SaaStr 835: AI + B2B in 2026: Find the Tailwinds or Get Left Behind with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin

Software spend is set to hit record levels in 2026, but you're not getting any of it unless you change.

SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin breaks down the paradox facing B2B companies right now: It's never been easier to scale to $100M (for a select few), while everyone else struggles. Half of all VC dollars are going into just 4 deals. IPOs ended the year with a whimper.

And that AI copilot you built? It doesn't count.

In this session, Jason shares the data on what's actually happening and what you need to do to capture your share of the hundreds of billions flowing into software.

Key insights:

• Why "seed is for suckers" in today's VC environment
• The 3 types of AI products that unlock budget (and the one that doesn't)
• Why 30% of new IT budget is going to AI and how to steal it
• The TAM expansion math behind Cursor, Gamma, and AI SDR tools
• Why copilots and AI features alone won't save you
• The efficiency metrics every founder needs to track in 2026

If you didn't reaccelerate growth in 2025, you get a D. You can't get a D in 2026.

🎤 Recorded at SaaStr London AI Summit | December 2025

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This episode is Sponsored in part by HappyFox:

Imagine having AI agents for every support task — one that triages tickets, another that catches duplicates, one that spots churn risks. That'd be pretty amazing, right? HappyFox just made it real with Autopilot. These pre-built AI agents deploy in about 60 seconds and run for as low as 2 cents per successful action. All of it sits inside the HappyFox omnichannel, AI-first support stack — Chatbot, Copilot, and Autopilot working as one. Check them out at happyfox.com/saastr

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Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.

With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.

But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.

Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.