--- title: Ryan Wang of Assembled on How AI and Team Building Are Shaping the Future of Customer Support (Episode 278) description: Key takeaways from Episode 278 of The CXChronicles Podcast with Ryan Wang, CEO of Assembled, on building AI-powered support teams through skills, documentation and feedback loops. --- [Skip to content](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/ryan-wang-of-assembled-on-how-ai-and-team-building-are-shaping-the-future-of-customer-support-episode-278#main) [![CXChronicles home](https://www.cxchronicles.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BBRANDING%5D/Updated%20CXC%20Logo%202021.jpg?width=500&name=Updated%20CXC%20Logo%202021.jpg)](https://www.cxchronicles.com/) [Services](https://www.cxchronicles.com/services/) [Partners](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/) - [Strategic partner networkVetted CX and RevOps tools, preferred pricing](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/) - [HubSpot Solutions PartnerImplementation, onboarding and migration](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/hubspot/) [Podcast](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast/) - [The CXChronicles PodcastEpisodes, rankings and how to listen](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast/) - [Content bundles and sponsorshipFeatured episodes for your brand](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast-content/) [Events](https://www.cxchronicles.com/events/) [Insights](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/) - [BlogArticles and guides from CX leaders](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/) - [Case studiesResults from our clients](https://www.cxchronicles.com/case-studies/) - [The Four CX Pillars bookAdrian's playbook for growing with CX](https://www.cxchronicles.com/the-four-cx-pillars/) [About](https://www.cxchronicles.com/about/) [Book a consultation](https://www.cxchronicles.com/contact-us/) Menu - [Services](https://www.cxchronicles.com/services/) - [Partners](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/) - [HubSpot Solutions Partner](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/hubspot/) - [Podcast](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast/) - [Content bundles and sponsorship](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast-content/) - [Events](https://www.cxchronicles.com/events/) - [Insights](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/) - [Case studies](https://www.cxchronicles.com/case-studies/) - [The Four CX Pillars book](https://www.cxchronicles.com/the-four-cx-pillars/) - [About](https://www.cxchronicles.com/about/) - [Book a consultation](https://www.cxchronicles.com/contact-us/) [Insights](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/) # Ryan Wang of Assembled on How AI and Team Building Are Shaping the Future of Customer Support (Episode 278) By **Maria Fleissig** November 12, 2026 [AI in CX](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/tag/ai-in-cx)[Podcast Takeaways](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/tag/podcast-takeaways)[Team](https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/tag/team) In today's support landscape, AI isn't just a trend. It's a necessity. Yet behind every successful AI-powered company is a foundation that's often overlooked: the team. In [Episode 278 of The CXChronicles Podcast](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast/), host Adrian Brady-Cesana sat down with [Ryan Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanywang/), CEO of [Assembled](https://www.assembled.com/). Here's what Ryan's journey from machine learning engineer to CEO reveals about building a winning support team in the age of AI. Whether you're a founder, a support leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, blending technology, culture and customer feedback will be key to your success. ## The power of deep experience: from machine learning to support innovation Ryan's background in machine learning and his early days at [Stripe](https://stripe.com/) offer a critical insight: real-world experience at high-growth companies teaches lessons you can't learn in a classroom. At Stripe, where the founders themselves handled customer support, he saw the value of empathy, hands-on involvement and operational understanding. That experience sparked Ryan's passion for support rotations, where team members spend time on the front line and see real customer pain points first-hand. When AI and support meet, that grounding in customer reality becomes even more important, because it guides teams to build tools that solve real problems. **Key takeaway:** deep operational experience and direct customer contact are invaluable when building AI-driven support teams. They make sure technology solves real needs, not abstract ones. ## Building a versatile, skilled team for AI-powered support In Assembled's early days, everyone wore multiple hats: sales, engineering, support and product were all intertwined. That flexibility built a culture of creativity and broad skills, which Ryan sees as essential in the AI era. Today, more than half of Assembled's support team writes production code. They look for people who are adaptable, curious and quick to learn new skills like SQL, API integration and AI tools. AI support needs cross-disciplinary talent: the best teams combine technical ability with customer empathy and a willingness to experiment. **Key takeaway:** future-proof support teams have diverse skills and backgrounds, and can move between technical, creative and customer-focused work. Agility and curiosity are critical. [Watch the episode on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LNtX__DMes) ## Documentation is the fuel for AI Ryan stresses that good documentation, playbooks and knowledge