Growing a Business With AI, Automation & Human Support | Shai Stern Go Tavi  

Gotavi founder Shai Stern joins B2B Vault to discuss AI, business growth, startup costs, insurance, automation and why personal service still matters. 

Presented by Allen Kopelman, CEO — Nationwide Payment Systems-Host of B2B Vault: The Biz2Biz Podcast 

As Seen in B2B Vault Podcast

AI OVERVIEW

I Can Help You Build a Business Faster. But Who's Watching the Costs? Lessons From Gotavi Founder Shai Stern

Artificial intelligence is changing the way entrepreneurs launch, manage, and grow their businesses.

From automating administrative tasks to developing marketing campaigns and building software, business owners have access to tools that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago.

But there's another side to the AI revolution that doesn't get nearly enough attention.

Who's watching the expenses? Who's responsible when the technology makes a mistake? And what happens when a business needs real help but can't reach a human being?

These are some of the questions explored in this episode of B2B Vault: The Biz to Biz Podcast, hosted by Allen Kopelman, CEO of Nationwide Payment Systems.

Allen welcomes Shai Stern, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Gotavi, a business platform designed to bring essential operational services together in one place.

The two entrepreneurs discuss AI, startup growth, financial discipline, insurance, customer service, and why human relationships remain important even as technology becomes more sophisticated.

Why Shai Stern Created Gotavi

After decades of building businesses, Shai Stern noticed a recurring problem facing entrepreneurs.

Starting a business often requires dealing with numerous different companies.

One provider handles business formation. Another handles insurance. Another processes payments. Others manage background checks, compliance, governance, and additional operational needs.

Every service comes with its own requirements, logins, paperwork, and support processes.

Shai believed there had to be a better approach.

That led him to create Gotavi, a platform designed to simplify essential business operations so entrepreneurs can spend more time building their companies.

Gotavi's approach centers on bringing together services such as business formation, compliance, insurance, payments, and other operational tools.

For Shai, the concept is straightforward: Business owners shouldn't have to become experts in every administrative function just to operate a successful company.

This philosophy connects directly with Allen's approach to Nationwide Payment Systems.

For 25 years, Allen has emphasized personalized customer support and making payment technology easier for business owners to use.

Why Concierge Service Still Matters in a Digital World

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation focuses on customer service.

Shai shares a story about regularly staying at the same hotel while traveling between New York and Los Angeles.

He frequently forgot his phone charger.

Eventually, the hotel staff recognized the pattern and began leaving an extra charger in his room before he arrived.

They even included a personal note.

That small gesture made a lasting impression.

The hotel didn't simply respond to a customer problem. It anticipated the problem and solved it before the customer needed to ask.

Shai also describes how he once published his personal cellphone number on his company's website.

Other executives questioned the decision, but he believed customers should be able to contact the person responsible for their service.

It's a philosophy both Allen and Shai share.

Technology can automate transactions, but knowing that a real person is available when something goes wrong can make a tremendous difference.

For business owners dealing with payments, insurance, compliance, or other critical services, accessible support is more than a convenience.

It can be essential to keeping the business operating.

AI Is Creating Opportunities, but Also New Business Risks

Artificial intelligence is making it easier and faster for entrepreneurs to launch new ventures.

Tools can help develop websites, create content, analyze information, and automate certain tasks.

But Shai warns that business owners need to understand what these tools actually do, how much they cost, and where human oversight is still necessary.

Allen raises concerns about businesses assuming that AI can independently run complicated sales campaigns or manage entire projects without proper integrations or supervision.

A business owner might hear that an AI tool can find prospects, send emails, qualify leads, and generate sales.

But those capabilities depend on the software, connected systems, permissions, and specific workflows involved.

Simply subscribing to an AI platform doesn't guarantee that everything will happen automatically.

The real opportunity is learning how to combine AI with the company's existing operations.

The Hidden Cost of AI: Are You Monitoring Your Spending?

One of the most important lessons in the episode is about AI expenses.

