# Episode 813 | SaaS Predictions for 2026 (+ Reflections on 2025)

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Podcast: [Startups For the Rest of Us](https://stenobird.com/podcast/startups-for-the-rest-of-us)
Published: 2025-12-30T10:00:48+00:00
Episode link: https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-813-saas-predictions-for-2026-reflections-on-2025
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Duration seconds: 1686

## Resource

Rob Walling evaluates his past SaaS predictions and outlines nine new forecasts for 2026. The discussion focuses on the intensifying challenges for horizontal SaaS and the shifting landscape of organic discovery.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Horizontal SaaS founders will face significant headwinds due to venture-backed competition and AI-first entrants
- Failure mode: Overreliance on SEO and content marketing is becoming increasingly risky as AI alters search discovery
- Practical takeaway: Building brand affinity and word-of-mouth is essential to survive the crowding of traditional acquisition channels
- Market trend: M&A activity for small SaaS startups is expected to accelerate throughout 2026
- Strategic insight: The 'Core Four' framework (marketing, sales, product, development) remains the essential lens for overcoming growth plateaus

## Topics

SaaS, Bootstrapping, Artificial Intelligence, SEO, MicroConf, TinySeed, M&A, Horizontal SaaS, Entrepreneurship

## Chapters
- 1:00 — The Core Four Framework: Reflections on identifying the root causes of SaaS growth plateaus using a structured framework.
- 13:30 — The Decline of Horizontal SaaS: Why bootstrapped horizontal SaaS companies are struggling against well-funded, AI-first competitors.
- 15:20 — The SEO Trap: Analyzing the risks of relying on organic search in an era of AI-driven content saturation.
- 17:30 — The Importance of Brand: How building company affinity and word-of-mouth serves as a defense against platform risk.
- 21:30 — Open Source AI and Usage: Predicting a doubling in global usage of open-source AI models due to cost and platform concerns.
- 23:40 — M&A and Market Shifts: Forecasting an uptick in acquisitions and the continued volatility of the crypto market.
- 25:40 — Stripe and 2025 Reflections: A look at Stripe's IPO status and a retrospective on the year's milestones for MicroConf and TinySeed.

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## Transcript

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