AI SDR vs. Human SDR: One Founder's 90-Day Controlled Test

This week's guest reached $1.4M ARR with two human SDRs before running a controlled 90-day AI versus human outbound test on identical lists — and the results reframed the entire cost argument once show rates entered the equation. This is the Wednesday episode for Week 23 of 2026. - Why AI-booked meetings show at 40-60% versus 70-85% for human-booked meetings, and how that single gap inverts the cost-per-meeting math in B2B SaaS outbound - The SQL conversion rate spread — 15-20% for AI versus 25% for humans — that compounds the show rate problem and inflates true cost per qualified opportunity - How the hybrid fix created three operational failures: CRM data decay, a burned warm domain, and no handoff rule between AI and human reps - The three conditions required before building hybrid infrastructure across the $200K to $5M ARR growth window, and the one weekly metric that signals system degradation Derek Simmons and Elena Reyes, ARR Autopsy — covering acquisition, pipeline math, and B2B SaaS revenue decisions that hold up when someone finally checks the numbers.