TLDR FOUNDERS 2026-03-27

Billing is a product. Make it grow with you.

THE AGE OF VERTICAL MODELS IS HERE

Intercom's Fin agent is objectively the highest performing, fastest, and cheapest model for customer service. The model resolves almost two million issues per week, a number that is growing exponentially. It resolves customer issues at a higher rate than any other model available. The model has already grown to nearly $100 million in recurring revenue in its short life.

AI COMPANIES ARE BUILDING FOR THE WRONG USERS

The gap between the early adoption and maturation phases is closing fast. The early adopters of AI have gotten the industry to where it is now. The next phase of growth will come from users who are curious but skeptical, willing to try but not interested enough to figure out how to work around the rough edges of the technology. This audience will determine whether AI delivers on its productivity promises.

AI FEATURES ARE ERODING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION APP'S MARGINS — HERE'S HOW TO FIX IT

AI features introduce variable costs that scale with user engagement. This disrupts the near-zero marginal soft model of traditional subscription apps. The most successful businesses are designing their entire systems around the economics of usage. Teams need to manage AI the same way they manage acquisition spend or infrastructure. Consider whether the AI feature is worth the cost - the improvements from implementing AI need to be measurable.

THE IMAGINATION CHASM: WHY 99% OF USEFUL AGENTS HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT YET

Most industries still can't define what an "agent" actually is. You can't build what you can't picture. This post lays out the six things still missing before agent-to-agent economies work: a communication layer (MCP/A2A), vendor-agnostic infra, dynamic auth, a payments layer, a marketplace, and real benchmarks. OpenClaw expanded imagination, but it's still the first 1%.

AVOIDING THE EYE OF SAURON

Founders in AI face heightened competition from incumbents, startups, foundation models, and empowered customers, risking obsolescence if their products remain at the workflow level. Companies building horizontal applications for high-agency, high-capability customers are particularly vulnerable, as these customers can easily replicate such tools. Founders must prioritize deep domain mastery, addressing human-centric problems, and developing chassis products to maintain a competitive edge.

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COGNEE

Your AI skills observe their own failures, figure out what broke, and fix themselves.

AGENTPLACE AI AGENTS

Create and manage task-specific AI agents for workflows.

SAAS WAS ABOUT UNBUNDLING. AI IS ABOUT REBUNDLING

The SaaS playbook was simple - own one workflow, expand from there. AI companies are doing the opposite - they're expanding into adjacent categories almost immediately because the cost of building is near zero. Models change every 42 days now, and buyers would rather trust one platform for 3-5 years than stitch together a best-of-breed stack that's outdated by next quarter.

2026 STATE OF GTM: THE BENCHMARKS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER

Companies under $100M ARR are accelerating again, likely driven by AI-native companies growing abnormally fast. CAC payback period is the metric to watch - revenue durability is uncertain, and shorter contract lengths are becoming the norm. GTM efficiency on AI products with 30% gross margins looks very different from that of traditional software with 75% margins.

WHY ELON MUSK WINS: GAME THEORY APPLIED

Elon Musk succeeds because he commits early in markets where GPUs, energy, capital, and manufacturing are constrained.

STORYTELLING AS A LEADERSHIP SKILL

Storytelling is a crucial leadership skill that ensures team alignment and clarity.

ISSUE TRACKING IS DEAD

The next era of product development is built on context and agency.