Software Industry
Software is eating the world. AI is eating software.
Navigate
| If you want to... | Go to... |
|---|---|
| Build software products | Products — V × R framing |
| Build vertical software | VSaaS Playbook — 5P framework |
| Understand the tech stack | Platform — Infrastructure |
| Understand the business model | Vertical Integration — Strategy |
The Thesis
| Era | Model | Who Captures Value |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | SaaS | Horizontal platforms |
| 2010s | VSaaS | Vertical specialists |
| 2020s | RaaS | Outcome guarantors |
The pattern: Software goes to zero. Data is oil. Outcomes are gold.
Context
- Industries — Other verticals
- DePIN — Physical infrastructure layer
- Work — Human/AI activity splits
Questions
If software goes to zero and outcomes are gold, what does a software business need to own to avoid becoming a commodity utility?
- The era table runs SaaS → VSaaS → RaaS — which industries are still in the SaaS era and therefore ripe for VSaaS specialization, and which have already been through it?
- "Data is oil" is the stated pattern — but oil has diminishing value after extraction while data compounds with each query; does that make data moats more durable or more fragile than they appear?
- RaaS means "outcome guarantors" — what liability and measurement infrastructure needs to exist before a software business can credibly guarantee outcomes rather than just features?