Modern CTO The Top Scaling Lessons from Zapier's AI Transformation with Wade Foster, Co-Founder & CEO of Zapier
Feb 19, 2026
Wade Foster, co-founder and CEO of Zapier and host of Agents of Scale, led Zapier’s remote-first, profitable growth and now drives AI adoption. He recounts the GPT-4 code-red that sparked a company-wide hackathon. Conversation covers making every hire AI fluent, hybrid deterministic-plus-AI workflows, and how teams use hackathons and model mixes to transform operations.
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Culture Trumps Tech For AI Adoption
- Wade Foster sees culture as the main barrier to AI adoption, not technology.
- Companies must unlearn prior habits to operate effectively in the age of AI.
Use Hackathons To Drive AI Fluency
- Run company-wide hackathons so everyone—sales, marketing, finance—puts hands on keyboard with AI.
- Practical exposure reduces fear and reveals real use cases and limitations faster than passive learning.
Buy Software When Possible
- If software exists that solves your problem, buy it; avoid rebuilding what you can purchase.
- Build bespoke solutions mainly for gaps where no reliable software exists.