At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, entrepreneurs Brett Taylor and Stephen Bartlett share insights on building businesses amid the AI revolution. Brett discusses Sierra's AI-native enterprise solutions, while Stephen reflects on his journey in media and creator economy, emphasizing infrastructure support for creators and the importance of inventing the future in entrepreneurship.
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 hosted a compelling session titled "What It Takes to Build," featuring two distinguished entrepreneurs, Brett Taylor and Stephen Bartlett. The discussion delved into the mindset of founders and entrepreneurs as they navigate the emerging AI era, sharing their journeys, challenges, and visions for the future.
Jessica Lessin, founder of The Information, moderated the session. She introduced Brett Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Sierra, an AI-native enterprise company that has achieved over $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) as of November 2025. Brett's impressive background includes roles as president of Salesforce, CTO of Meta, and founder of Quip and FriendFeed.
Stephen Bartlett, CEO of the media marketing agency Flight Story and host of the popular podcast "Diary of a CEO," also joined the conversation. Stephen has a rich entrepreneurial history, having built companies globally and taken them public, with a recent focus on the creator economy.
Stephen shared his early experiences, revealing that his entrepreneurial drive stemmed from a lack of traditional employment options. He was expelled and then unexpelled from school due to his business acumen, which hinted at his future success. He attended only one university lecture before fully committing to entrepreneurship at 18.
Over the years, Stephen traveled extensively, built companies, and worked in Silicon Valley. In the last five years, he has concentrated on building a media company within the creator economy, which he describes as his "ikigai"—a purpose that combines passion, skill, and value.
He explained that after leaving his previous company at 27, he decided to dedicate himself to building a media company through his holding company, stephen.com, with Flight Story as one of its ventures. Stephen believes this is an opportune time to build creator media companies because human-centric content will become increasingly valuable.
Stephen elaborated on the unique position of creators, who often have disproportionate impact relative to their infrastructure. For example, his podcast "Diary of a CEO" reaches 70 million downloads monthly but operates with a small team compared to traditional media.
He highlighted the challenges creators face, such as lacking commercial and operational infrastructure to scale their businesses effectively. To address this, Stephen's company provides creators with the necessary infrastructure, including technology for A/B testing creatives at scale and tools to optimize content retention.
An intriguing example of their attention to detail is monitoring the CO2 levels in recording rooms, as elevated CO2 can impair cognitive performance. This meticulous approach underscores their commitment to maximizing creator output and quality.
Brett Taylor shared his motivation for starting Sierra shortly after leaving his role as co-CEO of Salesforce. The announcement of ChatGPT coincided with his decision to embark on a new venture, reinforcing his belief in creating technology to shape the future.
He quoted Allen Kay of Xerox Park: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it," emphasizing the proactive mindset entrepreneurs must adopt in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Sierra focuses on delivering AI-native enterprise solutions, particularly in customer service, leveraging artificial intelligence to transform business operations. Brett's extensive experience in leading tech companies positions him well to navigate and innovate in this space.
Both entrepreneurs underscored the importance of adaptability, innovation, and infrastructure in building successful businesses today. Stephen's focus on empowering creators with robust support systems complements Brett's vision of integrating AI deeply into enterprise solutions.
Their insights reflect a broader trend where technology and human creativity intersect, creating new opportunities and challenges for founders worldwide.
The "What It Takes to Build" session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 offered valuable perspectives on entrepreneurship in the AI era. Brett Taylor and Stephen Bartlett exemplify how visionary leadership, combined with a commitment to innovation and infrastructure, can drive success in today's dynamic business environment.
As AI continues to reshape industries, entrepreneurs like Brett and Stephen demonstrate that building the future requires not only embracing technology but also nurturing the uniquely human elements that technology cannot replace.
