Run the Numbers 996 Workweeks, Exploding AI Bills & The SaaS Payback Problem
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Sep 20, 2025 
Kyle Poyar, a growth and market analyst with a knack for SaaS economics, delves into the exploding costs of AI and the impact on company culture. He tackles the unsustainable 996 workweek trend fueled by rising expenses, explains why usage-based pricing can entrap customers, and discusses the challenges of recouping customer acquisition costs. Poyar also introduces the 'cracked engineer' archetype and draws parallels with subscription models in unexpected places, shedding light on the complexities of today’s market.
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Plan For Temporary CAC Degradation
- Expect CAC payback to worsen during aggressive hiring and channel experiments after a funding round.
- But aim to hit under two years post-product-market-fit to prove unit economics to investors.
Go-To-Market Engineer Is Hype-Heavy
- 'Go-to-market engineer' is a real but nascent role: hyped more than hired.
- It blends RevOps, engineering, and growth experimentation, but true hires are rare and often come from failed founders.
Hire Practically For Go-To Roles
- Hire cross-functional, systems-minded people who run experiments and automate plays, not mythical unicorns.
- Look for candidates with product, data, and influence skills or former founder experience.