Recently, I made an interesting discovery in my consulting work. It’s that “the death of SaaS might become a reality.”
Right now, I am rebuilding each SaaS service I use daily from scratch and canceling them one by one. Why am I doing this? The answer is simple: it makes data integration much easier and operations significantly smoother.
The “Build-It-Yourself” Option Required in the AI Era
Traditionally, with SaaS, “using is better than building” was the norm. However, advances in AI are beginning to overturn this common sense.
In fact, at a client company, we implemented a system that retrieves existing configuration information via API and uses AI to automatically generate manuals. As a result, the long-standing issue of dependency on specific individuals has been dramatically reduced.
The key point here is that it’s not simply about replacing tools. By building a system completely optimized for their own workflow, they have achieved a level of efficiency that was not possible with conventional SaaS.
The Era When Marketing Can Be 90% Automated with AI
In my own marketing operations, I have been able to automate a significant portion of the flow from awareness acquisition to closing deals.
The only part that still requires substantial effort is buzz-generating campaigns using video. However, for companies operating in the AI business, this is also an excellent opportunity to showcase their technical capabilities. Compared to other industries, this can often work to their advantage.
This shift represents a major opportunity, especially for SME owners, CTOs, and back-office managers. The need to keep paying monthly fees for the same SaaS used by large corporations is beginning to fade.
Three Practical Steps to Take
Step 1: List Your Current SaaS Tools
First, list all the SaaS services used within your company. Start by organizing their monthly costs and functions.
Step 2: Explore AI-Powered Alternatives
Analyze the core functions of each SaaS and explore whether they can be replaced using AI or low-code development. You don’t need a complete replacement from the start; I recommend beginning by building a few functions yourself.
Step 3: Start Small and Expand Gradually
You don’t need to change everything at once. It’s important to start with the area where you expect the most significant impact and build on successful experiences.
Recommending “SaaS Rebuilding” for Learning
Using existing SaaS services as a reference and rebuilding them yourself with AI is an extremely educational process. Beyond mere cost reduction, it becomes an opportunity to deeply understand your own operations and achieve true efficiency.
Of course, not all SaaS will become unnecessary. However, having the option to “build” will undoubtedly increase your managerial freedom.
As a management strategy for the AI era, please consider “breaking away from SaaS.” You might discover unexpected competitive advantages.
Comments