Tom Spencer

Founder, co-host of The Build, shipping AI-first GTM playbooks.

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Human-Centered Automation Playbook

Every episode of The Build eventually hits the same tension: automation is powerful, but trust is fragile. Tom Spencer’s conversations with founders and operators reveal a practical framework for deploying AI agents that feel like an extension of your team—not a faceless script.

Principle 1: Start with Narrative, Not Tasks

  • Document the promise you make to customers. Agents should reinforce, not dilute it.
  • Identify the moments where human judgment matters most and protect them.
  • Use AI to draft initial responses or research, but let humans author the final story.

Starter Prompts

You are an AI partner supporting {team}. Your job is to surface context, options, and risks.
Tone: {brand_tone}. Never guess—flag uncertainty and request human review.

Principle 2: Create Guardrails and Escalation Paths

  • Maintain a “too weird to automate” list of scenarios that must go to a human.
  • Tag every agent action with confidence scores and supporting evidence.
  • Schedule weekly transcript reviews—Tom calls this the “agent retro”—to catch drift early.

Escalation Example

  1. Agent identifies a complex billing dispute.
  2. Responds with acknowledgement + summary of known data.
  3. Assigns to human operator with suggested next steps and context links.

Principle 3: Instrument Trust

  • Track customer sentiment before and after automated touchpoints.
  • Interview frontline teammates about where automation helps vs. hinders.
  • Publish a living FAQ explaining what is and isn’t automated; transparency builds confidence.

Metrics to Watch

  • Resolution time saved vs. CSAT change.
  • Percentage of conversations escalated to human.
  • Number of “off-brand” responses caught in weekly audits.

Launch Checklist

  • [ ] Narrative document shared with every agent (purpose, tone, red lines).
  • [ ] Guardrail scenarios codified with owners.
  • [ ] Telemetry dashboard tracking sentiment + escalations.
  • [ ] Agent retro scheduled at least bi-weekly.
  • [ ] Human follow-up workflow defined for complex cases.

“Automation should feel like a thoughtful teammate teeing you up—not a black box making promises you can’t keep.” — Tom Spencer

From The Build Podcast