Our co-founders, Kraig Swensrud and Sean Whiteley, go way back. Their early days in enterprise software revealed a crucial missing step in the B2B marketing and sales process: marketers spent all their time and money driving buyers to the website, but no one was there to greet them when they arrived.

Learn how this inspired Qualified five years ago and how that vision has evolved in the Age of AI.

The early days of enterprise software and the Cloud Computing Era

Sean and Kraig's journey began around the year 2000, when they worked together in enterprise software. Recognizing the burgeoning potential of cloud computing, they made the leap, establishing a company focused on integrating Salesforce and Google. This was a time of significant change, as the traditional on-premise software delivery model gave way to the cloud.

The duo saw a massive opportunity in the growth of cloud ecosystems, particularly in the convergence of cloud computing with Google's expanding advertising platform, AdWords. Their strategic positioning led to their company's acquisition by Salesforce, marking a pivotal moment in their entrepreneurial journey.

The need for websites to become "selling machines"

Within Salesforce, Kraig assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer, which led directly to Qualified's founding by exposing them to the challenges that CMOs and marketing leaders face.

Salesforce was making huge strategic brand plays and sending everyone to their website. Still, one quarter, they missed their pipeline number, and Kraig didn't have an answer because he had no visibility into the website and what was happening with all the traffic landing there. They figured if Kraig was having this issue as the CMO of one of the biggest software companies in the world, every B2B marketing leader had to be craving a solution.

This experience, coupled with their earlier success, laid the foundation for their next venture. They identified a critical gap in B2B sales: the inability to effectively leverage websites for real-time engagement with potential customers.

This realization led to the birth of Qualified, founded transforming websites into "selling machines" and taking advantage of the concept we all know well now–Speed to Lead.

The power of conversations and the "magic moment"

The key to Qualified's approach is in the power of conversations. We believe that real-time conversations between buyers and sellers at the precise moment of interest are crucial for accelerating the sales process. Kraig and Sean envisioned a website that could facilitate these "magic moments" where a potential buyer, engaged with the company's online content (your best marketing asset!), could connect directly with a sales representative instead of filling out a form and waiting to hear back from someone.

The limitations of human SDRs and why the role is ripe for automation

While the concept of leveraging websites for real-time engagement was promising, the traditional reliance on human sales development representatives (SDRs) presented significant limitations.

Kraig and Sean recognized that human SDRs while capable, are often overwhelmed by the demands of their roles. The expectation for constant availability, deep product knowledge, rapid response times, and the ability to multitask proved challenging to sustain, particularly at scale.

The advent of AI, specifically large language models (LLMs), offered a solution to these challenges–allowing SDR teams to scale their inbound pipeline generation infinitely without increasing headcount or making even more work for human reps.

The introduction of Piper the SDR

Inspired by the capabilities of LLMs, Sean and Kraig embarked on a mission to develop an AI-powered SDR, leading to the creation of Piper. This innovative AI worker performs many tasks traditionally handled by human SDRs, but with efficiency and scalability that humans simply aren't capable of.

Piper can identify and segment website visitors, answer product-related questions, engage in real-time conversations, and even qualify leads and book meetings, all without needing time off or having to focus her attention on meetings or calls.

The role of humans in AI

While acknowledging AI's transformative power, Kraig and Sean emphasize the continued importance of human involvement in the sales process.

They envision a future where AI and humans work in tandem, with Piper acting as an extension of the existing sales team. This approach enhances overall efficiency and effectiveness by allowing AI to engage buyers and transition them to human sales reps when the time is right.

The leaders responsible for pipeline generation and related operations will likely oversee the implementation and management of Piper. This strategy ensures alignment with overall sales goals and strategies.

The future of B2B marketing and sales

Sean and Kraig's journey reflects the relentless pace of evolution in tech, from their early adoption of cloud computing to their current exploration of AI's potential in B2B sales.

Their story highlights the importance of identifying emerging trends, adapting to change, and embracing those innovations.

The development of Piper signals a new era in B2B sales, one driven by AI and focused on maximizing pipeline generation. As they continue on this path, one thing remains clear: they are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and believe they are working on the "most exciting software" they've ever built at the "most exciting time" imaginable.

Read more about Qualified's mission and Kraig's take on the state of the AI SDR here.