bases aren't just operational tools. They're strategic assets for AI. Clear, well-organized support content speeds up AI onboarding, improves accuracy and can shorten deployment from months to days. He recommends recording meetings and taking thoughtful notes to build "living playbooks". Over time, SOPs, FAQs and transcripts stop being static documents and become a living system that AI can analyze, learn from and improve, reducing reliance on individual memory and making support more scalable and consistent. **Key takeaway:** capturing institutional knowledge is foundational to effective AI support. Treat your content and processes as evolving, AI-fed systems that you keep improving. ## Feedback loops that drive continuous improvement Ryan's approach to feedback is simple but powerful: ask for it often, act on it quickly and close the loop. His team uses feedback boards and surveys, and visibly acts on what they hear, which encourages even more feedback. The same applies internally. Employee surveys, and acting on them, from updating support workflows to improving the office, keep the team motivated and build trust. **Key takeaway:** close the loop with customers and with your team. Showing that feedback led to real change builds trust, morale and a cycle of continuous improvement. ## Use existing tools instead of building in-house A recurring theme for Ryan is "doing less in-house". Rather than reinventing the wheel, Assembled relies on established tools like Salesforce, HubSpot and standard communication platforms, and focuses on deploying AI into support ecosystems that are already well organized and documented. His rule: spend your "innovation chips" where they matter most, on AI integration, processes and workflows, not on rebuilding basic tools. **Key takeaway:** the smartest leaders integrate proven tools and focus their innovation where it creates the most value. ## Final thoughts Ryan's insights show that building a successful AI-enabled support organization isn't just about technology. It's about people, processes and relentless iteration. A team with diverse skills, carefully documented knowledge and real feedback loops creates support that scales and evolves with AI. **Your next step:** look at your own support operation. Are you investing enough in your team's skills, your knowledge systems and your feedback processes? If you'd like a hand, a [Four CX Pillars audit](https://www.cxchronicles.com/services/#packages) is a good place to start. Find out more about Ryan and Assembled at [assembled.com](https://www.assembled.com/), and listen to the full episode on [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cxchronicles-podcast/id1346799519) or [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/46c1YHMsx1oXcqeGXJSjhi). ## Frequently asked questions ### How does operational experience shape AI support strategy? It grounds AI in real customer needs and everyday workflows, so tools address actual pain points rather than hypothetical ones. ### Why is documentation so important for AI in support? Clear, organized content is the fuel for AI. It speeds up deployment, improves accuracy and lets AI learn from your organization's real support knowledge. ### What skills should support teams build for the AI era? Cross-disciplinary skills like SQL, API integration, coding and creative problem-solving, alongside customer empathy. ### How can companies get more value from feedback? Ask for it often, act on it quickly and tell people what changed, with customers and with your own team. ## Want help putting this into practice? A 30-minute conversation, no obligation. We'll tell you where we'd start. [Book a consultation](https://www.cxchronicles.com/contact-us/) [← Back to all insights](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/) ## Get CXC Weekly Join 15,000+ customer-focused leaders who get our weekly roundup of new episodes, insights and events. [![CXChronicles home](https://www.cxchronicles.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BBRANDING%5D/Updated%20CXC%20Logo%202021.jpg?width=360&name=Updated%20CXC%20Logo%202021.jpg)](https://www.cxchronicles.com/) Make happiness a habit. [hello@cxchronicles.com](mailto:hello@cxchronicles.com) #### Services - [Managed services](https://www.cxchronicles.com/services/) - [Strategic partners](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/) - [HubSpot implementation](https://www.cxchronicles.com/partners/hubspot/) - [Case studies](https://www.cxchronicles.com/case-studies/) #### Content - [Podcast](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast/) - [Content bundles](https://www.cxchronicles.com/podcast-content/) - [Live events](https://www.cxchronicles.com/events/) - [Insights](https://www.cxchronicles.com/insights/) - [The Four CX Pillars book](https://www.cxchronicles.com/the-four-cx-pillars/) #### Company - [About](https://www.cxchronicles.com/about/) - [Contact](https://www.cxchronicles.com/contact-us/) © 2026 CXChronicles. All rights reserved.[Privacy and cookie policy](https://www.cxchronicles.com/privacy-policy/) Cookie settings ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Maria Fleissig", "url" : "https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/author/maria-fleissig" }, "dateModified" : "2026-11-12T13:06:54.041Z", "datePublished" : "2026-11-12T13:06:54.000Z", "headline" : "Ryan Wang of Assembled on How AI and Team Building Are Shaping the Future of Customer Support (Episode 278)", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.cxchronicles.com/blog/ryan-wang-of-assembled-on-how-ai-and-team-building-are-shaping-the-future-of-customer-support-episode-278", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.cxchronicles.com/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Frame%2035882%20(1).png" }, "name" : "CXChronicles" } } ```