How Zapier Got 89% of Its Org Using AI

⏱️ Your Morning Brief (TL;DR)

Welcome back!

Most companies talk about AI.

Zapier built it into their operating system

The low-code/no-code automation platform, didn’t just roll out AI, they rewired their org around it. From a curiosity in Slack threads to an 89% daily usage rate across every team, their journey is the clearest operating playbook we’ve seen yet.

In today’s brief

• What it takes to get org-wide AI adoption (hint: it’s not more pilots)

• The 5 phases of building an AI-powered companies

• 5 Internal Links from Zapier and other AI adoption reads

Let’s dive in 🤖

 💡 This Week’s Deep Dive

Today, we look at how internal adoption went from 65% to 89% in under 3 years. This isn’t a simple turnaround like most leaders want, it’s persistent culture building. Zapier’s AI evolution happened in 5 distinct, repeatable phases:

🥇 Zapiers 5-Phase AI Adoption Playbook

1. Curiosity → Spark
   It started like most breakthroughs do: side projects, group chats, and weekend experiments. GPT-3 wrappers, AI gift ideas, and toe pain diagnostics. No structure, just curiosity.
   
   🔑 Key move: Encourage play before policy.
   

2. Code Red → Urgency
   When GPT-4 was released, Zapier called a “Code Red”, an internal memo on competing in an AI-first world. Status quo was the only losing bet. Zapier CEO Wade Foster didn’t sugarcoat it. AI was going to change everything for the company.
   
   🔑 Key move: Don’t announce. Catalyze.
   

3. Foundations → Infrastructure & Trust
   Zapier paused work for a full-company AI Hackathon. Legal built AI guardrails. Procurement fast-tracked tooling. They launched an enablement hub, backed by Looms, internal champions, and build-first sessions.
   
   🔑 Key move: Appoint AI enables, not AI owners. Embrac

4. Habits → Everyday Workflows
   Teams across the company built their own solutions using AI. Customer Support used it to slash handle times. People Ops used it for onboarding and pulse surveys. Other teams built internal automations using AI + Zapier itself.
   
   🔑 Key move: Replace one manual task a week with AI
   

5. Reinvention → New Capabilities
   AI isn’t helping Zapier just operate faster, it’s helping them work differently. The organization is rebuilding entire workflows, seeing more output from teams while slowing hiring. Teams are shipping things they never could before.

GPTLDR Takeaways

Zapier didn’t train and move on. They trained, hacked, demoed, failed, and built again. The secret wasn’t a one-time initiative. It was repetition.

• Run regular hackathons: Zapier calls it the single highest-leverage action to build AI into your culture.

• Be willing to disrupt yourself. What got you here, won’t get you there. Especially at the clip that AI is progressing. Be open to rethinking workflows, processes, and products for an AI-first world.

• Designate internal champions: Identify leaders to drive AI initiatives, build momentum, and showcase early wins.

• Establish clear guardrails: Develop comprehensive guidelines with legal, privacy, and security teams.

• Track adoption: If it’s not measured, it’s not real. Build toward daily usage.

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💭 AI Thoughts

📚 Interesting Reads

• Zapier’s Code Red Memo (Link)

• Watch: Zapier’s Code Red AMA (Link)

• Zapier’s Hack Week Reference Guide (Link)

• The learning organization: How to accelerate AI adoption (Link)

• Canva: The importance of AI literacy (Link)

 ➜ Until Next Week

AI adoption requires a shift in company culture. A shift in how your company things, works, hires, and builds. Zapier’s story shows that building an AI-powered company doesn’t start with a roadmap. It starts with urgency, trust, and the willingness to learn through messiness.

Stay curious,
The GPTLDR Team