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Sep 13, 2025 · 1h 25m · neon-show

4 Startups. 2 Founders and 3 Eras Of SaaS: Installable → Cloud → AI | Sreedhar & Kiran

Siddhartha Ahluwalia · 42m spoken Kiran Darisi · 31m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this podcast episode, repeat SaaS founders Kiran Darisi (Atomicwork, ex-Freshworks) and Sreedhar Pedineni (GTM Buddy, ex-Gainsight) explore the architectural, operational, and strategic transitions across installable, cloud, and AI software eras. They share deep insights on moving from SMB to enterprise sales, disrupting legacy incumbents, leveraging AI for lean execution, and building defensible workflow platforms.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Siddhartha holds 59.2% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Siddhartha as informed peer 3.4 Guest teaching 4.3 Guest disagreement 0.7 Siddhartha pushing back 0.1
05100:0020:0040:001:00:001:20:001:16–8:28 · Siddhartha as informed peer 4/10 Welcoming Kiran Darisi and Sreedhar Pedineni to the Podcast Siddhartha opens by introducing both guests and setting the stage with historical context on Freshworks and Gainsight. The guests reflect warmly on why they chose to start again after massive exits.8:29–18:07 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Transitioning from Engineering CTO to Go-to-Market CEO Siddhartha asks Sreedhar how moving from CTO to CEO transformed his perspective. Sreedhar explains his initial naivety regarding pipeline generation, buying centers, and sales cycles.18:10–29:41 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Unlearning SMB Playbooks for Enterprise SaaS at Atomicwork Kiran details the stark contrasts between Freshworks' SMB inbound playbook and Atomicwork's outbound enterprise motion, including hiring profiles and security posture.29:42–32:12 · Siddhartha as informed peer 4/10 Team Dynamics and Deliberation in Repeat Entrepreneurship Siddhartha notes the pattern that repeat founders are far more selective with team assembly and problem selection than first-timers, which the guests confirm.32:13–35:00 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Building Scalable Platforms Instead of Niche Point Solutions Kiran explains why building an enterprise platform with deep configurability is far more sustainable than building another point solution.35:00–41:17 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 The Genesis and Heavy Lift of Category Creation at Gainsight Sreedhar breaks down the hidden grind of category creation at Gainsight, explaining how retention forecasting emerged as a critical pain point when initial ARR equaled upcoming renewals.41:18–45:33 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Choosing Category Disruption Over Category Creation at GTM Buddy Sreedhar articulates why GTM Buddy intentionally chose category disruption rather than category creation, avoiding the trap of becoming a big fish in a tiny pond.45:34–48:31 · Siddhartha as informed peer 4/10 Assessing Market Stickiness and System-of-Record Moats Siddhartha pushes on market sizing and whether stickiness refers to surviving the AI transition. Sreedhar clarifies that ecosystem integrations protect systems of record like Salesforce.48:32–54:35 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Revitalizing Enterprise Service Management in the Modern Era Kiran explains that enterprise service management has lacked UX and workflow innovation for two decades, setting up Atomicwork's mission to eliminate context switching.54:37–59:47 · Siddhartha as informed peer 4/10 Just-in-Time Enablement and AI-Native Delivery Models Sreedhar explains 'just-in-time enablement' where AI anticipates reps' needs in their natural workflow instead of forcing them into search repositories.59:49–1:05:09 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 The Founder-Investor Dynamic and Partnering with Neon Fund Siddhartha asks both founders about their decision to partner with Neon Fund. Both founders recount personal stories of accessible, empathetic investor support during tough moments.1:05:10–1:12:00 · Siddhartha as informed peer 4/10 Operating as an AI-Native Company from Code to QA Siddhartha asks about the threat of foundation models eating vertical SaaS. Kiran explains how Atomicwork operates as an AI-native org, using custom GPTs for QA and automated decision-making.1:12:02–1:18:26 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Accelerating Product Discovery and Rapid Prototyping with AI Sreedhar explains how LLMs have compressed product discovery and prototyping cycles from months to days before design assets ever reach Figma.1:18:28–1:22:15 · Siddhartha as informed peer 4/10 Deep Workflow Orchestration vs Generic Enterprise Chatbots Sreedhar and Kiran address why simple custom GPTs cannot displace end-to-end enterprise workflows that require policy checks, ticketing, approvals, and shipping orchestration.1:22:15–1:24:22 · Siddhartha as informed peer 3/10 Market Expansion and the Rise of Lean, High-Value SaaS Siddhartha queries whether the market is shrinking. Kiran rejects the doom framing, explaining that while team sizes may shrink, the number of high-value SaaS companies will expand from 20k to 50k.1:16–8:28 · Guest teaching 3/10 Welcoming Kiran Darisi and Sreedhar Pedineni to the Podcast Siddhartha opens