Resend CEO: How designing for AI agents is reshaping developer tools and email

The intersection of AI agents and developer tools is creating new paradigms for building software and communication platforms. In a recent a16z podcast, Resend CEO Zeno Rocha explores how generative AI is transforming email experiences, introducing the concept of “agent experience” as a natural evolution of developer experience, and how technologies like Multi-Agent Collaboration Protocol (MCP) are reshaping programming fundamentals.

The big picture: Developer experience expert Zeno Rocha reveals how his focus has shifted to designing for “agent experience” – creating interfaces and APIs optimized for AI agents that both build and operate within modern software products.

Email’s AI transformation: Email, despite being a decades-old technology, is becoming a fresh frontier for innovation as AI agents learn to send, parse, and optimize communications.

• Email remains one of the most ubiquitous tools for both developers and everyday users, making it a high-impact area for AI-driven transformation.
• Resend is reimagining email infrastructure for a future where autonomous agents handle significant portions of communication workflows.

Agent-friendly architecture: Creating effective APIs for AI agents requires fundamentally different design approaches than traditional human-centered interfaces.

• As AI increasingly participates in software development and usage, the boundary between creator and user is blurring, creating new requirements for tool design.
• Rocha discusses how developers can build systems that remain accessible to humans while optimizing for agent interaction.

MCP’s emerging impact: The Multi-Agent Collaboration Protocol (MCP) represents a significant advancement in how AI systems can work together, collapsing traditional creative workflows.

• The protocol enables more seamless collaboration between multiple AI systems, potentially revolutionizing how software gets built.
• This technology is creating unprecedented efficiency gains for both professional developers and prosumer creators.

Beyond the code: Rocha shares insights about his popular Dracula coding theme and his approach to side projects.

• The discussion reveals how personal creative outlets often lead to unexpected professional opportunities in the developer space.
• Rocha’s experiences illustrate how seemingly niche developer tools can achieve widespread adoption when they solve genuine pain points.