The Evolution of SaaS

    From Software to Digital Workers

    1990s software era
    On-Prem Software: 90s - 2000s
    Buy, Install, Maintain, Suffer

    Software used to live on physical machines. You bought a license, installed it manually, and prayed the update didn't crash your system.

    IT ran the show, not the user. Innovation was slow, expensive, and limited to whoever could afford hardware and infrastructure.

    2000s SaaS migration
    Cloud-Based SaaS: 2000s - 2010s
    The Great Migration

    Then came the cloud. Software moved online, subscriptions replaced licenses, and teams could finally work anywhere. The SaaS model exploded. No more installations, no more updates. Just log in and go.

    It was faster, lighter, and scalable—but it still required humans to run it.

    2010s ecosystems
    The Platform Era: 2010s - 2020s
    The Rise of Ecosystems

    SaaS companies realized integration was power. Platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Shopify built ecosystems that connected hundreds of tools.

    The focus shifted from selling features to building marketplaces. The new advantage was "extensibility." The more apps plugged in, the more valuable the platform became.

    2020s AI era
    AI & Automation in SaaS: 2020s - Present
    Software Starts Thinking

    AI entered the chat. We added automation, copilots, and chatbots. SaaS finally started to predict, assist, and learn. But it still wasn’t autonomous.

    These tools could suggest or summarize, but they couldn’t own outcomes. They made humans faster, not freer.

    Now: AI agents era (mobile)
    Digital Workers: Now - Future
    SaaS Becomes a Workforce

    Now, SaaS is crossing the final frontier. AI agents can actually perform the work— research, outreach, support, recruiting—without needing constant human oversight.

    They don’t just automate tasks; they manage workflows, collaborate, and deliver measurable results.

    The software itself becomes the workforce.

    STOP POSITIONING AS A PLATFORM.
    START BUILDING A DIGITAL WORKFORCE.
    Stop positioning as a platform.
    Start building a Digital Workforce.

    Not a Tool. A Teammate.