AI services may charge by subscription, API usage, processing volume, tokens, or other measures.

For businesses using multiple AI tools, costs can accumulate quickly.

Allen shares an anecdote about a company founder who reportedly received a $200,000 bill for AI usage.

Shai points out that companies need financial controls and clear accountability for technology spending.

He suggests that businesses designate someone to monitor AI expenses, evaluate the results, and make sure the technology is delivering measurable value.

That might be a finance professional, operations manager, or another responsible team member.

Recommended Controls for AI Spending:

• Setting AI spending budgets and usage limits

• Establishing approval requirements for expensive services

• Configuring alerts when costs exceed expected levels

• Conducting regular reviews of subscriptions and API charges

• Measuring performance directly against business outcomes

The question isn't simply whether AI can perform a task. It's whether the value created justifies the cost.

Can AI Really Replace Employees and Sales Teams?

Some technology companies promote AI as a way to eliminate large portions of staffing costs.

Shai believes this can create opportunities, but he emphasizes the importance of results.

Imagine a founder telling investors that AI will allow the company to spend 80% less on sales and marketing.

That sounds impressive.

But if revenue also falls substantially, the company hasn't necessarily created a better business.

Investors ultimately want to see performance.

Business owners should measure AI tools based on whether they generate revenue, improve productivity, reduce errors, or create meaningful operational savings.

The goal shouldn't be automation for its own sake.

It should be building a more efficient and profitable company.

AI Insurance and the Importance of Managing Liability

As AI becomes part of more business activities, new questions are emerging about liability and insurance coverage.

What happens if an AI system makes a costly mistake?

What if a customer's data is compromised?

What if an automated process causes a client financial damage?

Shai discusses the growing interest in insurance products designed to address certain AI-related risks.

He also warns entrepreneurs not to assume their existing policies cover every potential AI incident.

Coverage depends on the individual policy, exclusions, endorsements, and the circumstances of a claim.

Business owners using AI in customer-facing or operational processes should review their coverage with qualified insurance professionals.

A Valuable Lesson in Negotiating With Large Customers

Shai shares a story from his previous business experience involving a large prospective customer that requested additional insurance coverage.

Rather than automatically absorbing the expense, he asked the customer whether it would cover the additional cost.

According to Shai, the customer agreed.

The lesson is important for small businesses negotiating with larger organizations.

If a customer requests special insurance, additional compliance measures, or custom services beyond the original agreement, it may be appropriate to discuss how those expenses will be paid.

A good business relationship should allow both parties to have an open conversation about expectations and costs.

Do Customers Want Automation or Personal Service?

One of the more interesting discussions examines why entrepreneurs increasingly choose online services that offer little or no direct human interaction.

Shai believes there's room for both models.

Some customers want to sign up, complete a transaction, and never speak with anyone. They value speed and convenience.

Others want to know they can call someone when a problem arises.

The ideal experience may combine the two.

Routine tasks should be easy and automated. But when a merchant faces a complicated payment issue, an insurance question, or a business problem, there should be a way to reach someone who understands the situation.

This is especially important for growing businesses that have more complicated operational requirements.

Technology should eliminate unnecessary work without eliminating accountability.

Business Owners Still Need to Watch Cash Flow

The conversation returns repeatedly to an essential principle of entrepreneurship: financial discipline.

Growing revenue is important, but so is understanding where money goes.

Allen discusses the cost of handling small chargebacks and disputes, especially when the administrative expense can exceed the disputed amount.

Shai reinforces the importance of reviewing expenses, questioning unnecessary costs, and maintaining financial oversight.

AI can help organize information and identify patterns, but business owners still need to understand their numbers.

Whether it's payment processing, insurance, software subscriptions, or marketing expenses, every recurring charge should serve a business purpose.

Shai Stern's Five Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs

Near the end of the interview, Allen asks Shai what advice he would offer to new and experienced business owners. His response focuses on five principles:

1. Hustle: Building a business requires effort and persistence. Entrepreneurs need to stay motivated and keep moving forward.

2. Operate with integrity: Be honest and transparent with investors, employees, customers, partners, and vendors. Trust is essential to long-term success.

3. Constantly refine your strategy: Markets change. Technology evolves. Business owners must continually evaluate their plans and improve their approach.

4. Watch the cash: Monitor expenses, understand profitability, and pay attention to the bottom line. Growth without financial discipline can create serious problems.

5. Maintain a positive attitude: Stay grateful, humble, and enthusiastic about what you're building. Business relationships are easier to develop when people enjoy working together.

The Future Belongs to Businesses That Combine Technology With People

AI is creating extraordinary opportunities.

Entrepreneurs can accomplish tasks faster, access information more easily, and develop new business models with fewer resources.

But successful businesses still require sound judgment, accountability, strong customer relationships, and financial discipline.

The companies that benefit most from technology may be those that understand where automation works best and where human expertise remains valuable.

As Allen and Shai discuss throughout the interview, business owners shouldn't have to choose between modern technology and personal service.

They should expect both.

About Shai Stern

Shai Stern is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Gotavi, a platform focused on simplifying the essential services businesses need to start, operate, and grow. His background includes financial technology, payments, corporate services, and business operations.

About B2B Vault and Nationwide Payment Systems

Hosted by Allen Kopelman, CEO and Co-Founder of Nationwide Payment Systems, B2B Vault: The Biz to Biz Podcast features conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders about the challenges and opportunities of building successful companies.

Since 2001, Nationwide Payment Systems has helped businesses simplify how they accept and manage payments through credit card processing, ACH payments, NPSONE payment technology, Smart Invoicing, e-commerce integrations, recurring billing, and B2B payment solutions.

Full Episode Transcript

The following transcript has been edited for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, speaker identification, and readability while preserving the original conversation and meaning.

B2B Vault: The Biz to Biz Podcast

Episode: Building Better Businesses With AI, Concierge Service, and Financial Discipline

Host: Allen Kopelman, CEO of Nationwide Payment Systems

Guest: Shai Stern, Founder of Gotavi

Introduction: Meet Shai Stern

Allen Kopelman:

You're now watching B2B Vault, The Biz to Biz Podcast, hosted by Allen Kopelman and powered by Nationwide Payment Systems, the number one solution for payment processing.

Hey, everybody! Welcome to today's episode of B2B Vault, The Biz to Biz Podcast, where we talk about entrepreneurship, business, sales, marketing, AI, and everything related to business.

This podcast is for business owners and people looking to open businesses, so you can learn about products, services, and all different aspects of business. It's sponsored by Nationwide Payment Systems and our new gateway, NPSONE.

Today, we have a special guest. I met this guest through Boardy, who was on one of my recent podcasts. We were introduced by Boardy, which is really interesting. Today, we're welcoming Shai Stern from Gotavi.

Welcome to the show, Shai.

Shai Stern:

Thank you, Allen. Great to be here.

What Is Gotavi?

Allen Kopelman:

Tell us a little about yourself. What is Gotavi?

Shai Stern:

I'm a 52-year-old entrepreneur starting a company for the sixth time. Well, I guess we started it last year.

The idea behind Gotavi is to create an all-in-one essential business operating platform. In simple terms, I've spent years watching entrepreneurs, myself included, work with multiple vendors for all their basic business needs.

One vendor handles incorporation. Another handles governance, payments, background checks, insurance, and other services.

I said, "It's about time we create this super-concierge platform that makes the life of an entrepreneur and business owner that much easier."

Allen Kopelman:

It's super important. I take the concierge concept very seriously in my business. That's what we've done for 25 years: provided concierge service for people when it comes to their payments.

Our customers have an open line of communication with us through email, text, WhatsApp, phone calls, and other channels. People get tired of dealing with platforms where there's no name, no phone number, and nobody they can actually reach. It becomes difficult when you're trying to do business.

After starting six businesses, how did you come up with this concept?

