S2E9: The BPO Boss: Humans Are Going Premium | Bryce Maddock (TaskUs)

We sit with Bryce Maddock, CEO of TaskUs, a $1B+ revenue BPO managing 60,000 employees across 13 countries. In this brutally honest conversation, Maddock exposes the gap between AI automation claims and reality, revealing how companies publicly boast "80% automation" while privately maintaining the same headcount. He shares TaskUs's controversial strategy of intentionally losing money—cutting prices from $2 to $1 per contact—to accelerate AI deployment and transition from hourly billing to outcome-based pricing. Maddock doesn't sugarcoat the future: "I don't know that all 60,000 are going to make it through the journey. Anyone who says differently isn't being truthful." He explains how AI is creating unexpected challenges, like angry customers escalating to humans after AI failures, and reveals the board-level pressure driving rushed AI decisions based on misleading headlines. From his bold prediction that he'll either "look like a genius or complete fool" to his insights on how humans become "premium features," this episode delivers unprecedented transparency about leading through the AI revolution.