Episode 823 | Hot Take Tuesday: Is A.I. Killing B2B SaaS?, ChatGPT Ads, OpenClaw
In this Hot Take Tuesday episode, Rob Walling, Tracy Osborne, and Anar Volset discuss whether AI is threatening B2B SaaS, the rise of AI-driven advertising on platforms like ChatGPT, and the rapid growth of the OpenClaw community. They argue that while AI introduces new competition and forces incumbents to innovate, SaaS isn’t dying—it's evolving into more AI‑enhanced software, and the market overreaction creates buying opportunities. Volset also shares insights on SaaS M&A, explaining when deals shift from asset to stock purchases, and the team highlights their new guide to B2B SaaS acquisitions.
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Rob Walling reviews TinySeed’s progress at the end of 2025, highlighting that the accelerator has invested in over 210 B2B SaaS companies, raised just under $60 million across three funds, and returned capital from its first fund. He notes emerging trends...
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Rob Walling answers listener questions, offering a framework for handling a plateaued $500k SaaS business and warning that putting a company on "autopilot" often leads to decline. He explains when founders should invest in SOC 2 compliance, the pros and cons...
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Rob Walling answers listener questions about whether technical SaaS founders should bring on a sales‑and‑marketing co‑founder, introducing his "Core Four" model of essential early‑stage SaaS skills. He explains how to prioritize or outsource these skills, argues that sales‑led growth can...
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Rob Walling talks with Missive co‑founder Philippe Lehoux about how a small, bootstrapped team grew the collaborative email platform to $8 M ARR, covering the early idea, landing first customers, and the decision to stay independent of VC funding. They explore...
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In this solo episode, Rob Walling examines how founders should navigate gatekeeping versus earning their place by paying dues, emphasizing the importance of self‑education and effort before seeking community help. He argues that raw, unpolished material—early ideas and skills—outweigh polished...
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In this solo episode, Rob Walling tackles listener questions about product positioning, debating vertical, orthogonal, and horizontal strategies for bootstrapped SaaS founders, and examines whether AI now makes inventing a new category viable. He stresses evaluating how much a product...
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Rob Walling and Laura Sprinkle recap MicroConf Europe 2025 in Istanbul, describing the friendly, diverse crowd and the value of off‑stage networking and excursions. They highlight standout sessions on AI, lifecycle marketing, affiliate programs, and scaling SaaS to $2M ARR,...
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In this solo episode, Rob Walling tackles listener questions about SaaS growth, explaining how to respond when marketing channels stop scaling and offering strategies for promoting a product still seeking product‑market fit. He advises founders to publish early‑stage content on...