SaaS is dead?

In this solo episode, I explain why I say SaaS is dead and what I see taking its place. For 15 years, SaaS meant paying engineers to build a tool and charging per seat, and now models like Opus 5.5, GPT-6, and Argon make the tool easy to build. I walk through what I call smart SaaS: give the tool away for free, collect data and network effects, and make money by upselling AI agents and human services. I share a calorie tracking example, three ways to charge, and why enterprises still pay per seat. If you build software, this episode gives you a map for building something people want in a market where the tool is free.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

00:47 – SaaS 1.0

02:56 – SaaS 2.0: The New Business Model

05:12 – How to monetize SaaS 2.0

06:18 – Service is the new Software

07:22 – SaaS Is Dead, Long Live SaaS

08:58 – SMB vs Enterprise

10:31 – Closing Thoughts

Key Points

AI makes the tool easy to build, so the per-seat model of the last 15 years has run its course.