Episode 855 | The Eight SaaS Moats that Still Work in the Age of AI

About this episode

Which SaaS moats are left in 2026? In this episode, Rob Walling and Einar Vollset walk through the 10 ways AI is attacking SaaS companies, from customers vibe coding the app to per-seat revenue disappearing entirely. They then dig into the 8 moats they believe still work in the age of AI, with real examples like Stripe, Gusto, SignWell, and Gymdesk.  They finish with how founders can go on offense, including why the biggest opportunity may be to stop selling the tool and start doing the work. Topics we cover: • (06:02) – The SaaSpocalypse and conflicting market signals • (07:24) – How Einar researched durable SaaS moats • (11:48) – Which SaaS businesses AI will flatten • (14:20) – Attacks 1 and 2: Customers vibe code, competitors catch up • (16:52) – Attack 3: Open source gets good enough • (17:23) – Attack 4: Platforms ship your feature free • (18:06) – Attack 5: Custom software at SaaS-ish prices • (19:11) – Attack 6: AI models absorb your product • (19:57) – Attack 7: Your customers stop existing • (21:48) – Attack 8: Per-seat revenue disappears • (22:45) – Attack 9: The roles you serve vanish • (23:25) – Attack 10: