58: What we can learn from the first industry AI took over, with Paul Adams CPO of Fin (Intercom)

Days after ChatGPT launched, Intercom called it an “iPhone moment" and bet a $300 million ARR business that AI was the future of customer service. On this episode of Onward, Ben talks with Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer of Fin (formerly Intercom), about the pivot to AI customer service: why the decision was easier than you might think, why the culture change was brutal, and how the bet ended up strengthening the legacy business instead of killing it. Since Fundrise runs its own investor relations program on Fin, the episode doubles as a customer interview. They get into AI's effect on knowledge work, the risk of letting an agent write to a database, Claude Code as "magic," and why Paul calls himself a "delusional optimist" about what comes next.

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For a deeper dive into these insights and more, be sure to listen to the full episode of the Onward podcast.

Have questions or feedback about this episode? Drop us a note at Onward@Fundrise.com.

Onward is hosted by Ben Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise. Podcast production by The Podcast Consultant. Music by Seaplane Armada.

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