The AI Tipping Point: Why I Bet My Company’s Future on Crescendo

This post is authored by Shervin Talieh, Founder and former CEO of PartnerHero, which was acquired by Crescendo. In this piece, Shervin reflects on the transformational role of AI in the BPO industry and why he chose to align PartnerHero’s future with Crescendo’s human + AI vision.

For the past 11 years, PartnerHero has been my life's work. We built something special – a BPO that genuinely put people first, delivering exceptional customer experiences for some incredible brands. It was a journey of relentless growth, overcoming countless hurdles, and fostering a culture I'm immensely proud of.

So, why did I sell it? Why did I choose to combine forces with Crescendo, a General Catalyst-backed AI startup? This isn't just a personal story; it's a reflection of a fundamental shift happening in our industry, a shift that every BPO founder needs to confront head-on.

The Inevitable AI Recalibration

Let's not mince words. The BPO sector is undergoing a permanent recalibration, and it's being driven by Artificial Intelligence. For too long, we've operated on a model that, while effective, has inherent limitations. Clients are no longer just asking for bodies; they're demanding better outcomes, higher quality, and, critically, better pricing. AI isn't just a buzzword; it's the technology that's enabling these demands to be met in ways traditional BPOs simply can't achieve alone.

I've watched the industry evolve, and I've seen the writing on the wall. Valuations for traditional BPO companies are already feeling the pressure, and this trend is only going to accelerate. Look at the public markets; the narrative is clear.

Here's a look at the five-year decline of two prominent players, Concentrix (CNXC) and TTEC (TTEC). The market is already pricing in the disruption.

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It’s not just a blip; it’s a systemic shift. The market is signaling that the old ways are becoming less valuable.

The False Promise of Partnership and Internal Builds

Many BPO founders I speak with are exploring their options. And rightly so. But some paths, while seemingly logical, are ultimately dead ends.

• Partnering with AI Vendors: The idea here is simple: "We'll integrate an AI solution from a third-party, and everyone wins." The reality is far more complex, and frankly, less equitable. When you partner, you're essentially commoditizing your core offering. The true value, the innovation, the intellectual property – it all resides with the AI vendor. They capture the lion's share of the benefit, while your BPO becomes a reseller or an implementation arm, losing control over the value chain and ultimately seeing your margins squeezed. You become reliant, not empowered. It’s a short-term patch, not a long-term solution.
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• Building AI Internally: This is the siren song for many tech-savvy founders. "We have smart people; we can build our own AI." I've seen countless companies try this, and almost universally, it fails. Why? Because building truly effective, scalable, and cutting-edge AI requires a very specific, deeply specialized skill set, massive investment, and a dedicated focus that's often at odds with the operational demands of running a BPO. It's not just about hiring a few data scientists; it's about deep learning expertise, natural language processing, machine learning ops, continuous iteration, and access to vast datasets. Most BPOs aren't structured, funded, or culturally aligned to become leading AI development houses. The opportunity cost, the time, and the resources diverted from your core business become astronomical, with little to show for it in the end.
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• Ignoring AI: This, of course, is the most perilous path. Clients are not just asking for AI; they are demanding it. They see the potential for transformative improvement in customer experience, efficiency, and cost reduction. If you're not offering an AI-powered solution, your competitors soon will be, and you'll find yourself increasingly sidelined. This isn't a trend you can wait out; it's a fundamental shift in client expectations and industry standards.

The Crescendo Approach: Humans + AI, Together

So, if partnering isn't enough, and building is too hard, what's the answer?

For me, it became clear: the only sustainable, value-creating path forward is to deeply combine human expertise with cutting-edge AI. Not AI replacing humans, but AI augmenting humans, making them more effective, more efficient, and more capable of delivering truly exceptional experiences. This is exactly what Crescendo is doing, and it's why I made the decision to bring PartnerHero into the fold.

Crescendo isn't just an AI company; it's a company built on the premise that the future of customer experience lies in a symbiotic relationship between advanced AI and empathetic, skilled human agents.

Imagine a world where:

• AI handles the routine, repetitive tasks, freeing up your agents to focus on complex problem-solving, emotional connection, and truly adding value.
• AI provides real-time insights and recommendations to agents, guiding them to the best solutions, reducing handle times, and improving first-contact resolution.
• AI automates quality assurance and training, identifying areas for improvement and personalizing learning paths for each agent.
• AI predicts customer needs before they even articulate them, allowing for proactive support and delightful experiences.

This isn't science fiction; it's the reality we're building at Crescendo. We're creating a platform where AI doesn't just assist; it elevates the entire human experience, both for the agent and the customer.

Why This Matters for BPO Founders

If you're a BPO founder, you've dedicated years to building your company, nurturing client relationships, and developing a talented workforce. You understand the nuances of customer experience and the importance of human connection.

But you also recognize the relentless pressure on margins, the constant churn of agents, and the ever-increasing demands from clients. AI, embraced correctly, is not a threat to your business; it's the most powerful tool you'll ever have to solve these challenges.

By joining forces with Crescendo, you're not just selling your company; you're future-proofing it. You're gaining:

1. Access to World-Class AI: Immediately integrate cutting-edge AI capabilities into your operations without the monumental cost, time, and risk of building it yourself.
2. Enhanced Value Proposition: Offer your clients a truly differentiated solution – superior outcomes, better quality, and more competitive pricing, driven by the powerful combination of humans and AI.
3. Sustainable Growth: Position your company at the forefront of the industry, attracting new clients and retaining existing ones with an offering that truly meets the demands of the modern market.
4. Operational Excellence: Improve agent productivity, reduce training times, lower attrition, and elevate overall service quality.
5. A Shared Vision: Become part of a larger mission to redefine customer experience, collaborating with like-minded leaders who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of our sector.

My decision to sell PartnerHero to Crescendo wasn't made lightly. It was the culmination of years of observing the market, understanding the technological shifts, and recognizing that to truly thrive in this new era, we needed to evolve. I believe deeply in the power of human connection, and I also believe that AI is the key to unlocking that connection's fullest potential.

This isn't about replacing humans; it's about empowering them. It's about building the next generation of customer experience, one where every interaction is more insightful, more efficient, and ultimately, more human.

If you're a BPO founder grappling with these same questions, if you see the changing landscape and want to not just survive but lead the way, I urge you to connect with me and let’s talk. The future isn't coming; it's already here, and it's powered by humans and AI, together. You could be a part of it.