Customer Experience at Scale: Building the Future of CX with AI

What happens when a frustrated operator decides to solve her own problem—and ends up building one of the most empathetic AI companies in the market?Lisa Popovici, Co-founder of Siena AI, joins First Builders to share how running multiple e-commerce brands led her to create a conversational AI platform that actually understands customer sentiment, not just scripted keywords.Before launching Siena, Lisa felt firsthand the pain of delivering great customer experience while protecting margins and sanity. Today, Siena has raised $10M+ from investors including Sierra Ventures, Partech, Aglaé Ventures (LVMH), and The Council Capital. Their AI agents handle high-emotion customer conversations at scale without losing the human touch.In this episode, Lisa shares:– How she went from DTC founder to AI entrepreneur before the 2023 AI boom– The hardest pitch she ever made—and the moment she knew she had to build Siena– Why “empathy at scale” isn’t a buzzword but a moat– Lessons on co-founder dynamics, hiring for early teams, and standing out in a competitive AI market– Why traditional customer support isn’t dead—but is being radically redefinedIt’s a masterclass in turning pain into product and building tech with a soul.Follow Lisa PopoviciLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapopoviciTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/lisapopoviciCompany: https://www.siena.cxMake sure you follow us on all our social channels below and watch full episodes on YouTube.Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episode drops in your inbox.Show NotesLisa’s journey from e-commerce founder to AI entrepreneurBuilding Siena AI before the mainstream AI waveDesigning AI agents that read emotional context, not just textCo-founder dynamics and staying aligned over years of buildingWhy empathy and defensibility are core to CX innovationLessons for founders hiring their first 10 employeesFOLLOW THE COUNCIL & FIRST BUILDERSNewsletterYouTube: @firstbuilderspodInstagram: @thecouncilcapitalTwitter/X: @first_builders_TikTok: @firstbuilderspodLinkedIn: The Council