Why Personal Customer Service Still Matters

Shai Stern:

Before I answer that, you reminded me of something. You and I are very aligned on this subject. I think we connected as kindred spirits when we first spoke about the idea of concierge service.

It reminds me of two stories. Years ago, I used to travel from New York to Los Angeles all the time, even before I moved to LA. I stayed at the same hotel regularly. Inevitably, whenever I got off the plane and arrived at the hotel, I'd realize I'd forgotten my phone charger. I left it in the car, on the plane, or somewhere else.

I always forgot it. I'd ask the hotel if they had an extra charger.

Eventually, they started leaving a charger on my bed before I arrived, with a note saying, "Welcome back, Mr. Stern. We assume you forgot your charger."

I thought, "That is great service!" That's really great service.

Another story comes from my years at CheckAlt, the payments company we had. I used to keep my personal cellphone number on the homepage of the website.

People would ask me, "Are you nuts? You want your cellphone number to be that public?"

I'd say, "Yes, I want it public."

Customers would tell me how incredible they thought it was that I had my personal number on the website. At one point, someone suggested removing it.

I said, "No. Keep it there. It's my phone number. If I want it there, that's my risk." If someone calls who I don't want to speak with, I can ignore the call or hang up.

That's the kind of approach to customer service I hope resonates with other business owners.

Why Shai Started Another Company

Shai Stern:

To answer your original question about how Gotavi came about, over the years we've had businesses involved in SEC filing solutions, entity formation, background checks, check processing, treasury solutions, and stock transfers.

I looked at all that experience and thought about the explosive growth of AI. I believe there are going to be more and more entrepreneurs. There will be more side hustles and more people launching companies.

Some will try to grow as quickly as possible and become the next $60 billion company. But they need the infrastructure. They need the pipes, the picks and shovels, to be simple and fluid. They don't want headaches. They don't want to have to manage all these different vendors. They need to get to work.

The operational side of business is often boring. Nobody really wants to deal with it. But I like boring. I really do!

That's how the idea came about. And so far, so good.

AI Is Changing Entrepreneurship

Allen Kopelman:

AI is definitely taking over everywhere. We met through Boardy, and it was interesting for me to learn that Boardy was created by Andrew D'Souza. Boardy reportedly went out and raised more than $8 million without a human speaking directly to the investors.

It's crazy how something like that could work.

Shai Stern:

Fascinating.

Allen Kopelman:

Everywhere you go, there's AI. There are AI chatbots on websites. Sometimes people come to my AI chatbot and interact with it but don't leave a message. We ask them to fill out a form, call us, or request that we call them back. Whatever they prefer.

It's interesting how people will engage with AI, or sometimes not engage with it. AI is everywhere.

Shai Stern:

It really is. Allen, I'm 52, and I remember when the internet first started taking off. My father, may he rest in peace, was a relatively early adopter of the internet and Amazon. But some of his friends would say, "There's no way I'm putting my credit card on the internet!"

Remember those days?

Allen Kopelman:

Oh, yeah!

Shai Stern:

"No way!" Today, the whole world does it. Otherwise, you can't get into an Uber, buy from Amazon, or order Uber Eats. You can't function the same way without using these technologies.

We're at another one of those moments. There are people who adopt technology quickly and jump all in. Others will be slower to adapt.

Things will go wrong along the way, and that's part of why we're seeing insurance products addressing AI-related risks. We're living through a major transition. There might be a generational divide where younger people adapt faster than middle-aged or older people.

But it doesn't really matter. AI is here to stay. It's going to continue improving. It's up to us to embrace the people who are moving forward with it.

AI Bots, Advertising, and Unexpected Costs

Allen Kopelman:

One of the things that popped up in my newsfeed today was a discussion about AI bots clicking on advertisements and consuming businesses' advertising budgets. There were a couple of posts on Reddit about it too. One person claimed he had $80,000 worth of clicks, and they were all bots.

