Private Equity's AI Shift: Bob Morse on SaaS, Pricing, and Alignment

Sean Mooney speaks with Bob Morse, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Strattam Capital, about the changing playbook in private equity, especially in tech. Morse traces his path from Morgan Stanley and Oak Hill to founding Strattam, then lays out a no-surprises model: turn cards face-up pre-signing, align on a founder-written five-point plan, and opt-in support with real accountability. He explains why AI threatens seat-based SaaS economics, where outcome pricing wins, and how PE firms should push portfolios to experiment while keeping the founder's innovative spark alive. Clear-eyed and practical, this conversation arms business builders with a framework to act now.

Episode highlights

• 1:26 – An engineer's path into private equity

• 7:15 – Why tech needed a dedicated, specialized PE fund and the genesis of Strattam

• 13:03 – Solving the "first board-meeting surprise"

• 19:45 – The founder persona Strattam backs: industry operators with proven product-market fit

• 27:15 – AI as invention vs. innovation and the early business models that actually work

• 32:27 – The SaaS shake-up: from seat licenses to outcome-based pricing and financing impact

• 41:54 – "Aliens landed": a mantra for leading through uncertainty and running smart experiments

For more on Bob Morse's firm, visit: https://strattam.com/ Connect with Bob Morse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-morse-3567595/ Explore more episodes: www.bluwave.net/podcasts