back.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • The kit goes stale

      Update after every lost deal.

    Evidence

    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
  • 06

    IrisAgent is listed on the Zendesk and Intercom marketplaces, where support teams already shop for add-ons. A listing that leads with a named result and a 24-hour setup competes with built-in agents on speed.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 4 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Compare both listings against the top three AI apps in each marketplace.

    How to measure it

    Marketplace installs

    Now
    –
    Target
    2x
    By
    8 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Audit listings

      Against top competitors.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    2. 2

      Rewrite

      Result, setup time, free plan.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    3. 3

      New screenshots

      AutoQA and agent assist.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    4. 4

      Ask for reviews

      Three customers per marketplace.

      Account Executive 1 week

    5. 5

      Route installs

      To the SDR.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    6. 6

      Track

      Installs and meetings.

      Sales Development Representative monthly

    First result
    4 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    Rewrite the Zendesk listing only.

    Why it works

    Rewrite both listings: headline result (Dropbox, Tekion), 24-hour setup, the free plan, and a request for reviews from three happy customers on each marketplace.

    Marketplace visitors are already on the helpdesk IrisAgent supports, and reviews there feed inbound the SDR can work.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Marketplace review rules

      Ask without incentives.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteIrisAgent's Forethought post offers Forethought customers free knowledge-base migration, a parallel proof of concept on live traffic, a 24-hour go-live and the first three months free; IrisAgent is listed on the Zendesk and Intercom marketplaces.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • Your websiteDropbox case study: 160,000 minutes of email handle time saved in H1 2025 and 2 minutes less per email, in production since September 2024, starting on Zendesk email. Maria McSweeney, Head of Global Support: "Working with IrisAgent feels like a true partnership."Source

This quarter 9

The core plays for the next three months.

  • 07

    The Forethought offer includes a parallel proof of concept on live traffic. Running beside the current setup removes the buyer's risk of switching, and AutoQA can score both sides.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 4 weeks Account Executive

    First action

    Write the parallel pilot scope and success measures on one page.

    How to measure it

    Pilot to signed contract

    Now
    –
    Target
    50%
    By
    end of quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Write scope

      Queues, traffic share, length.

      Account Executive 1 day

    2. 2

      Define scoring

      AutoQA on both sides.

      Account Executive 1 day

    3. 3

      Set guardrails

      Data access and handoff rules.

      Founder and CEO 1 day

    4. 4

      Run

      Every qualified deal.

      Account Executive ongoing

    5. 5

      Present

      Day-14 comparison.

      Account Executive ongoing

    6. 6

      Track

      Conversion and cycle time.

      Account Executive monthly

    First result
    4 weeks
    Cost
    Pilot compute costs
    Owner
    Account Executive

    Smallest test

    Run it on the next two deals.

    Why it works

    Standardize a two-week parallel pilot for every qualified deal: IrisAgent runs beside the existing agent or team on a slice of real tickets, AutoQA scores both, and the AE presents the comparison at day 14.

    The AE runs pilots and sells outcomes; a side-by-side result is the hardest evidence to argue with and uses a product feature (AutoQA) as the referee.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Scoring disputes

      Agree the rubric on day one.

    Builds on

    Evidence

    • Your websiteIrisAgent's Forethought post offers Forethought customers free knowledge-base migration, a parallel proof of concept on live traffic, a 24-hour go-live and the first three months free; IrisAgent is listed on the Zendesk and Intercom marketplaces.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
  • 08

    Both job posts name engineering leaders as buyers for Iris Control, an LLM control plane, and it has its own demo page. A support-leader sequence will not reach them.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 6 weeks Sales Development Representat…

    First action

    Write the Iris Control value in three sentences an engineering leader would accept.

    How to measure it

    Engineering-leader meetings

    Now
    –
    Target
    10
    By
    end of quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Define the best-fit customer profile

      Companies with LLM features in production.

      Founder and CEO 2 days

    2. 2

      Build the list

      Job posts and engineering blogs.

      Sales Development Representative 1 week

    3. 3

      Write the sequence

      Technical, short, with a demo.

      Founder and CEO 1 day

    4. 4

      Send

      Instantly and LinkedIn.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    5. 5

      Demo

      Founder-led at first.

      Founder and CEO ongoing

    6. 6

      Review

      Reply and meeting rates.