That's dangerous to the business advertising ecosystem. You really need to put some kind of ceiling on your advertising spending. That's extremely important. I don't know how Meta, Google, OpenAI, Perplexity, and other companies offering advertising are going to control that.

Shai Stern:

That's a great point. But there's one thing we can both bet on: They're going to work to figure it out. These companies depend on advertising revenue. They're not going to want their advertising revenue questioned or jeopardized.

The people building these companies are very smart. I give them a lot of credit. They have strong incentives to solve those problems so advertising remains valuable.

Allen Kopelman:

It was interesting hearing people talk about that. AI definitely isn't going away. Everybody is trying to figure out how to use it, how much to use it, and what it can actually do.

Growing a Business Without Outgrowing Your Systems

Allen Kopelman:

When I talk to founders, many are trying to do everything as fast as possible. Sometimes they aren't thinking about what they'll need when they get from one stage to the next. They can outgrow the platform they're using.

How are you approaching that?

Shai Stern:

That's a great point. Not to sound self-serving for either of us, but that's why concierge service continues to win. Entrepreneurs building companies today need to know how to slow down and run at the same time.

The operational needs of a business are constantly changing. Compliance requirements are changing. Governance requirements are changing. There are already businesses developing ways to govern AI agents that work among employees, colleagues, and collaboration platforms such as Slack.

These systems need oversight. As companies grow, they're often spending money without fully understanding why they're spending it or whether that money is producing results.

Having the right advisors around the table has always been important. Today, it's even more important.

Here's a takeaway. As you're building a business in this AI environment, you should have someone responsible for managing and evaluating the company's AI spending. Finance professionals now need to understand an additional category of expenses: AI spending. Those charges might be buried across several different departments or subscriptions.

You need to pay attention to them. That's why having a good payment provider like you and the right essential business services provider like us can give companies more time to focus on this new environment.

Why Businesses Need AI Spending Limits

Allen Kopelman:

It's funny you mention token usage. I always tell people not to go crazy. You need to put a cap on your token usage. I talked to someone who founded a company and reportedly received a $200,000 bill from Claude.

Shai Stern:

That's insane. But I also think that's irresponsible on their part. And I think the provider should have controls too. It's like a credit card. There should be credit limits.

Allen Kopelman:

Exactly.

Shai Stern:

These systems need spending limits. I believe we're going to see more of that. We're living in a kind of Wild West right now. Things will become more controlled.

But how do you balance governance without slowing down innovation, growth, and potential? That's the challenge.

At Gotavi, we're always thinking about how to keep moving forward. We've got to go, right? That's part of why I named the company Gotavi.

But you have to move forward carefully. Make sure your excitement doesn't come back to bite you next month when you receive a giant bill from Claude or another AI provider. We have to watch over ourselves.

Understanding What AI Tools Actually Do

Allen Kopelman:

I was experimenting with AI the other day. It kept telling me to go here, do this, and do that. Then I realized some of the things weren't free. You had to buy tokens. I was like, "Well, I'm not doing that!"

Another thing I see is people thinking AI will suddenly do everything for them. Someone told me they had a new sales plan. They showed me all these papers.

I said, "Okay, what's the plan?"

They said, "I'm going to go on Claude. Claude is going to find me all these customers, email them, and then I'm going to get all these phone calls."

I'm like, "Dude, Claude doesn't just do that automatically!"

People watch videos online promising these things. I don't know who's making some of those videos, but they're misleading. You need to connect software, configure systems, and establish workflows. It's not as simple as talking to Claude, OpenAI, or Perplexity and expecting everything to happen.

You need appropriate human intervention. What are you going to do, tell Claude to fix your website and then discover it changed everything into something you didn't want?

Getting Real Value From AI

Shai Stern:

There's a lot of accuracy in what you're saying, but I also want to push back a little. Like all business tools, Claude, Perplexity, OpenAI, and Gemini have different uses.

I'm using Gemini. I'm using OpenAI. I'm using Claude. I'm using Perplexity. I use different tools for different reasons.

