A tech founder reconsiders lean teams in the AI era

Yasser Elsaid, founder of customer-service AI startup Chatbase, is challenging the trend of lean teams in the AI era by planning to double his company's workforce. Elsaid, who previously advocated for smaller teams, now calls his earlier approach 'pretty wrong.' He argues that while AI has made coding easier, it hasn't replaced the need for human judgment in product development. Elsaid's company, which currently employs 40 people, plans to hire more as it shifts focus to more complex projects. He emphasized that the best AI models still require human guidance to ensure they meet customer needs. The broader tech industry is moving toward AI-powered lean teams, with companies like Block and Coinbase reducing staff and testing smaller teams. However, Elsaid believes that models are not yet independent enough to replace humans entirely. He highlighted that about 90% of Chatbase engineers' work involves product research and customer interaction, underscoring the continued need for human involvement in the AI development process.