The CRM Nobody Likes, and the $47M Bet That Agents Will Fix It

a16z just announced it is leading a $47M Series A in Lightfield, a startup pitching a CRM that builds itself from your emails and calls, sends agents to do the busywork, and aspires to be a 'business world model.' Daniel and Emily argue about whether this is a genuine break in enterprise software — and what it does to an ordinary salesperson's job. ## Hosts ### Daniel Altman Daniel Altman is a computer scientist and AI strategist with a background in engineering, quantitative research, and emerging technologies. He studies how technological breakthroughs reshape industries, markets, work, and human capabilities. ### Emily Carter Emily Carter is a business strategist and former technology product leader with experience building digital products and studying how innovation reaches millions of users. She focuses on AI adoption, business transformation, work, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership. ## Sources - https://www.a16z.news/p/investing-in-lightfield ## Episode Information Language: en Published: 2026-09-09T20:08:10.680052+00:00