Merge's Unified API Bet in the AI Era | E2033

Alex is joined by Shensi Ding from Merge to discuss her transition from finance to tech, focusing on the critical role of integrations in today's business landscape. They explore the challenges of building and maintaining integrations, identifying market gaps, and the advantages of standardized data models. The conversation delves into partnership building, particularly with Salesforce, and overcoming resistance. They also discuss enhancing integration observability, customer support, and expanding Merge's integration list alongside AI applications. The episode concludes with insights on financial efficiency, growth strategies, pricing, and Merge's future plans beyond its API focus.

Speakers

AI Chat

Alex Wilhelm

Host • 33%

Shensi Ding

Guest • 58%

Unidentified

Bianca Veltri

Host • 1%

Jason Calacanis

Host • 7%

Partners

Chapters

0:00	Alex kicks off the show with guest Shensi Ding of Merge.
5:18	Shensi's journey from finance to tech and the importance of integrations
10:20	The challenges of building and maintaining integrations
11:19	Coda. Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at [https://www.Coda.io/twist](https://coda.io/twist)
13:17	Identifying the market gap for Merge and the benefits of standardized data models
17:39	Partnership building, Salesforce integration, and overcoming resistance
20:07	OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at [https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠](https://www.openphone.com/twist%E2%81%A0)
21:16	Further discussion on trust-building and integration challenges
26:04	Enhancing integration observability and customer support
30:01	Micro1 - Visit https://www.micro1.ai/twist to get 10 free AI Interviews and 2 weeks free per hire
31:21	Expanding Merge's integration list and its AI applications
35:27	Discussing financial efficiency, runway management, and team dynamics
43:16	Growth strategies, customer base expansion, and go-to-market experiments
47:10	Pricing strategies, customer value, and market trends
50:05	Future plans for Merge, acquisition interest, and long-term vision
52:26	Evolution of Merge beyond API focus.

Transcript

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