Podium says its 20,000 AI agents for local businesses crossed $150M in yearly revenue
1 · What happened
Eric Rea says Podium now has 20,000 AI agents working for its customers, that they have helped generate more than $13 billion in revenue for those businesses, and that Podium is profitable. These are the company's own figures, not an independent check, and the $13 billion is revenue the businesses made with the agents' help, not extra revenue caused by them. Podium's site claims a 36-second average reply time and 45% higher conversion with 24/7 lead coverage (also its own claims).
These numbers come from the builder and haven't been checked independently.
Podium (@ericwilliamrea) · Oct 2026 · Source: x.com ↗
2 · How it works, in plain words
Podium sells an "AI Employee" to local businesses such as auto dealers, home services, aesthetics clinics and shops. Its website says the agent replies to new leads around the clock, qualifies them and books appointments, so staff can focus on the customers in front of them. On 22 Oct 2026 Podium's CEO, Eric Rea, posted that the AI side of the business had just crossed $150M in annual recurring revenue, two and a half years after they started over on AI.
3 · Setup steps
How to do it yourself
Our suggested steps. The company didn't publish theirs.
- 1
Count how fast you reply to new enquiries today, including nights and weekends. That's the number an AI lead agent is meant to fix.
- 2
Write down the questions every new lead asks (price range, availability, area you cover) and your answers. The agent can only be as good as this list.
- 3
Decide which leads the AI may book on its own and which must go to a person, for example big jobs or unhappy customers.
- 4
Book a demo with Podium (or a similar tool) and ask for its pricing and its numbers for businesses your size, in your industry.
- 5
Run it for a month and compare booked appointments, not just replies sent, against the month before.
4 · The prompt
The instructions to give the AI
Paste this into your AI tool, swap the [brackets] for your details, and test it on a few real examples.
This is one part of the setup. It won't connect to your phone, inbox or other apps on its own; the steps above cover that.
Agent instructions (prompt)
You reply to new enquiries for [Business name], a [type of business] in [area]. When a new lead comes in by text, web chat or form, reply within a minute in a friendly, plain tone. Answer only from these facts: [services, price ranges, hours, areas covered]. If you don't know, say a team member will confirm. Ask two questions at most: what they need, and when. Then offer the next two free slots from [calendar]. If they book, confirm the time and what to expect. If they mention a complaint, an emergency or a job over [amount], stop and pass them to [person] with a short summary. Never promise a price or a discount.
[Highlighted] = replace with your own details before you run it.
What you should get back: "Hi Sam, thanks for getting in touch! Is this for a service or a repair, and when suits you? I have Tuesday 10am or Wednesday 2pm free."
Written by Quickly and Good, inspired by this case.
More detail: tools, prices and what you'll need
The company used: Podium AI Employee
You could use: Podium AI Employee (texts, web chat and calls, plus booking)
Prices from each tool's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026.
What you'll need
- ☐A channel where leads arrive (text, web chat, website form or phone)
- ☐Your list of answers to common questions and your price ranges
- ☐A booking calendar the agent can read and write
- ☐Clear rules for when a person takes over
Can I do this myself?
You can build a simpler version with a form or chat tool, an AI step and your calendar (see the setup steps in our lead follow-up guide). Podium is a done-for-you option; prices aren't on its homepage, so ask for a quote.
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