AI Before Headcount — Spencer Dusebout, Founder of Aidium | Ep36

In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I sit down with Spencer Dusebout, founder and CEO of Aidium, to break down the internal playbook behind one of the most AI-forward companies I’ve talked to.

At Aidium, AI isn’t just a feature — it’s a rule: no department gets headcount until they’ve implemented AI. From support to QA, engineering to GTM, every team builds with tools like Cursor, ChatGPT, and Figma AI to move faster and operate lean.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
→ Support volume grew 2x — without adding reps, thanks to in-app AI
→ Engineers use Cursor + GPT to write unit tests and accelerate dev cycles
→ Figma AI and prototype prompting cut design feedback loops from weeks to hours
→ QA runs on AI test coverage — no more manual bottlenecks
→ Strategic planning, internal research, and outbound are all AI-augmented

SOUND BITES
→ "We don’t hire until we’ve implemented AI. That’s the policy."
→ "AI isn’t just writing code — it’s rewriting how we operate."
→ "Design cycles used to take two weeks. Now it happens in one meeting."
→ "We’re using AI to build faster. But we’re also using it to think faster."

This is one of the most actionable founder stories on running an AI-first company from the inside out. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.