1Mby1M Entrepreneurship Podcast 694th 1Mby1M Entrepreneurship Podcast with Alex Benik, Encoded Ventures
Jul 18, 2025
In this discussion, Alex Benik, Partner/Founder at Encoded Ventures, delves into early-stage investment strategies, focusing on AI's transformative impact across sectors. He highlights how VCs must anticipate disruptions over the next 5-7 years. The chat also covers innovative pricing models shaped by automation and the importance of thriving founding teams. Additionally, Alex shares insights on integrating human oversight in tech automation, balancing efficiency with quality, and addresses unique challenges for smaller companies in the evolving landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Agents in Infrastructure
- AI agents will transform infrastructure by automating configuration and operations.
- A centralized source of truth is essential for these AI-driven agentic operators to function effectively.
Evolving SaaS Pricing Models
- Pricing models in SaaS are evolving from user-based to compute-centric, reflecting AI's workflow automation impact.
- Compute usage, especially for agentic operations, will likely form the basis of future pricing strategies.
Datum's Founders and Vision
- The founders of Datum came from Packet, a successful bare metal hosting startup acquired by Equinix.
- Datum aims to simplify global app deployment by abstracting internet complexity for developers.