$1.5B AI Founder: This Is Your Golden Age to Build With AI — Silicon Valley Girl Podcast

Jesse Zhang September 12, 2025 26 MIN
Jesse Zhang, Co-founder, Decagon, interviewed by Marina Mogilko on the Silicon Valley Girl Podcast

About the Guest

Jesse Zhang
Co-founder, Decagon

Jesse Zhang is the co-founder of Decagon, a Silicon Valley-based AI startup valued at $1.5 billion that specializes in building AI agents for enterprise customer support and business automation. He is recognized as one of the fastest-growing founders in the current AI wave, with Decagon serving major companies looking to scale operations through intelligent automation. Jesse is also an active voice on the future of work, entrepreneurship, and the practical application of AI in business.

In this episode of the Silicon Valley Girl Podcast, Marina Mogilko interviews Jesse Zhang, Co-founder, Decagon. Jesse Zhang, co-founder of the $1.5B AI startup Decagon, joins Marina Mogilko to discuss how AI agents are reshaping the future of work, including which jobs are most at risk and which new roles are emerging. They explore the skills needed to stay competitive, the best tools for building AI agents, and how companies are automating workflows today. Jesse also shares his founder journey and advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs looking to build in the AI space.

Key Takeaways

  • AI agents are already automating customer support and other entry-level roles, with Decagon's platform valued at $1.5B built around this shift.
  • Entry-level jobs are most at risk of displacement — roles that involve repetitive, process-driven tasks are being absorbed by AI agents first.
  • Non-technical founders can still build billion-dollar AI startups, but understanding how AI tools work gives a meaningful competitive advantage.
  • Jesse recommends new graduates gain real-world work experience before launching a startup, as domain expertise sharpens the ability to spot genuine problems worth solving.
  • The best startup ideas come from identifying painful, specific inefficiencies you've personally experienced — B2B opportunities in AI are especially strong right now due to clear ROI for buyers.
00:00 Intro 00:57 Is AI taking our jobs? 05:11 One tool that can transform your business 06:49 The future of entry-level work 08:05 Top 3 apps for building AI agents 10:35 How companies automate with AI 11:51 Can non-tech founders build billion-dollar startups? 13:19 College grads: work or launch your own thing? 15:15 Jobs most at risk of extinction 18:18 Skills you need to land a great job 20:20 How to spot the right startup idea 21:36 Should you start in B2B or B2C? 22:12 Advice for future AI founders 25:28 Final takeaways

Transcript not available for this episode.