Think like a VC when vetting SaaS vendors… The right software partner offers more than just features and price. So what can decision makers do differently? 1. Measure slope over y-intercept. With AI, products can change at a breathtaking pace, so who the #1 player is or which product is most feature complete will largely be determined by who can execute faster, not who started first. 2. Consider long-term viability. Especially for mission critical SaaS outsourcing like observability, model, or inference providers, even minor architectural differences become accentuated in the long run. 3. Leverage being an early adopter. Forming the right partnerships early on can get you sweetheart deals your competitors can’t access. This long term relationship can provide you with a competitive advantage. 4. Avoid tech debt and vendor lock-in. Because every third party vendor’s goal is to build in switching costs, it might seem easy to switch between providers today, but it won’t always be that way, so choosing right early on is important. 5. Evaluate the following: ⚡ Team caliber: Is this the team to execute faster and better than the competition to best satisfy your product needs? 🗺️ Product roadmap: Are they prioritizing/implementing key features for the ICP you’re in? 🚤 Shipping speed: Where are they today vs 2 months ago? A year ago? 💻 Tech differentiation: Is there anything about their tech that enables unique product unlocks? I've been a founder, engineer, and operator in the constantly evolving Voice AI space for 1.5 years now. If you're thinking about leveraging voice for your business, comment your email or message me so you can make an informed choice to build your business and tech stack.