by introducing both guests and setting the stage with historical context on Freshworks and Gainsight. The guests reflect warmly on why they chose to start again after massive exits.8:29–18:07 · Guest teaching 5/10 Transitioning from Engineering CTO to Go-to-Market CEO Siddhartha asks Sreedhar how moving from CTO to CEO transformed his perspective. Sreedhar explains his initial naivety regarding pipeline generation, buying centers, and sales cycles.18:10–29:41 · Guest teaching 5/10 Unlearning SMB Playbooks for Enterprise SaaS at Atomicwork Kiran details the stark contrasts between Freshworks' SMB inbound playbook and Atomicwork's outbound enterprise motion, including hiring profiles and security posture.29:42–32:12 · Guest teaching 2/10 Team Dynamics and Deliberation in Repeat Entrepreneurship Siddhartha notes the pattern that repeat founders are far more selective with team assembly and problem selection than first-timers, which the guests confirm.32:13–35:00 · Guest teaching 4/10 Building Scalable Platforms Instead of Niche Point Solutions Kiran explains why building an enterprise platform with deep configurability is far more sustainable than building another point solution.35:00–41:17 · Guest teaching 6/10 The Genesis and Heavy Lift of Category Creation at Gainsight Sreedhar breaks down the hidden grind of category creation at Gainsight, explaining how retention forecasting emerged as a critical pain point when initial ARR equaled upcoming renewals.41:18–45:33 · Guest teaching 5/10 Choosing Category Disruption Over Category Creation at GTM Buddy Sreedhar articulates why GTM Buddy intentionally chose category disruption rather than category creation, avoiding the trap of becoming a big fish in a tiny pond.45:34–48:31 · Guest teaching 4/10 Assessing Market Stickiness and System-of-Record Moats Siddhartha pushes on market sizing and whether stickiness refers to surviving the AI transition. Sreedhar clarifies that ecosystem integrations protect systems of record like Salesforce.48:32–54:35 · Guest teaching 5/10 Revitalizing Enterprise Service Management in the Modern Era Kiran explains that enterprise service management has lacked UX and workflow innovation for two decades, setting up Atomicwork's mission to eliminate context switching.54:37–59:47 · Guest teaching 5/10 Just-in-Time Enablement and AI-Native Delivery Models Sreedhar explains 'just-in-time enablement' where AI anticipates reps' needs in their natural workflow instead of forcing them into search repositories.59:49–1:05:09 · Guest teaching 1/10 The Founder-Investor Dynamic and Partnering with Neon Fund Siddhartha asks both founders about their decision to partner with Neon Fund. Both founders recount personal stories of accessible, empathetic investor support during tough moments.1:05:10–1:12:00 · Guest teaching 5/10 Operating as an AI-Native Company from Code to QA Siddhartha asks about the threat of foundation models eating vertical SaaS. Kiran explains how Atomicwork operates as an AI-native org, using custom GPTs for QA and automated decision-making.1:12:02–1:18:26 · Guest teaching 5/10 Accelerating Product Discovery and Rapid Prototyping with AI Sreedhar explains how LLMs have compressed product discovery and prototyping cycles from months to days before design assets ever reach Figma.1:18:28–1:22:15 · Guest teaching 5/10 Deep Workflow Orchestration vs Generic Enterprise Chatbots Sreedhar and Kiran address why simple custom GPTs cannot displace end-to-end enterprise workflows that require policy checks, ticketing, approvals, and shipping orchestration.1:22:15–1:24:22 · Guest teaching 4/10 Market Expansion and the Rise of Lean, High-Value SaaS Siddhartha queries whether the market is shrinking. Kiran rejects the doom framing, explaining that while team sizes may shrink, the number of high-value SaaS companies will expand from 20k to 50k.1:16–8:28 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Welcoming Kiran Darisi and Sreedhar Pedineni to the Podcast Siddhartha opens by introducing both guests and setting the stage with historical context on Freshworks and Gainsight. The guests reflect warmly on why they chose to start again after massive exits.8:29–18:07 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Transitioning from Engineering CTO to Go-to-Market CEO Siddhartha asks Sreedhar how moving from CTO to CEO transformed his perspective. Sreedhar explains his initial naivety regarding pipeline generation, buying centers, and sales cycles.18:10–29:41 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Unlearning SMB Playbooks for Enterprise SaaS at Atomicwork Kiran details the stark contrasts between Freshworks' SMB inbound playbook and Atomicwork's outbound enterprise motion, including hiring profiles and security posture.29:42–32:12 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Team Dynamics and Deliberation in Repeat Entrepreneurship Siddhartha notes the pattern that repeat founders are far more selective with team assembly and problem selection than first-timers, which the guests confirm.32:13–35:00 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Building Scalable Platforms Instead of Niche Point Solutions Kiran explains why building an enterprise platform with deep configurability is far more sustainable than building another point solution.35:00–41:17 · Guest disagreement 1/10 The Genesis and Heavy Lift