EP5 - The Rise of Vertical AI Agents: Why SaaS Companies Should Be Worried

The world of software and technology is undergoing a massive shift—and AI agents are at the center of this revolution. In this episode of In The Loop, Jack Houghton dives into how vertical AI agents, like OpenAI’s deep research agent and Perplexity, are changing the game by consolidating complex workflows into single, powerful agents. Imagine replacing an entire stack of SaaS tools with one AI-driven system. It’s not just possible—it’s already happening.

We explore how these multi-agent systems work, why they’re so disruptive to established players like Google, and how they’re reshaping industries like healthcare, law, and enterprise software. Plus, Jack shares insights on how SaaS companies can adapt (or risk getting left behind). If you want to understand where AI is taking the future of work and tech, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Episode Highlights:

(01:10) — The rise of vertical AI agents and why they threaten traditional SaaS models

(04:25) — Why Google’s business model is at risk from AI-driven search tools

(08:35) — Why SaaS companies must embrace AI agents or face being left behind

(10:00) — How vertical AI solutions could entirely unbundle today’s SaaS landscape

Links & Resources:

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

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