What if your job today doesn’t exist in five years? Jesse Zhang , a 27-year-old co-founder of the $1.5B AI startup Decagon, believes we’re entering a golden age to build with AI. In this exclusive interview, he explains which jobs are at risk, the new roles emerging, and why non-technical people have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to jump in.
Key Takeaways
- AI is not just eliminating jobs—it’s creating new ones.
- Analytical thinking and communication skills are must-haves in the AI era.
- Entry-level jobs may shrink, but higher-skill roles will expand.
- The rise of “conversation architects” shows how customer service roles are evolving.
- Non-technical founders can build in AI now more than ever.
Meet Jesse Zhang: A $1.5B AI Visionary at Just 27
At just 27, Jesse Zhang is already co-founder of Decagon, a $1.5 billion AI company powering conversations for brands like Hertz, Duolingo, and Notion. In two short years, his startup has grown to nearly 200 employees.
His mission? To help corporations automate customer conversations with AI agents that can book hotel rooms, answer loyalty questions, and resolve support issues instantly.
As Jesse explains:
“It’s not about replacing people—it’s about making operations faster, smoother, and less intensive.”
Which Jobs Are Most at Risk in the AI Era?
When asked which jobs are most likely to disappear, Jesse didn’t hesitate.
“If the job is just writing marketing materials, those jobs are kind of hard to justify.”
That’s because AI is now extremely good at generating text, customer support replies, and repetitive content. Instead of eliminating humans completely, however, Jesse predicts these roles will evolve into higher-level oversight positions.
Think of it this way: AI does the repetitive work, humans guide the strategy.
How Companies Use AI Agents Today
Jesse sees three main types of organizations using AI:
- Growth-Mode Companies – They use AI to amplify their existing operations, scaling faster without ballooning headcount.
- Customer-First Companies – They focus on experience, using AI to give instant answers and build customer happiness.
- Cost-Saving Companies – They use AI to cut outsourcing and make processes leaner.
And yes, that sometimes means layoffs—especially at agencies handling repetitive tasks.
But Jesse pushes back on the “doom narrative”:
“It’s not that there’s no work left—it’s that the nature of work changes.”
The Rise of New Roles: “Conversation Architects”
One of the most fascinating parts of the interview is how Jesse describes the new jobs AI is creating.
At Decagon, many traditional customer support managers are evolving into AI architects or conversation designers.
Their role? Teaching AI systems how to behave, respond, and improve over time.
“A big part of Decagon is enabling those people. We created Decagon University to uplevel them into the AI age.”
This shift highlights a broader truth: AI isn’t erasing opportunities—it’s moving them up the value chain.
What Skills Do Employers Like Jesse Look For?
With Decagon hiring fast, Jesse shared the top skills he values most in candidates—especially those transitioning into AI roles.
- Analytical Thinking – The ability to break conversations into steps, troubleshoot logic, and refine AI performance.
- Strong Communication – Writing clear, unambiguous instructions for AI to follow.
“Someone who can think clearly and communicate well will be very effective in the AI age.”
Notice what’s missing? Traditional technical coding skills. While helpful, Jesse believes soft skills matter more than ever.
Advice for Students and Early-Career Builders
Jesse took a bold path—launching his first company right after college. His advice for today’s graduates:
- If you feel ready, go for it. Starting young means you’ll learn fast.
- If not, join a post–product-market-fit startup. That way, you’ll see what success looks like and learn how to scale.
He adds a key warning:
“Don’t just copy other founders’ playbooks. Figure out your own path based on your strengths.”
Do You Need to Be Technical to Build in AI?
This is one of the biggest myths Jesse wanted to bust.
“I don’t think you have to be technical, but it helps. Today, non-technical founders have more opportunity than ever.”
With tools like Lovable, Cursor, and ChatGPT, even non-coders can prototype and launch AI-powered products. The real barrier isn’t code—it’s whether you can spot a real problem and solve it for customers.
How Decagon Found Its Billion-Dollar Idea
So how did Jesse and his co-founder Ashwin land on conversational AI? By relentlessly talking to customers.
“The biggest reason startups fail is building something nobody wants. We spent months just talking to businesses, figuring out the ground truth.”
Their insight: customer support is a massive, repetitive cost center—and a perfect playground for AI.
And because they focused on large enterprises first, they could refine their product at scale before moving downstream.
Looking Ahead: The Next 5 Years of AI Work
Jesse predicts that “straight-output” jobs like copywriting and basic customer support will shrink. But he’s optimistic about what’s replacing them:
- AI Managers & Architects – guiding systems to deliver better results.
- Higher-Skill Customer Roles – handling complex, relationship-driven tasks.
- AI Research & Review – validating outputs and training better models.
For him, the real winners will be those who adapt quickly, stay curious, and lean into new tools.
Final Advice From a $1.5B Founder
Jesse closed the interview with a powerful message:
“Spend the first stage of your company building journey gathering as much signal as possible. Don’t build blindly—talk to customers, figure out what’s valuable, and move fast.”
In short: learn to sell, learn to communicate, and learn how to work with AI.
Conclusion
The AI revolution isn’t a threat—it’s an invitation. Whether you’re technical or not, the window is wide open to create, adapt, and grow.
And as Jesse Zhang reminds us, this truly is a golden age to build with AI.
What jobs are most at risk from AI according to Jesse Zhang ?
Jesse Zhang says roles focused on straight-output tasks like writing marketing materials or handling repetitive customer support queries are most at risk. However, these jobs are evolving into higher-value positions such as AI architects and conversation designers, where humans guide and refine AI systems rather than perform repetitive work themselves.