In a recent appearance on the Human Work after AI podcast from the Big North Podcast Network, Traq.ai CEO Adam Rubenstein shared his fascinating entrepreneurial journey and his vision for how AI is revolutionizing the sales profession. Far from being a threat, Rubenstein argues that AI is a transformative tool—a “daily sales coach”—that empowers sales teams and makes the process more human.

Rubenstein’s origin story is anything but conventional. He started his first business building racing bicycle frames in his backyard, a passion that led him to open a bicycle and fitness store. It was here, in the days before cloud software, that he faced his first major problem: the lack of inventory management solutions for small retailers. Handed a programming book by a computer salesman, he taught himself to code and built his own software, which he later sold. This early experience in identifying a problem and building a technology to solve it laid the groundwork for a career as a serial entrepreneur.

After founding and selling several more companies—including a website translation company that grew to $42 million in annual revenue, Adam realized the one constant challenge across all his ventures was sales. Despite the prevalence of data-driven decision-making in every other part of a business, sales was still treated as a “gut and intuition” art form. This created a persistent problem for leaders who, when asked if they would hit their numbers, had no objective data to explain what was working and what wasn’t.

This frustration was the genesis of Traq.ai. His mission: to convert the “art of sales into a science.”

The Pivot to AI

Traq.ai was founded well before the mainstream AI boom of late 2022. Rubenstein recalled the difficulty and high cost of building their own large language models. The release of powerful, widely accessible AI models was a turning point. As Rubenstein explained, the AI itself became ubiquitous, and the company’s focus shifted from the technology to the value it provides. The new goal was to build an easy-to-use, powerful platform that leverages AI to deliver real-world benefits.

AI as an Efficiency Engine for Salespeople

Rubenstein pointed out that salespeople spend surprisingly little time selling—only about 13 hours per week. Administrative tasks consume the rest. Traq.ai’s core value proposition is eliminating this work, freeing up valuable selling time.

A prime example is the follow-up email. Adam used to spend 20-30 minutes writing a thoughtful, detailed email after each call to demonstrate engagement and professionalism. Traq.ai automates this, generating a context-specific, substantive follow-up in seconds. This saves hours per week. The platform also automatically populates the CRM with detailed call notes, solving a longstanding problem of inaccurate or incomplete sales records. This automation saves time and ensures that critical information isn’t lost, allowing for better coaching and a clearer view of the sales pipeline.

AI as a Self-Guided Coach

Beyond administrative relief, Traq.ai uses AI to provide actionable coaching. The platform can analyze calls and provide objective feedback on everything from building rapport to creating a sense of urgency. Rubenstein believes this “self-guided coaching” is a critical feature, as it allows salespeople to improve their skills in a low-pressure environment, without the fear of “Big Brother” watching their every move. By identifying a salesperson’s strengths and weaknesses, the AI empowers them to become better, more effective, and ultimately, more successful.

Adam is adamant that AI will never replace a human salesperson. He believes the human connection, empathy, and ability to build trust are irreplaceable. Instead, he sees AI as a powerful tool that enhances human capabilities, making the sales process more efficient and allowing salespeople to focus on what they do best: building relationships and solving problems for their customers.

For anyone in sales, sales leadership, or professional services, Rubenstein’s insights provide a compelling look at how AI is not just changing a job function—it’s transforming it for the better.

Watch the interview