Our new workforce DNA: how Reejig rebuilt with AI

I'm nervous about sharing this. But since many of us feel the pain of doing more with less, I thought it's time to open up about what we've been doing at Reejig.

Last year was tough for us. Just like it was for many others. It prompted us to reevaluate everything. How we organize our team. How we plan our business. We've made a significant shift in our operating model. We integrated AI as a core part of our workforce DNA. This change is fundamental to our future. The early signs are promising. I'm eager to share openly. Hoping it might offer insights that are helpful.

Remarkably, we are saving $1.6 million a month. We're just a few months from reaching breakeven. A rare achievement in tech at our stage.

So let me set the scene.

Last year was a wake-up call. As CEO of Reejig, I watched the market we had built for simply not materialize. At the same time, I realized I had built the wrong workforce strategy. How embarrassing, considering this is my actual expertise. Despite doubling our headcount, everything got slower. Communication suffered immensely. Quality plummeted. It was insane. At one point, 80% of my team was on probation simultaneously. If you've ever seen a kids' soccer game where everyone runs to the ball, that was us. Being remote-first only magnified our alignment challenges.

We had added layers of management. They only delayed decisions on products and strategies that should have been straightforward. Repetitive tasks were being performed manually. Teams, especially in R&D and GTM, were duplicating efforts. Doing the same tasks over and over.

If I automate chaos, I just scale the chaos.

Amidst this turmoil, we had begun to use AI across our business. Not just in our product. The potential was enormous. It quickly became an obsession. This obsession peaked during a trip to Paris with a customer. Haunted by sleepless nights, a vivid image struck me. Somewhere out there, someone was building an AI-first version of Reejig. It was fast, innovative, highly profitable. Capable of disrupting the entire enterprise AI category and the pricing model. Making it difficult for us to win.

This realization was both terrifying and exciting. As founders, we made the tough call. Instead of being scared of the "AI-first competitor," we decided to actually become them. This meant going all in. Reinventing the business and how we think about our workforce strategy. We were at a stage where such dramatic change was still feasible. Looking at our peers, we knew they were far from making such a leap. It gave us a clear shot to gain the ultimate edge.

I know many of you are in similar positions. Making tough cuts and seeing up to 20% reductions across global companies. We empathize deeply with the challenges you're facing. There have been so many lessons from this experience. Many translate into corporate.

• Adopt Day Zero Thinking. What would you do if you were starting over again? Moving forward, I plan to apply this mindset quarterly. It's a powerful way to ensure alignment with core mission. Don't get bogged down by legacy thinking.
• Understand work at the task level. Coming from a skills background, I learned the hard way. Tasks are automated, not skills. Knowing exactly what tasks are being done is crucial. Not just the skills involved. This is essential for effective automation and AI.
• Bring the team together sooner and say thank you. Being remote-first presents unique challenges. Especially in how quickly everyone adapts to major changes. There was a sense that the handbrake was on. It slowed our momentum. In the future, I'd unite the team more effectively from the start. And thank them for believing in the vision. Even when the path was unclear.
• Ignore the peanut gallery. I spent too much time worrying about others' opinions. Voices said I was killing the company. Moving forward, I'll focus more on our path. Less on the noise.
• Challenge the bigger team myth. Society's obsession with the idea that a bigger team equals more success is complete nonsense. This mindset shift came through experience. It's reshaped how I view business success.
• Share lessons sooner. Sharing my journey has deepened relationships with other leaders. They often face similar challenges. This openness prepared them for more strategic discussions with their CEOs.

As always, when you build in public, there is a responsibility to share the journey. I am committed to keeping you all updated as we continue on our path. We build the way the world works.