This article distills the most practical insights from their journey — the frameworks, safeguards, and operating principles that transformed AI from experimentation into everyday impact. It also serves as a guide for teams looking to meaningfully leverage AI but unsure where to begin.
Why AI agents?
Lightspeed began by recognising a simple truth: GTM teams were stretched thin. They needed a way to move faster, scale intelligently, and free humans to focus on high-value work. AI agents became the lever.
Stage-gated rollout: crawl, walk, run
Rather than scaling prematurely, Lightspeed built discipline into the rollout. Their staged model helped them learn safely, build trust, and refine continuously.
Crawl:
- Start with small batches so issues can be spotted early without risk
- Human approval of every output
- Early discovery of failure modes
Walk:
- Gradual volume increases
- Prompt/tool refinements
- Clear cross-functional alignment
Run:
- Automation only after stable quality
- Ongoing monitoring
- Reusable components for new agents
Cross-functional AI pod
Lightspeed formed an AI Marketing Pod pulling expertise from every part of the GTM and technical organisation. This ensured agents reflected real processes and passed all internal requirements.
The pod included: Sales SMEs, Growth & Marketing, Content & Brand, Marketing Automation, Security, Legal, and Data/Systems.
Codifying expert knowledge
Agents don’t work if they’re generic. Lightspeed embedded deep internal expertise to ensure every agent mirrored how top performers actually operate.
- Interviewed high-performing reps
- Mapped current to future-state workflows
- Co-designed the ideal agent with sales, brand, legal, and security
- Used this as the “source of truth” for the build
Security as a design principle
From day one, safety was treated as part of the build—not a final checkpoint. This is what built company-wide trust.
Metrics that matter
Lightspeed blended performance marketing metrics with new labour productivity and agent performance metrics to capture the full value.
What worked
Across both interviews, a few truths stood out:
- Prioritise — limited bandwidth means focus matters
Alex the AI BDR
Researches prospects, crafts outreach, handles replies, and hands over to reps seamlessly — embedded in a complex global sales stack.
Now, Lightspeed is extracting reusable modules (like research components) to accelerate new agents across GTM, SEO, CRO and paid media.
What’s next
With Alex proven, Lightspeed is expanding the AI Workforce across multiple functions.
Miles describes the future as ambient agents—working invisibly behind the scenes to empower humans.
Advice for teams getting started
Remi and Miles’ guidance is simple:
- Start with one high-value use case
- Build trust through controlled rollout
- Bring in experts early (sales, brand, legal, security)
- Document fail cases
- Blend domain expertise with agent autonomy