The Future of Software?

What does the future of the software business look like? How much of an impact will SaaS and AI have on the profitability of software? 

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SHOW NOTES:

• Are Software Companies Bad Business? - Clouded Judgment 
• Aggregation Theory - Stratechery

SOME VCs ARE QUESTIONING IF SOFTWARE IS A GOOD BUSINESS

• VCs are concerned about the rate of return (and cash-flow) or software.
• Is the future of open source software always SaaS offerings? Have we seen enough success with that model to say it’s a viable future business model?

WHAT ARE THE EVOLVING DYNAMICS OF THE SOFTWARE BUSINESS?

• Is SaaS too fragmented, or will aggregated platforms emerge?
• How much will AI add to the costs (or COGS) of software? 
• If software (especially SaaS) is bought by end-users or teams, will they appreciate AI automation vs. concern about jobs?
• How does the pricing of SaaS evolve? Is it still per-seat, if AI can reduce the number of seats?
• Are there channels for PLG software? 
• If every company is a software company, is software becoming a commodity?

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