Jesse Zhang didn’t want to build just another AI product—he wanted to create software that delivered real, tangible value for companies. As a second-time founder, he and his co-founder Ashwin Sreenivas surveyed dozens of startups before landing on an AI-powered customer service solution that businesses not only needed but were willing to pay for. Their company, Decagon, was born in August 2023.
Fast forward a year, and Decagon’s AI-powered customer service platform is now used by companies like Notion, Duolingo, Rippling, Bilt, and Substack. Its AI agents can handle customer queries, issue refunds, cancel subscriptions, dispute transactions, and even replace credit cards—all without human intervention. But getting enterprise adoption wasn’t easy. Many of Decagon’s clients conducted bake-offs, testing Decagon’s AI against incumbents like Salesforce. Each time, Decagon’s AI chatbots won, proving their ability to resolve customer issues with higher accuracy and efficiency.
Many chatbots struggle with handling multi-step inquiries, often eroding customer trust. A February 2023 study found that nearly 75% of respondents believed chatbots failed to handle complex questions and frequently provided inaccurate answers. Similarly, a December 2022 study revealed that over 80% of applicants found chatbots increased their frustration levels, while 63% reported their inquiries remained unresolved. Beyond customer dissatisfaction, enterprises have been hesitant to adopt AI-driven customer experience solutions due to their “black box” nature, which offers little visibility or control over decision-making. Recognizing this challenge, Decagon’s founders, Jesse Zhang and Ashwin Sreenivas, aimed to build an AI agent that balances intelligence, transparency, and enterprise control.
