Sam, Asad, and AJ are back to debate the hard numbers shaping the GTM landscape in 2026. The consensus? The freeze is thawing, but the rules have changed.
Sam predicts we've entered the "Year of the Deal." Investors are exhausted, founders are tired, and the market is finally ready to clear—even if that means restructuring cap tables to take the win and move on.
Asad brings the sobering data on the "Great Concentration," revealing that almost half of venture capital went to a surprisingly small number of companies, while AJ argues that without a compelling AI narrative, traditional SaaS assets will face a brutal valuation ceiling.
Chapters:
00:36 Welcome to 2026: Intro and Hosts
02:30 Quiz Pro Quo
08:56 Sam's Prediction: The Year of the Deal
13:53 AI-Native vs. Traditional Investment Trends
16:42 Founder Exhaustion and the Acceptance of Lower Exits
19:40 The VC Perspective on Clearing "Vintage" Funds
24:00 Advice for Seed Founders: Shut Down or Sell?
28:22 Sam's Bearish Take on OpenAI's Financials
31:12 Testing the Stickiness of AI Models
38:03 Asad's Prediction: The Era of Capital Concentration
43:21 Why 2026 Will See Increased Layoffs
46:37 The Confusion of a High-Churn Job Market
50:19 Shoutouts and Personal Reflections
