Venture(US:VEMLY) 3 6 Ke·2025-12-02 11:21Core Insights - The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the traditional Software as a Service (SaaS) model, leading to a new business landscape characterized by high computational costs and lower profit margins compared to traditional SaaS [1][2]. Group 1: Changes in Metrics and Economics - Traditional SaaS metrics are not applicable to AI companies, as each new customer incurs significant costs related to GPU power, electricity, and model inference time, leading to lower gross margins of around 40%-50% instead of the typical 80%-90% seen in SaaS [2]. - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) has become the new Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) in AI, where the limiting factor is computational cost rather than customer acquisition cost [3]. Group 2: Pricing Models - AI companies are moving away from traditional subscription models to usage-based and outcome-based pricing, linking revenue directly to measurable productivity or results [5][6]. - Pricing strategies include pay-per-use models and outcome-based pricing, where customers only pay when quantifiable business results are achieved [5][6]. Group 3: Sales and Marketing Strategies - AI companies are adopting "shadow targets" instead of traditional sales quotas due to the unpredictability of model adoption, focusing on adaptive marketing strategies and smaller, skilled teams [7]. - AI is integrated into daily operations, with companies using AI tools to enhance workflows and improve team efficiency [8]. Group 4: Market Positioning and Collaboration - Companies like fal are narrowing their focus to specific areas, such as generative media reasoning, to establish a strong market position and accelerate product application [9]. - A new form of cooperation, termed "coopetition," is emerging in the AI sector, where companies collaborate to enhance model capabilities while still competing in the market [10]. Group 5: New Success Metrics - In the AI era, forward-thinking founders are tracking new signals such as usage, customer affinity, and leverage, rather than just revenue [12]. - Key metrics include user retention and growth, internal Net Promoter Score (NPS), logo diversity, and wallet share, reflecting a shift towards measuring product loyalty and utility [12].