There's a lot of value there. The question is: How do you know where the value begins and ends? How do you navigate that value?

You're raising a legitimate challenge to the people producing videos that promise AI can do everything. But remember, Allen, those people are often trying to sell you something too. They want you to purchase their videos or courses. There's an audience willing to believe in get-rich-quick schemes. We're all susceptible to that kind of marketing.

The Advantage of Combining Experience With Young Talent

Shai Stern:

I'm 52, and I love talking to 20-year-olds today more than ever. I know you're only 22 because that's what your hat says!

Allen Kopelman:

I wish I was 22! I should get a new hat that says 66.

Shai Stern:

These younger entrepreneurs see things differently. They can connect technologies very quickly. I have experience in certain areas, while they may have a deeper understanding of how some of these new AI tools work. They know how to put things together.

But that technical understanding also needs to be combined with maturity and experience. You can't operate in a fantasy world. If you raise money and tell an investor you're going to generate $5 million in annual recurring revenue next year, you had better deliver. Otherwise, those investors might not support your next financing round.

Investors Care About Results, Not Just AI Savings

Shai Stern:

I've been watching interviews with Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro. These are people who understand how to operate and grow major businesses. They know their numbers and how to manage expectations.

Now imagine going to an investor and saying, "Give me $5 million. I need to hire a head of revenue, business development, marketing, and sales." You show them your budget.

Then imagine telling them, "Actually, I don't need that full budget anymore. I'm going to spend 80% less because I'm using AI agents for my go-to-market and revenue strategy."

That's great if you can deliver the results. But investors will only be satisfied if the expected growth actually happens. If you spend 80% less but also generate 80% less revenue, what have you accomplished?

The point is to use these tools, challenge them, refine them, and keep improving until they help produce meaningful results for the company.

How Allen Uses AI for Podcast Management

Allen Kopelman:

One thing I use AI for is monitoring my email inbox because I receive so many emails.

Shai Stern:

How's that working for you?

Allen Kopelman:

It actually works well. I can say, "Find everybody who wants to come on the podcast." It pulls up the guest requests. Then I can evaluate their social media presence, LinkedIn connections, and whether the subject matter fits what we discuss on B2B Vault.

I try to focus on subjects I can have a meaningful conversation about. Payroll, payments, insurance, and building a business are all things I can talk about. If someone wants to discuss real estate, I know some things about it, but I'm not a real estate expert.

I want the conversations to be relevant to business owners. Every episode can't just be about AI. Otherwise, we'd become the AI podcast!

We also need to talk about cybersecurity, identity theft, and other business concerns. AI is creating new questions about security, not just cybersecurity but security in general. How are businesses going to manage those risks?

And if you're an AI company, you need to consider insurance and liability. What happens if something you build causes a problem for one of your users?

AI Insurance and Business Liability

Shai Stern:

We talk about that a lot at Gotavi. We offer access to insurance solutions addressing AI-related risks.

Many traditional business policies may not adequately address certain AI incidents or AI-related development risks.

But here's something I want to tell entrepreneurs. Imagine a client says, "Let me see your AI insurance policy." Then they review it and tell you that your coverage isn't sufficient. They want you to carry more insurance.

That reminds me of something that happened about five or six years ago. State Farm wanted to become a client of our previous company. I never thought we'd beat the incumbent provider for that business. That's a story for another day.

But we won the business partly because I called the person making the decision at State Farm. I said, "Hi, I'm Shai Stern, the CEO, and I want to talk to you about this opportunity."

He was surprised. He said, "Are you kidding me? You're calling me personally? The CEOs of the other competing companies aren't calling." And his name was actually Kevin from State Farm!

We won the business, and that phone call made an impression. I encourage entrepreneurs to pick up the phone, reach out to potential customers, and ask for the business.

When a Customer Demands Additional Insurance

Shai Stern:

As we were finalizing the contract, State Farm came back and said, "Your insurance policies aren't sufficient for what we need."

