Episode 823 | Hot Take Tuesday: Is A.I. Killing B2B SaaS?, ChatGPT Ads, OpenClaw
Startups For the Rest of Us
M&A Guide and Who Buys B2B SaaS
Einar explains Discretion Capital's M&A guide and that private equity dominates buyers in the $2–20M ARR range.
Is AI really killing B2B SaaS, or is it just subscription software by another name?
In this Hot Take Tuesday, Rob Walling, Einar Vollset, and Tracy Osborn dig into the market panic around SaaS stocks, whether AI models are actually getting better, ChatGPT's move into advertising (and Anthropic's spicy response), and the explosion of OpenClaw. They also tackle QSBS and when SaaS acquisitions shift from asset to stock purchases.
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Topics we cover:
- (3:52) – M&A guide for B2B SaaS founders
- (6:35) – QSBS and asset vs. stock purchase thresholds
- (9:25) – Is AI killing B2B SaaS?
- (16:27) – Are AI models noticeably better than a year ago?
- (17:27) – ChatGPT vs. Claude: real-world experiences
- (26:17) – ChatGPT ads and Anthropic's Super Bowl response
- (29:34) – The opportunity for SaaS founders in new ad networks
- (32:29) – OpenClaw: hype or substance?
Links from the show:
- MicroConf US April 12-14, 2026 · Portland, Oregon
- Discretion Capital’s M&A Guide
- TinySeed SaaS Institute
- AI is Killing B2B SaaS by Namanyay Goel
- OpenClaw is What Apple Intelligence Should Have Been by Jake Quist
- Rob Walling @robwalling | X
- Einar Vollset @einarvollset | X
- Tracy Osborn (tracymakes) | Blue Sky
If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you'd like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We'd love to hear from you!
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