In this episode of AI + a16z, Resend founder and CEO Zeno Rocha sits down with a16z partner Yoko Li to discuss:

- How generative AI — powered by agents and, now, MCP — is reshaping the email experience for developers, as well as the overall world of programming.
- Zeno's obsession with developer experience has evolved into designing for "agent experience" — a new frontier where LLM-powered agents are not only building products but also operating within them.
- How email, one of the most ubiquitous tools for developers and end users alike, is being reimagined for a future where agents send, parse, and optimize communication.
- What it means to build agent-friendly APIs.
- The emerging MCP protocol, and how AI is collapsing the creative loop for prosumers and developers alike.

Learn more:

Resend:
https://resend.com/

What is AX (agent experience) and how to improve it:
https://resend.com/blog/agent-experience

A deep dive into MCP and the future of AI tooling:
https://a16z.com/a-deep-dive-into-mcp-and-the-future-of-ai-tooling/

Dracula theme:
https://draculatheme.com/

Follow everyone on X:

Zeno Rocha - https://x.com/zenorocha

Yoko Li - https://x.com/stuffyokodraws

Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence, including articles, projects, and more podcasts, here: https://a16z.com/ai/

Chapters:
0:00 - 00:36 | Intro
00:37 - 02:16 | Developers Creating Agent Experience
02:17 - 04:06 | What Is Agent Experience?
04:07 - 07:29 | Email Is Being Redefined For A Future Where Agents Handle Communication.|
07:30 - 09:31 | New Competencies In AI
09:32 - 11:00 | Challenges In Email
11:01 - 13:05 | Future Experiences That Will Empower Consumers
13:06 - 18:19 | How Can Marketers Leverage Tech To Send High-Quality Emails
18:20 - 24:13 | Creating Agentic Workflow, MCP and The Evolving Ecosystem
24:14 - 27:43 | MCP’s Workflow, Adoption + Database
27:44 -32:48 | Creative Use Cases For Developers
32:49 - 35:52 | Advice For Developers Who Want To Build With AI
35:53 - 41:29 | Side Projects That Solve Problems
41:30 - 44:03 |The Future Of Email