We already serviced hundreds of financial institutions. Those organizations considered our existing coverage sufficient. But State Farm wanted another level of coverage. That was their prerogative. They wanted us to double our insurance coverage.

I said, "My friend, we want to win your business. However, we're already servicing hundreds of financial institutions that find our coverage sufficient. If you want us to double that coverage, are you willing to pay for the additional cost?"

He said, "Let me speak with our compliance team."

He came back and said they would pay the difference in our insurance premium. They didn't renegotiate the other terms of the agreement. They agreed to take on that additional expense.

That taught me a great lesson. If a client is asking you to incur a cost you didn't include in your original pricing, have an open conversation. Explain the situation. Ask, "How do you want to manage this?"

Reasonable people who genuinely want to work with you may be willing to share the cost. Today, with AI-related insurance concerns, it's important to understand your coverage. But if a customer wants additional protection for a specific project or contract, don't be afraid to discuss who should pay for it.

Negotiating Compliance and Insurance Requirements

Allen Kopelman:

I've had companies come to me requiring a certain amount of insurance. And I've told them, "We're not doing that."

They say, "What do you mean you're not doing it?"

I say, "That's going to add too much to our costs. You're asking me to take out a $10,000 insurance policy, and we haven't even done any business together. Why should we take on that expense before we know what the relationship is going to look like?"

We've also had companies ask us to demonstrate security controls, PCI compliance, ISO-related documentation, and other requirements.

Shai Stern:

Here's another way to approach that. You could tell a potential client, "We understand what you're asking for. We also understand that this is beyond what we currently believe we need. Let's put something in the contract. If your revenue with us exceeds a certain dollar amount during the first 12 months, then we'll split the additional insurance cost or cover it in years two and three, provided you maintain an agreed revenue level."

If they're serious about the relationship, they may agree. There are always ways to discuss these things. When two parties genuinely want to work together, they can often resolve who covers which expenses.

Why Entrepreneurs Choose Online Platforms Without Human Support

Allen Kopelman:

Why do you think so many entrepreneurs, especially younger entrepreneurs, go to these online companies that don't have telephone numbers? They get their payments, insurance, legal advice, and all kinds of services through these platforms.

When you and I first started in business, many of these things were handled face-to-face or over the phone. Do you think people will start questioning whether they should be doing business with companies that offer no telephone support? Or will they begin looking for concierge-style services again?

Convenience Versus Human Interaction

Shai Stern:

I think we're going to see both.

Some of the best days in your payments business are probably when somebody sends you an inquiry and says, "I don't need to talk to you. Just turn me on so I can start processing."

That's great! You can process the application and get them going.

Now, because you're so good at what you do, you want to talk to the customer. You want to say, "Thank you for your business. Please know I'm always here if you need me."

I love that. You and I both love that approach. But some customers, even though they appreciate knowing we're available, hope they never need to call us. They just want their businesses to run smoothly.

I applaud that. When a service is working and the pricing is fair, people often don't want to be bothered.

I have a friend who runs a 500-person law firm. He told me, "Shai, I won't meet with vendors like you." He said, "You're my friend. I love you. We'll get coffee or dinner whenever you want. But why would I spend time sitting with a vendor? I just want the work done so I can go back to billing clients."

That's how some customers think. And with AI changing how legal research and other professional work gets done, efficiency is becoming even more important.

Sometimes Automation Creates a Better Customer Experience

Shai Stern:

Here's another example. When I lived in Los Angeles, there was a kosher sushi restaurant a couple of blocks away from my house. I loved the sushi. I still miss it now that I'm living back in Rockland County.

But the person answering the phone was so unpleasant that I eventually told my wife I was going to stop ordering from that place. I couldn't deal with the guy anymore.

Then Uber Eats became available. I thought, "Thank God! I can order sushi again without talking to that guy!"

There are all kinds of customer experiences. Not having to talk to someone can be a great experience. You don't have to sit on hold.

But if you need somebody and can reach them on WhatsApp or by phone, that's also a great experience. Customer service comes in different forms.

