Is SaaS really dead? Dharmesh Shah from HubSpot on AI, Vibe-Coding & the Future of Work

Is SaaS about to be replaced by people “vibe-coding” their own apps — or is something deeper at stake? Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, joins Wade to cut through the hype and give a refreshingly practical view of how companies should show up for AI.

Dharmesh argues the right question isn’t “How do I compete against AI?” but “How do I compete with AI?” — and explains how culture, curiosity, and a little bit of tinkering unlock real value. From practical starting points for SMBs, to why large SaaS vendors still have a massive advantage, to the power of simulation and retrieval-augmented workflows, this episode maps out what leaders and teams should actually do next.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why “compete with AI” beats “compete against AI.”
• The rituals that help organizations adopt AI (hackathons, demos, and scheduled retries).
• Low-risk starting points: creation → synthesis → automation → simulation.
• Why large SaaS companies likely aren’t going extinct — and when vibe-coding does make sense.
• How AI can amplify careers: automate the small stuff, get promoted to bigger problems.
• Practical ideas for marketing, personalization, and building dynamic UIs that fade into the background.

Guest: Dharmesh Shah — Co-founder & CTO, HubSpot

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