The AI with Maribel Lopez (AI with ML)
The AI with Maribel Lopez podcast interviews leading thinkers, experts and innovators on the latest trends in Artificial intelligence areas such as agentic AI, generative AI, AI security, AI ethics and governance. Maribel Lopez is a technology industry analyst, keynote speaker and founder of the Data For Betterment Foundation and Lopez Research. The podcast shares advice, strategies and techniques on how to use AI solutions such as conversational AI, computer vision and automation to make businesses more efficient. New episodes are released every week on Wednesdays.
The AI with Maribel Lopez (AI with ML)
SaaS Isn't Dead — But the "Dead" Narrative Is Leading Enterprise Buyers Astray
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Episode Summary: The "SaaS is dead" narrative is generating real confusion for enterprise buyers trying to make procurement decisions right now. In this solo episode, Maribel Lopez breaks down the two legitimate arguments driving the disruption narrative — AI coding tools and agentic AI — separates what's real from what's overstated, and gives enterprise technology leaders the two questions that actually matter for evaluating their SaaS stack in an AI-first world.
What You'll Learn:
- Why AI coding tools like Claude Code and Codex are not a SaaS replacement strategy — and what they should be used for instead
- Where agentic AI creates genuine revenue model pressure for SaaS vendors, and which vendors are already responding
- The specific conditions that would have to be true for SaaS to decline significantly — and which are not yet met
- How to evaluate your SaaS vendors' agentic AI readiness beyond roadmap promises
- Why the liability and compliance math still heavily favors established SaaS platforms for most enterprise use cases
Key Takeaways:
- Rebuilding mature systems of record with AI coding tools is not a competitive advantage — it's a distraction from building software that reflects your actual differentiation
- The per-seat revenue model is under real pressure, but vendors moving on agentic capabilities are finding new revenue: Salesforce is generating $540M ARR from AgentForce; Intercom crossed $200M from its AI-first pivot
- Commodity SaaS with no data moat or compliance depth faces the hardest disruption; platforms with systems of record have a path forward
- The right test for any SaaS vendor right now: what can they show you working in production — not a roadmap, not a demo
Companies and Examples Referenced:
- Salesforce / AgentForce: $540M ARR from agentic capabilities
- Intercom: $200M ARR from AI-first product pivot
- Workday: Certified connector ecosystem as an example of integration moats that can't be replicated quickly
- SAP: Proactive procurement optimization as an example of SaaS becoming more valuable, not less
Resources:
- Read the full article: SaaS Isn't Dead. But Its Revenue Model Is Under Pressure — Lopez Research
- Referenced: Cathay Capital on agentic AI and B2B software
- Connect with Maribel on LinkedIn
Subscribe to AI with Maribel Lopez on your podcast channel of choice — links at lopezresearch.com.
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