Zero

What do they actually do

Zero is an AI‑powered email client that helps users triage and respond to email faster. Today it offers prioritization, instant thread summaries, one‑click AI‑drafted replies, auto‑labeling, and a natural‑language “chat with your inbox” interface. It connects multiple providers (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) into a unified inbox, and the core project is open‑source with a self‑hosting option for users who want more control over data and deployment homepage, GitHub.

Zero’s pricing includes a Free plan (1 email connection, basic labeling, limited AI writing and inbox chat) and a Pro plan at $20/month that adds unlimited email connections, auto‑labeling, one‑click AI writing/replies, and instant thread summaries. An Enterprise tier is listed for teams needing advanced features and support pricing. The company is backed by Y Combinator YC profile.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Busy executives and managers: They get dozens or hundreds of emails daily, lose time sifting notifications, and miss urgent requests; many rely on assistants for manual triage. Zero’s prioritization, summaries, and drafting aim to reduce that load YC, site.
• Product managers, engineers, and project leads: Long threads bury decisions and action items; they repeatedly re‑read chains to extract tasks and context. Zero provides instant thread summaries and action items to cut that overhead site.
• Founders and small‑team operators: They juggle multiple accounts and time‑sensitive investor/customer emails and lose momentum when they can’t find critical messages or respond quickly. Zero’s Pro plan consolidates unlimited accounts with one‑click reply drafts pricing.
• Sales and customer‑facing reps: They handle high volumes of repetitive replies and tracking follow‑ups. Zero’s AI‑drafted replies and auto‑labeling reduce repetitive writing and surface messages that need attention site, pricing.
• Freelancers and consultants: They manage multiple clients and need consistent tone and context across threads; slow or off‑tone replies hurt relationships. Zero’s summaries and writing helpers accelerate consistent, context‑aware responses site.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Personally invite early users from the YC network and the waitlist; do 1:1 onboarding and migration help in exchange for feedback and testimonials YC, about/waitlist.
• First 50: Activate community channels (GitHub, Discord, X) and launch on Product Hunt with targeted invites and role‑specific how‑to templates to convert enthusiasts into paid trials GitHub, site.
• First 100: Run focused LinkedIn outreach and small‑team pilots (e.g., startup/VC portfolios), time‑box trials that convert to Pro, and publish short case studies to improve conversion pricing.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Email is one of the most widely used work tools, with over 4.4–4.7 billion global users in 2024–2026, underscoring a very large addressable base for productivity‑oriented email software Constant Contact citing Statista, EmailTooltester.

Bottom-up calculation:

If 2–3 million professionals adopt a dedicated AI email client at ~$20/user/month, that implies ~$480M–$720M in annual spend for this category pricing.

Assumptions:

• Target segment focuses on professionals who pay for productivity tools (executives, PMs, sales, operators).
• Willingness to pay averages ~$20/user/month, in line with Zero’s Pro pricing.
• Adoption estimate (2–3M users) reflects a small fraction of global knowledge workers using premium clients.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Superhuman: A premium, keyboard‑first email client for Gmail/Outlook with fast workflows and AI‑assisted drafting; well known among power users.
• Shortwave: An AI‑forward Gmail‑based client with chat‑style UI, summaries, and an AI assistant for drafting and organizing.
• Gmail (Google Workspace): The dominant incumbent for business email; increasingly integrates AI features (e.g., drafting assistance, prioritization) inside Gmail.
• Microsoft Outlook + Copilot: Outlook is widely deployed in enterprises; Copilot adds AI summarization and drafting within Microsoft 365 workflows.
• Front: A team‑centric email and shared inbox platform with automation and collaboration features used by support and account teams.