SaaStr 817: What Happens When AI Kills Your SaaS Growth? Live Q&A with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin
In this Q&A session from SaaStr Annual, Jason Lemkin delivers hard truths about how AI is reshaping the entire SaaS landscape. No sugarcoating, no feel-good platitudes - just the brutal reality of what's happening to B2B companies right now.
What You'll Learn:
- Why 80% of B2B investors now only do AI deals (and what that means for traditional SaaS)
- The real reason $100M revenue companies are suddenly hitting growth walls
- Why VCs have shifted from seeking billion-dollar to trillion-dollar outcomes
- How the "triple-triple-double-double" growth model died in 18 months
- Why you need to go multi-product by $10M revenue (not $100M)
- The downward death spiral killing SaaS companies that aren't adapting
- Specific tactics for surviving when your go-to-market playbook stops working
Key Moments:
- A founder admits he's "terrified" of AI - Jason's response will surprise you
- Why vertical SaaS is becoming the only "safe haven"
- The harsh math on fundraising when you're not AI-first
- How brand marketing is changing as search moves from Google to ChatGPT
- Why working "twice as hard and four times smarter" isn't optional anymore
Raw Founder Questions Answered:
- "How do I fundraise when I'm not AI-first?"
- "Is triple-double-double still attractive to investors?"
- "Should my sales team experiment with AI?"
- "How many resources should we devote to becoming AI-first?"
This isn't your typical conference recap. It's 90 minutes of unvarnished insights from founders in the trenches, dealing with the AI disruption in real-time. Jason doesn't hold back on what's working, what's broken, and what you need to do differently starting tomorrow.
Perfect for: SaaS founders, revenue leaders, and anyone trying to navigate the AI transformation of B2B software.
------------------
Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd!
It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders.
The biggest names will be there. The best networking.
Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.
Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout.
SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there.
---------------------------------------------------
Hey everybody, SaaStr Annual will be back in May of 2026.
The world's largest SaaS + AI gathering for executives. Just this May we hosted: 10,000 attendees with 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% were AI-first professionals. This is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.
But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.
Lock in your spot today. Use my code JASON100 for exclusive savings. Get your tickets at podcast.saastrannual.com or use code JASON100 at checkout.
SaaStr Annual 2026. We'll see you there.
The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors