How do you build defensible business value in an era when, as AngelList CEO Avlok Kohli said on our last ACQ2 episode, the “cost of intelligence is going to zero”? Longtime friend of the show Jake Saper and his partners at Emergence Capital have been refining their thesis for this brave new world of Generative AI in B2B, and we sit down with him to discuss. We cover topics including:When do exactly correct answers matter, and when do they not?When are human-in-the-loop systems necessary?When do startups have an advantage vs. incumbents, and vice-versa?Where can companies capture value on a durable basis?When do you need proprietary data in order to be defensible?Whether you’re building or investing in existing businesses from the “pre-AI” era or brand new startups that are native to GPT, this episode has plenty of takeaways you should consider. Tune in!Links:Jake’s recent blog post on Generative AI and B2BFollow Jake on TwitterSponsors:Vanta

Jake Saper, General Partner at Emergence Capital, discusses his firm's impressive track record of investing $2BN and returning $8BN. He shares insights about their early investment in Zoom and the critical importance of market dynamics over mere traction. Saper also delves into the changing landscape of SaaS metrics and the significance of retaining customers. He highlights the existential concerns around AI and encourages companies to aim for becoming board discussion topics, all while revealing lessons learned from their early sale of Salesforce.

Jake Saper, General Partner at Emergence Capital, discusses SaaS business models. Topics include single-player vs. multiplayer product modes, various moats in SaaS, evolving SaaS pricing & business models, scaling anecdotes from Zoom, Guru, Textio, and more. They also explore how AI and LLMs will impact SaaS and how founders should use LLMs in their products.