      Sales Development Representative weekly

    First result
    6 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Sales Development Representative

    Smallest test

    Fifty engineering leaders, one sequence.

    Build the prospect list. The list compiled from public sources, verified, deduplicated and delivered to your CRM. Usually live within days.

    Book a working session

    Why it works

    Build a list of companies running LLM features in production (job posts for LLM platform engineers, public engineering blogs), write a technical sequence on cost, routing and guardrails, and book demos with the founder.

    It opens a second budget at the same accounts and gives the SDR a list no support-tools competitor is working.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Splits focus of a tiny team

      Cap it at 20% of SDR time.

    Evidence

    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
    • programmable.infoSite scan: 238 blog posts, 22 use-case pages, 13 comparison pages (Ada, Aisera, Decagon, Forethought, Intercom, Sierra, Zendesk AI and others), case studies for Dropbox, InvoiceCloud, Camp Systems, Larian Studios and Muni-Link, and a separate demo page for Iris Control. YouTube has 5 subscribers.Source
  • 09

    The AE is told to build pipeline through partners, and IrisAgent sits beside helpdesks rather than replacing them. Helpdesk implementation partners are asked about AI by every client.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 2 months Account Executive

    First action

    List 20 Zendesk and Freshworks partners serving mid-market companies.

    How to measure it

    Partner-sourced opportunities

    Now
    –
    Target
    8
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      List partners

      Twenty mid-market partners.

      Account Executive 1 week

    2. 2

      Set terms

      Referral fee and demo environment.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    3. 3

      Pitch

      Calls with partner owners.

      Account Executive 4 weeks

    4. 4

      Train

      One session per partner.

      Account Executive ongoing

    5. 5

      Joint offer

      For their clients.

      Account Executive 1 week

    6. 6

      Track

      Referrals and wins.

      Account Executive monthly

    First result
    2 months
    Cost
    Referral fees from closed revenue
    Owner
    Account Executive

    Smallest test

    Sign two partners.

    Why it works

    Sign five helpdesk implementation partners to a referral program: a referral fee, a partner demo environment, and a joint offer for their clients.

    Partners already hold the relationship and the admin access, and IrisAgent makes their projects look modern without replacing their work.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Partners favor native AI

      Position IrisAgent as cross-helpdesk and add-on.

    Evidence

    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
    • Your websiteIrisAgent's Forethought post offers Forethought customers free knowledge-base migration, a parallel proof of concept on live traffic, a 24-hour go-live and the first three months free; IrisAgent is listed on the Zendesk and Intercom marketplaces.Source
  • 10

    IrisAgent scores 100% of conversations with AutoQA. Most support teams review a small sample by hand, so a full-coverage audit of their own tickets is new information for the buyer.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 4 weeks Account Executive

    First action

    Build the audit report template from one existing customer's data.

    How to measure it

    Audit to pilot

    Now
    –
    Target
    40%
    By
    end of quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Template

      Report from customer data.

      Account Executive 1 week

    2. 2

      Access process

      Read-only, data handling terms.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    3. 3

      Offer it

      In sequences and first calls.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    4. 4

      Run audits

      Within 48 hours of access.

      Account Executive ongoing

    5. 5

      Present

      With the pilot proposal.

      Account Executive ongoing

    6. 6

      Track

      Audits, pilots, wins.

      Account Executive monthly

    First result
    4 weeks
    Cost
    Compute per audit
    Owner
    Account Executive

    Smallest test

    Audit three prospects by hand.

    Why it works

    Offer qualified prospects an audit: connect read-only to the helpdesk, score 1,000 recent tickets, and present the results (accuracy, tone, policy misses) with the share that IrisAgent could resolve.

    It gives the AE a reason to meet that is about the prospect, collects the data needed for the pilot, and lands the product with the QA team.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Ticket data contains personal data

      Process under a DPA, redact PII, delete after the audit.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
    • programmable.infoThe headline changed from "Human-like AI Agents for customer service" to the grounded-AI positioning. The domain's DMARC policy is "none", and the company lists SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI DSS plus a private, self-hosted option on Enterprise.Source
  • 11

    Standard starts at $500 a month and scales with usage, and add-ons are unpriced. Competitors like Intercom Fin publish a per-resolution price, so buyers can budget without a call.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 4 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Price the last five deals by monthly volume.

