While AI can effectively replicate an executive's communication style or past decisions, it falls short in capturing their capacity for continuous learning and adaptation. A leader’s judgment evolves with new context, a dynamic process that current AI models struggle to keep pace with.
Zapier built an AI coach that analyzes meeting transcripts to provide feedback based on company values and frameworks. This automates cultural reinforcement, normalizes constructive criticism, and ensures leaders consistently model desired behaviors, scaling what is typically a manual process.
To make company strategy more accessible, Zapier used Google's NotebookLM to create a central AI 'companion.' It ingests all strategy docs, meeting transcripts, and plans, allowing any employee to ask questions and understand how their work connects to the bigger picture.
AI transforms the Executive Assistant role from tactical execution to strategic system design. By automating repetitive tasks, EAs can focus on higher-leverage activities like building AI agents, culture-reinforcement tools, and scalable feedback systems for the entire organization.
An Executive Assistant at Zapier built an AI agent that automates her weekly meeting prep. The agent researches external attendees, checks the CRM and internal comms for context, and delivers a digest and tasks. This saves hours of manual work and ensures thorough preparation.
Frame AI agent development like training an intern. Initially, they need clear instructions, access to tools, and your specific systems. They won't be perfect at first, but with iterative feedback and training ('progress over perfection'), they can evolve to handle complex tasks autonomously.
To scale the CEO's feedback, his EA created a custom GPT trained on his feedback style, strategy docs, and company norms. Team members use this 'CEO clone' to stress-test their proposals before official review, improving document quality and saving executive time.