You and I love knowing our customers understand we're there when they need us.

Solving Business Problems Instead of Trading Emails

Allen Kopelman:

I have a couple of really large clients, and it took a long time to close those deals. Every time we'd meet, they'd tell me about all these problems they were having. But they couldn't solve them because they were trying to handle everything through email.

I told them, "We're here. We're ready to solve these issues for you." Once they realized we could help, things started moving much faster.

It's like I tell businesses that are getting a bunch of $5 and $10 chargebacks. You have to look at whether it's worth fighting every one. Sometimes the most practical approach is to automate the refund process where appropriate and prevent further misuse of the service.

Subscription businesses and companies handling micropayments need to think about this carefully. You can spend more money fighting a chargeback than the transaction itself was worth. You have to evaluate the cost of handling these situations.

Even if you're using AI to do the work, you can still waste a lot of time and money dealing with customers who aren't profitable for the business.

Business Still Requires Financial Discipline

Shai Stern:

There's a lot of wisdom in what you're saying. It comes down to tracking expenses and understanding the costs of running a business.

Even in a world of AI, audits are still audits. Expenses are still expenses. Business is still business.

Maybe AI will catch 95% of certain issues. One day, perhaps it will catch even more. We're going to see AI-native businesses. That's wonderful.

But always leave room for humans. We're still going to be needed.

Shai Stern's Advice for Business Owners

Allen Kopelman:

Let's give business owners something they can take away. If you were going to give a new business owner three or four pieces of advice, what would they be?

Actually, it doesn't matter whether they're new or experienced. What advice would you give any business owner?

Shai Stern:

Let me think about that for a second.

• Number one: Hustle. That's number one. Hustle. And when you feel tired, hustle harder.

• Number two: Be packed with integrity. Integrity is non-negotiable. Have integrity with your investors, your partners, your clients, your employees, and your vendors. Integrity, integrity, integrity. Always.

• Number three: You have to refine your pitch all the time. Make sure your agenda, pitch, thesis, and strategy are constantly being refined. The world is moving very quickly.

• Number four: Watch the cash. Watch the bottom line. Always watch where you spend your money. Watch where you spend. Watch where you spend.

• Number five: Smile all the time. Bring good energy. Look at Allen smiling. People love being around good energy. Be grateful. Be humble. Appreciate the opportunities you have. Appreciate this amazing environment and society we're living in, with all this new technology we're embracing.

If you take these things with you, you'll be in a much stronger position to succeed in life and business.

How to Connect With Shai Stern and Gotavi

Allen Kopelman:

Where can people get more information about what you're doing? They can go to the Gotavi website, gotavi.co?

Shai Stern:

Yes. We have both domains now. Gotavi.com is one. You can also reach me on my cellphone at 917-579-3107. And, of course, you can contact me by email. Everything is on the website.

Allen Kopelman:

Shai is also on LinkedIn.

Shai Stern:

Yes, I love LinkedIn. We don't talk about LinkedIn enough. It's an incredible platform.

Closing Remarks

Allen Kopelman:

Any final words today?

Shai Stern:

Thank you, Allen. Blessings to you and your family. When I come down to Miami, we're going to get together in person and have a good sandwich or salad, whatever your favorite food is.

Allen Kopelman:

We need to go for a good shawarma!

Shai Stern:

There we go! A good shawarma in Miami Beach.

Allen Kopelman:

It's exciting to see what people are building. AI is exploding across all kinds of companies. But you don't have to follow the path of signing up online for everything.

There are still concierge-style companies that can help you organize your business, grow your business, and learn from actual conversations with people. You don't have to rely only on conversations with Claude or OpenAI. Right?

Shai Stern:

Whatever works. It all works.

Allen Kopelman:

Thanks to everybody for joining us on today's episode of B2B Vault, The Biz to Biz Podcast. Find us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

Thank you again, Shai, for joining us.

Peace out, everybody! And as I always say, Carpe Diem. Seize the day! And a big shout-out to Boardy AI for introducing us!