Capital, Labor, and Automation History

Software has fundamentally changed the way we record, store, and share information. Its next act is to fundamentally change the nature of our economy, capturing trillions of dollars of value in the process.

In this talk from the 2025 a16z LP Summit, a16z General Partner Alex Rampell discusses the history of filing cabinets and databases, how SaaS pricing moved from seats to outcomes, and how AI agents will accelerate the trend of the last 70 years of software progress.

Timecodes: 

0:00 Introduction

0:58 The Scale of the Labor Market vs. SaaS  

1:41 Capital, Labor, and Automation: A Historical Perspective  

3:32 The Filing Cabinet Metaphor: Digitizing Work  

3:50 Case Studies: From Airlines to Accounting  

8:42 The Limits of Efficiency: Humans Still in the Loop  

9:02 Rethinking SaaS Pricing Models  

10:21 The Impact of AI on Labor and Software  

11:41 Outcome-Based Software: Moving Beyond the Filing Cabinet  

17:41 Real-World Examples: AI in Action  

22:05 The Expanding Market: New Opportunities with AI  

25:44 Conclusion and Takeaways  

25:48 Podcast Outro and Disclaimers 

Resources: 

Follow Alex on X: https://x.com/arampell

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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