Clay CEO Kareem Amin joins AI First to discuss how Clay evolved from a no-code productivity platform into one of the fastest-growing AI-powered go-to-market companies. He shares the origin of the go-to-market engineer role, how AI transformed sales and customer intelligence workflows, and why Clay was uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rise of large language models.

The conversation explores the future of SaaS in an AI-driven world, including the growing build-versus-buy debate, the impact of AI on software development, and why proprietary data, customer insights, and network effects remain critical competitive advantages. Kareem also explains why AI has been overwhelmingly positive for Clay’s business and how AI enables teams to turn unstructured data into actionable growth opportunities.

The discussion concludes with a thoughtful debate on AI leadership. While Kareem embraces AI throughout Clay’s products and operations, he takes a more measured approach to using AI for executive decision-making, arguing that CEOs must remain close to customers, employees, and strategic context. The episode offers valuable insights for executives navigating AI adoption, organizational design, and the future of growth.