    How to measure it

    Pricing page to demo

    Now
    –
    Target
    +25% relative
    By
    6 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pull deals

      Volume and price.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    2. 2

      Write examples

      Three sizes.

      Founder and CEO 2 hours

    3. 3

      Explain drivers

      Volume, channels, add-ons.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    4. 4

      Publish

      Under the plans.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    5. 5

      Tell the SDR

      Use in sequences.

      Sales Development Representative 15 minutes

    6. 6

      Measure

      Demo rate.

      Founder and CEO monthly

    First result
    4 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    One example for mid-market.

    Why it works

    Add three worked examples (a 5,000, 25,000 and 100,000 conversation-a-month team) with typical add-ons, and a short "what drives the price" explanation.

    It filters out poor fits and helps champions get budget before the AE's first call.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Anchors large deals low

      Label them as examples, not quotes.

    Evidence

    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
    • Competitor researchThird-party comparisons put Intercom Fin at about $0.99 per resolution plus seats, Sierra on quote-only outcome-based contracts and Decagon without public pricing.Source
  • 12

    The YouTube channel has five subscribers, and buyers want to see the product on their own helpdesk. A short screen recording does more in a cold email than a paragraph.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 3 weeks Sales Development Representat…

    First action

    Record the Zendesk video this week.

    How to measure it

    Reply rate with video

    Now
    –
    Target
    +30% relative
    By
    6 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Script

      Two minutes, one flow.

      Sales Development Representative 2 hours

    2. 2

      Record

      Four helpdesks.

      Founder and CEO 1 day

    3. 3

      Host

      YouTube and the site.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    4. 4

      Add to sequences

      By helpdesk.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    5. 5

      Track

      Views and replies.

      Sales Development Representative weekly

    6. 6

      Refresh

      When the UI changes.

      Sales Development Representative quarterly

    First result
    3 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Sales Development Representative

    Smallest test

    One video, 50 emails.

    Why it works

    Record one two-minute video for each supported helpdesk (Zendesk, Salesforce Service, Intercom, Freshdesk) showing agent assist and an AI resolution, and link them in sequences by the prospect's helpdesk.

    The SDR sends personal, short emails; a video matched to the prospect's system makes them easy to forward internally.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Customer data in recordings

      Use demo data only.

    Evidence

    • programmable.infoSite scan: 238 blog posts, 22 use-case pages, 13 comparison pages (Ada, Aisera, Decagon, Forethought, Intercom, Sierra, Zendesk AI and others), case studies for Dropbox, InvoiceCloud, Camp Systems, Larian Studios and Muni-Link, and a separate demo page for Iris Control. YouTube has 5 subscribers.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
  • 13

    IrisAgent has case studies with MY.GAMES and Larian Studios in games, and with InvoiceCloud and Muni-Link in billing and utilities. A prospect in the same vertical sees a peer, not a vendor.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 5 weeks Sales Development Representat…

    First action

    List 50 game studios and 50 billing providers with support teams.

    How to measure it

    Vertical meetings

    Now
    –
    Target
    12
    By
    end of quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Build lists

      Two verticals.

      Sales Development Representative 1 week

    2. 2

      Write sequences

      One per vertical with the case study.

      Sales Development Representative 1 day

    3. 3

      Send

      Instantly and LinkedIn.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    4. 4

      Call

      Heads of Support.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    5. 5

      Hand to AE

      With the vertical noted.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    6. 6

      Compare

      Against generic lists.

      Sales Development Representative monthly

    First result
    5 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Sales Development Representative

    Smallest test

    Twenty-five accounts per vertical.

    Why it works

    Build two vertical lists (game studios with live support teams; utility and municipal billing providers), write one sequence each built on the matching case study, and offer the AutoQA audit.

    Vertical proof lifts reply rates for a small team that cannot afford broad campaigns.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Small markets

      Measure early and drop the weaker vertical.

    Evidence

    • programmable.infoSite scan: 238 blog posts, 22 use-case pages, 13 comparison pages (Ada, Aisera, Decagon, Forethought, Intercom, Sierra, Zendesk AI and others), case studies for Dropbox, InvoiceCloud, Camp Systems, Larian Studios and Muni-Link, and a separate demo page for Iris Control. YouTube has 5 subscribers.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source
  • 14

    Dropbox's Head of Global Support calls IrisAgent "a true partnership". Support leaders talk to each other constantly and are the people the AE needs to meet.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 6 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Ask three customers for two introductions each.

    How to measure it

    Warm intros

    Now
    –
    Target
    15
    By
    end of quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Ask

      Three customers.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    2. 2

      Roundtable

      Quarterly, virtual.

      Founder and CEO 1 day

    3. 3

      Invite

      Customers bring peers.

      Account Executive 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Follow up

      AE within 48 hours.

      Account Executive ongoing

    5. 5

      Thank

      Donation or invitation.

      Founder and CEO ongoing

    6. 6

      Track

      Intros to meetings.

      Account Executive monthly

    First result
    6 weeks
    Cost
    Small donations
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    One customer, two intros.

    Why it works

    Ask the happiest customers for two introductions each, host a quarterly virtual roundtable for support leaders where customers share results, and thank referrers with a donation or event invitation.

    Warm intros are one of the AE's named pipeline sources, and peer roundtables create them without ad spend.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Asking too often

      Twice a year per customer.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteDropbox case study: 160,000 minutes of email handle time saved in H1 2025 and 2 minutes less per email, in production since September 2024, starting on Zendesk email. Maria McSweeney, Head of Global Support: "Working with IrisAgent feels like a true partnership."Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
  • 15

    Helpdesk admins own setup and run most AI rollouts, and IrisAgent works beside those helpdesks. Practical help on tagging, routing and macros builds trust before a buying decision.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 6 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Pick the first topic: automated ticket tagging.

    How to measure it

    Free sign-ups from office hours

    Now
    –
    Target
    20 a month
    By
    end of quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick topics

      Six months.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour

    2. 2

      Promote

      Admin communities and LinkedIn.

      Sales Development Representative 1 week

    3. 3

      Run

      Forty-five minutes, live.

      Founder and CEO 1 hour a month

    4. 4

      Record

      Post to YouTube.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    5. 5

      Follow up

      Free plan invite.

      Sales Development Representative 1 day

    6. 6

      Measure

      Sign-ups and meetings.

      Sales Development Representative monthly

    First result
    6 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    One session.

    Why it works

    Host a monthly live office hour for helpdesk admins on one topic (automatic tagging, routing rules, QA scoring), record it, and invite attendees to the free plan.

    It reaches the people who will implement and recommend IrisAgent, and fills the YouTube channel with useful content.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Low turnout

      Partner with an admin community.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
    • programmable.infoSite scan: 238 blog posts, 22 use-case pages, 13 comparison pages (Ada, Aisera, Decagon, Forethought, Intercom, Sierra, Zendesk AI and others), case studies for Dropbox, InvoiceCloud, Camp Systems, Larian Studios and Muni-Link, and a separate demo page for Iris Control. YouTube has 5 subscribers.Source

Big bets 3

Larger plays that can change the trajectory.

  • 16

    The Free plan puts IrisGPT and AI Search on customer sites, and Standard starts at $500 a month. Today the upgrade depends on a sales conversation a small team cannot always have.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 1 quarter Founder and CEO

    First action

    Measure how many free accounts would hit a usage milestone today.

    How to measure it

    Free to Standard self-serve

    Now
    –
    Target
    5% of active free accounts
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Measure usage

      Free accounts by activity.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    2. 2

      Pick milestones

      Value moments.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    3. 3

      Build upgrade

      Card checkout for Standard.

      Founder and CEO 1 month

    4. 4

      Agent assist trial

      In-app, 14 days.

      Founder and CEO 1 month

    5. 5

      Emails

      Milestone messages.

      Sales Development Representative 1 week

    6. 6

      Measure

      Upgrades monthly.

      Founder and CEO monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    About a month of engineering
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    A manual upgrade link emailed at a milestone.

    Why it works

    Add usage milestones in the product (answers served, deflected tickets), a self-serve upgrade to Standard with card payment, and an in-app trial of agent assist on real tickets.

    It lets the product sell the smaller accounts so the AE can focus on mid-market and enterprise.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Cannibalizes sales-led deals

      Self-serve only below a size threshold.

    Builds on

    Evidence

    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
  • 17

    Intercom Fin sells at about $0.99 per resolution and buyers increasingly compare on cost per outcome. IrisAgent's Standard plan is usage-based but not tied to resolutions.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 1 quarter Founder and CEO

    First action

    Model margin per resolution across current customers.

    How to measure it

    New deals on per-resolution pricing

    Now
    –
    Target
    30%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Model margins

      Per customer.

      Founder and CEO 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Define a resolution

      Auditable via AutoQA.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    3. 3

      Set the price

      With volume tiers.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    4. 4

      Offer in deals

      As an option.

      Account Executive ongoing

    5. 5

      Publish

      On pricing.

      Founder and CEO 1 day

    6. 6

      Review

      Margin and win rate.

      Founder and CEO monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Margin risk on high-volume accounts
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    Offer it in two live deals.

    Why it works

    Offer an option of a platform fee plus a per-resolution price for AI agents, with AutoQA as the auditable record of what counted as a resolution.

    It answers the cost-per-outcome question directly and uses IrisAgent's QA scoring as a trust advantage.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Revenue becomes volatile

      Keep a platform minimum.

    Evidence

    • Competitor researchThird-party comparisons put Intercom Fin at about $0.99 per resolution plus seats, Sierra on quote-only outcome-based contracts and Decagon without public pricing.Source
    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
  • 18

    IrisAgent lists SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI DSS and offers private, self-hosted AI on Enterprise. Banks, insurers and healthcare companies often cannot send tickets to a shared cloud model.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 2 quarters Founder and CEO

    First action

    Document the self-hosted architecture and setup time.

    How to measure it

    Regulated-industry opportunities

    Now
    –
    Target
    6
    By
    3 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Architecture

      Documented and reviewed.

      Founder and CEO 1 month

    2. 2

      Compliance pack

      BAA, DPA, audit logs.

      Founder and CEO 1 month

    3. 3

      Target list

      Fintech, insurance, health.

      Sales Development Representative 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Sequence

      Security-first message.

      Sales Development Representative 1 week

    5. 5

      Pilots

      In customer cloud.

      Account Executive ongoing

    6. 6

      Review

      Pipeline and cost to deploy.

      Founder and CEO monthly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Deployment support time
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    One regulated pilot.

    Build the prospect list. The list compiled from public sources, verified, deduplicated and delivered to your CRM. Usually live within days.

    Book a working session

    Why it works

    Package a regulated offer (self-hosted deployment, data residency, audit logs, BAA) with a reference architecture, and target support leaders in fintech, insurance and health tech.

    Few AI agent vendors offer self-hosting, so it is a reason to choose IrisAgent that does not depend on price.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Self-hosted deployments strain a small team

      Limit to a few accounts with paid setup.

    Evidence

    • programmable.infoThe headline changed from "Human-like AI Agents for customer service" to the grounded-AI positioning. The domain's DMARC policy is "none", and the company lists SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI DSS plus a private, self-hosted option on Enterprise.Source
    • Your websitePricing: Free $0 with the IrisGPT chatbot and an AI Search widget that shows a "Powered by IrisAgent" badge; Standard from $500 a month, usage-based; Enterprise custom. Add-ons are unpriced; setup takes about 24 hours; cancel anytime.Source
    • HiringAccount Executive: full-cycle new-logo sales to mid-market and enterprise, building their own pipeline through "outbound, warm intros, and partners", then discovery, demos, pilots and close, working directly with the CEO. Buyers are VPs or Heads of Support and CX Ops, plus engineering leaders for Iris Control, an LLM control plane. "This is a hunter role, not an inbound farming seat." The company says it is "a small team with founder-led GTM" after a $4.1M seed led by Neotribe Ventures.Source

Wildcards 3

Unexpected experiments, each with a cheap way to test it.

  • 19

    IrisAgent leads with 95%+ grounded accuracy. Buyers worried about hallucinations have no shared way to compare vendors.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Founder and CEO

    First action

    Build 200 questions with known answers from a sample knowledge base.

    How to measure it

    Deals using the test

    Now
    –
    Target
    10
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Build the set

      200 questions, known answers.

      Founder and CEO 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Define scoring

      Grounded, ungrounded, refused.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    3. 3

      Run

      IrisAgent and accessible agents.

      Founder and CEO 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Publish

      Method and results.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    5. 5

      Use in pilots

      Buyers rerun it.

      Account Executive ongoing

    6. 6

      Update

      Twice a year.

      Founder and CEO semiannual

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Compute and time
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    Publish IrisAgent's own result and the method.

    Why it works

    Publish a test set of support questions against a sample knowledge base, run IrisAgent and publicly available agents where terms allow, and release the method so buyers can rerun it in their pilots.

