Startups For the Rest of Us Episode 813 | SaaS Predictions for 2026 (+ Reflections on 2025)
90 snips
Dec 30, 2025 The discussion dives into how AI, SEO, and market dynamics will shape SaaS in 2026. Key predictions include significant headwinds for horizontal SaaS and the risks of over-relying on SEO. It’s anticipated that brand dominance will increase due to AI-driven recommendations. There's also a forecast for a continued AI VC bubble and rising usage of open-source models. Notably, a major no-code platform might struggle, and acquisitions of small SaaS startups are expected to rise as big players seek growth.
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Core Four And SaaS Plateaus
- Rob Walling frames the 'Core Four' skills: marketing, sales, product, and development as essential for founders to learn or cover.
- Identifying the specific cause of a SaaS plateau is usually obvious and fixes depend on that diagnosis.
Master The Core Four Skills
- Learn or cover the Core Four skills: marketing, sales, product, and development when founding a SaaS company.
- Prioritize acquiring or partnering for missing skills rather than expecting magic fixes later.
Twelve Lessons From Rob's Journey
- Rob highlights his favorite episodes where he shares big mistakes and best decisions from his entrepreneurial journey.
- He uses these episodes to teach principles like 'nuance beats absolutes' and that overnight success takes a decade.