    It makes IrisAgent's central claim checkable and gives the AE a tool to use in every competitive deal.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Testing competitors breaches terms

      Only test where terms allow; otherwise publish the method alone.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • Competitor researchThird-party comparisons put Intercom Fin at about $0.99 per resolution plus seats, Sierra on quote-only outcome-based contracts and Decagon without public pricing.Source
  • 20

    AutoQA scores 100% of conversations for customers. In aggregate that shows how support quality varies by channel, time of day and topic.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Founder and CEO

    First action

    Ask three customers for consent to include their anonymized scores.

    How to measure it

    Meetings citing the report

    Now
    –
    Target
    10
    By
    launch quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Consent

      Customer opt-in.

      Founder and CEO 1 month

    2. 2

      Aggregate

      Anonymized, minimum group sizes.

      Founder and CEO 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Write

      Ten pages.

      Founder and CEO 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Launch

      Webinar and LinkedIn.

      Founder and CEO 1 week

    5. 5

      Outbound

      One chart per sequence.

      Sales Development Representative ongoing

    6. 6

      Repeat

      Yearly.

      Founder and CEO yearly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    $1,000 for design
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    One chart as a LinkedIn post.

    Why it works

    Publish an annual report from aggregated, anonymized QA scores, with customer consent, and use it in outbound and at events.

    Original data earns coverage and gives cold outreach a reason to be read.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Customer data privacy

      Aggregate only, with consent and a DPA.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • programmable.infoSite scan: 238 blog posts, 22 use-case pages, 13 comparison pages (Ada, Aisera, Decagon, Forethought, Intercom, Sierra, Zendesk AI and others), case studies for Dropbox, InvoiceCloud, Camp Systems, Larian Studios and Muni-Link, and a separate demo page for Iris Control. YouTube has 5 subscribers.Source
  • 21

    IrisAgent lists an AI Sales Agent among its products. A small team cannot answer every visitor; its own agent can, and is a live demo at the same time.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Founder and CEO

    First action

    Load the top 30 visitor questions and pricing answers.

    How to measure it

    Meetings booked by the agent

    Now
    –
    Target
    15 a month
    By
    8 weeks

    Steps

    1. 1

      Configure

      Top questions and answers.

      Founder and CEO 2 days

    2. 2

      Connect calendars

      SDR booking.

      Sales Development Representative 1 hour

    3. 3

      Launch

      Key pages first.

      Founder and CEO 1 day

    4. 4

      Review chats

      Weekly.

      Sales Development Representative weekly

    5. 5

      Expand

      Site-wide.

      Founder and CEO 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Measure

      Meetings and quality.

      Sales Development Representative monthly

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Founder and CEO

    Smallest test

    Pricing page only.

    Why it works

    Deploy the AI Sales Agent on pricing, comparison and case-study pages to answer questions, qualify, and book meetings into the SDR's calendar.

    It lifts website conversion without headcount and turns the site into proof.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • A visible error on its own site

      Human review of chats in the first month.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage: "Grounded AI that resolves, assists, and scores every customer support conversation", an AI support platform "that sits beside the helpdesk you already run". Claims 95%+ grounded accuracy, 100% of conversations scored by AutoQA and most teams live within 24 hours; Tekion resolves 50% of support chats; logos include Tekion, Dropbox, Zuora, InvoiceCloud, MY.GAMES, Choreograph and XTM.Source
    • HiringSales Development Representative: build lists in Apollo and Clay, run sequences in Instantly ("sound like a person, not a template"), cold calls and LinkedIn, and book meetings "for the AE and founder", with "a clear path to AE".Source

03

How Programmable can help

Where an idea in this playbook is something Programmable builds or runs, it's listed here with what we'd do. Everything else is yours to run.

Have it built

ProgrammableAgency

3 of the 21 ideas are things Programmable builds and runs for its customers: pages, outreach, prospect lists, booking flows and monitors. Pick one, or send the whole list.

Outreach1The sequence sent for you: addresses found and verified, replies routed to your CRM.

Prospect lists2The list compiled from public sources, verified, deduplicated and delivered to your CRM.

A 30-minute session with the engineer who would build it, not a sales call. You leave with a plan whether or not you hire us.

Book a working session

Usually live within days.

Tools for the rest

ProgrammableInfo

Turn the research into a list you can act on

These ideas start with finding the right companies. Info finds them and the right person at each, researches every one and drafts the outreach, then asks before it sends.

  • Build this list in Info for idea #8 (opens programmable.info in a new tab)

New accounts: 100,000 free credits with code BETA100K

Find the companies (opens programmable.info in a new tab)
ProgrammableDigital

Show it, don't just describe it

These ideas need something to show: a demo, a video, an animation, graphics or a deck. Digital turns screenshots or the site into all of them, in the company's own brand.

Make a demo (opens programmable.digital in a new tab)
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  • Melody Ehsani growth strategyAn LA women-owned sport lifestyle brand (est. 2007) selling jewelry, custom name pieces, apparel and accessories online and from its…20 growth ideas
  • OnePay growth strategyA consumer fintech app backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital: banking through partner banks, savings, a Builder Card, the CashRewards…21 growth ideas
  • Canopy growth strategyAll-in-one practice management software for accounting and tax firms: CRM, client portal, documents and e-signatures, workflow, time and…20 growth ideas
  • Twin Health growth strategyAn AI digital twin and clinical care team that help people improve or reverse type 2 diabetes, obesity and prediabetes, with sensors (CGM…21 growth ideas
  • Jarmin growth strategySells AI employees for human-level roles: ML engineer, financial analyst, account executive, compliance analyst and paralegal, plus custom…23 growth ideas
  • Nike growth strategyThe world's largest athletic footwear and apparel company, selling through Nike Direct (nike.com, the Nike app, SNKRS and Nike stores) and…21 growth ideas

See every playbook and website review

Independent research. Programmable wrote this playbook from public sources, as they stood on October 18, 2026, and cites them throughout. IrisAgent did not commission, review or endorse it, and Programmable is not affiliated with IrisAgent. Company and product names are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify them. The ideas are suggestions and opinion, not professional, legal or financial advice, and not statements about how IrisAgent runs its business.

Something wrong, or do you represent IrisAgent? Email [email protected] and we will correct it or take it down.

30/60/90 roadmap

What to focus on in each month, and the ideas that carry it.

  1. Days 1 to 308 ideas

    Forethought accounts, free-plan calls, DMARC, the proof sheet, the handoff kit and marketplace listings, plus the parallel pilot and Iris Control track.

    Programmable can ship 2 of these in days.

  2. Days 31 to 608 ideas

    Partners, the AutoQA audit, price examples, demo videos, vertical lists, referrals and office hours, plus the site sales agent.

  3. Days 61 to 905 ideas

    The grounding test and quality report, then commit to self-serve upgrades, outcome pricing and the regulated offer.

The research behind the plan

3 research areas, each summarised in a few lines. Open any of them for the full detail.

Customers

What customers say

Customers value fast setup on the existing helpdesk. The most cited problem: inaccurate or ungrounded AI answers.

  • Measured handle-time savings (Dropbox)
  • Manual QA of a small sample
  • In their words: “grounded”

Market

Competitive landscape

5 competitors compared: Zendesk AI (with Forethought), Intercom Fin, Sierra, Decagon and 1 more.

  • Gap to exploit: Side-by-side pilots on live traffic
  • Zendesk AI (with Forethought): Best inside Zendesk only
  • Intercom Fin: Tied to Intercom

Hiring signals

IrisAgent's only open roles are its first hunting Account Executive and a Sales Development Representative, joining a "small team with founder-led GTM".

  • Account Executive: First hunter taking sales off the founder: outbound, warm intros, partners, pilots, outcome selling. Ideas 1, 5, 7, 9, 10.
  • Sales Development Representative: Outbound in Apollo, Clay and Instantly to support leaders and engineering leaders. Ideas 2, 3, 8, 12, 13.

From the team that wrote this playbook

All products
  • ProgrammableAgencyWorking AI systems in days, not quarters (opens programmable.agency in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableInfoAn agent that finds, researches and asks first (opens programmable.info in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableDigitalScreenshots in, an animated product demo out (opens programmable.digital in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableWatchKnow the day a supplier falls out of compliance (opens programmable.watch in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableTalkGet registrants for your events, and know who’s coming (opens programmable.talk in a new tab)
  • ProgrammablePageText what you need, your customer gets a page that works (opens programmable.page in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableCommunityForums with labelled AI members, never empty (opens programmable.community in a new tab)
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