of Category Creation at Gainsight Sreedhar breaks down the hidden grind of category creation at Gainsight, explaining how retention forecasting emerged as a critical pain point when initial ARR equaled upcoming renewals.41:18–45:33 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Choosing Category Disruption Over Category Creation at GTM Buddy Sreedhar articulates why GTM Buddy intentionally chose category disruption rather than category creation, avoiding the trap of becoming a big fish in a tiny pond.45:34–48:31 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Assessing Market Stickiness and System-of-Record Moats Siddhartha pushes on market sizing and whether stickiness refers to surviving the AI transition. Sreedhar clarifies that ecosystem integrations protect systems of record like Salesforce.48:32–54:35 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Revitalizing Enterprise Service Management in the Modern Era Kiran explains that enterprise service management has lacked UX and workflow innovation for two decades, setting up Atomicwork's mission to eliminate context switching.54:37–59:47 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Just-in-Time Enablement and AI-Native Delivery Models Sreedhar explains 'just-in-time enablement' where AI anticipates reps' needs in their natural workflow instead of forcing them into search repositories.59:49–1:05:09 · Guest disagreement 0/10 The Founder-Investor Dynamic and Partnering with Neon Fund Siddhartha asks both founders about their decision to partner with Neon Fund. Both founders recount personal stories of accessible, empathetic investor support during tough moments.1:05:10–1:12:00 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Operating as an AI-Native Company from Code to QA Siddhartha asks about the threat of foundation models eating vertical SaaS. Kiran explains how Atomicwork operates as an AI-native org, using custom GPTs for QA and automated decision-making.1:12:02–1:18:26 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Accelerating Product Discovery and Rapid Prototyping with AI Sreedhar explains how LLMs have compressed product discovery and prototyping cycles from months to days before design assets ever reach Figma.1:18:28–1:22:15 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Deep Workflow Orchestration vs Generic Enterprise Chatbots Sreedhar and Kiran address why simple custom GPTs cannot displace end-to-end enterprise workflows that require policy checks, ticketing, approvals, and shipping orchestration.1:22:15–1:24:22 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Market Expansion and the Rise of Lean, High-Value SaaS Siddhartha queries whether the market is shrinking. Kiran rejects the doom framing, explaining that while team sizes may shrink, the number of high-value SaaS companies will expand from 20k to 50k.1:16–8:28 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Welcoming Kiran Darisi and Sreedhar Pedineni to the Podcast Siddhartha opens by introducing both guests and setting the stage with historical context on Freshworks and Gainsight. The guests reflect warmly on why they chose to start again after massive exits.8:29–18:07 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Transitioning from Engineering CTO to Go-to-Market CEO Siddhartha asks Sreedhar how moving from CTO to CEO transformed his perspective. Sreedhar explains his initial naivety regarding pipeline generation, buying centers, and sales cycles.18:10–29:41 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Unlearning SMB Playbooks for Enterprise SaaS at Atomicwork Kiran details the stark contrasts between Freshworks' SMB inbound playbook and Atomicwork's outbound enterprise motion, including hiring profiles and security posture.29:42–32:12 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Team Dynamics and Deliberation in Repeat Entrepreneurship Siddhartha notes the pattern that repeat founders are far more selective with team assembly and problem selection than first-timers, which the guests confirm.32:13–35:00 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Building Scalable Platforms Instead of Niche Point Solutions Kiran explains why building an enterprise platform with deep configurability is far more sustainable than building another point solution.35:00–41:17 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 The Genesis and Heavy Lift of Category Creation at Gainsight Sreedhar breaks down the hidden grind of category creation at Gainsight, explaining how retention forecasting emerged as a critical pain point when initial ARR equaled upcoming renewals.41:18–45:33 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Choosing Category Disruption Over Category Creation at GTM Buddy Sreedhar articulates why GTM Buddy intentionally chose category disruption rather than category creation, avoiding the trap of becoming a big fish in a tiny pond.45:34–48:31 · Siddhartha pushing back 1/10 Assessing Market Stickiness and System-of-Record Moats Siddhartha pushes on market sizing and whether stickiness refers to surviving the AI transition. Sreedhar clarifies that ecosystem integrations protect systems of record like Salesforce.48:32–54:35 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Revitalizing Enterprise Service Management in the Modern Era Kiran explains that enterprise service management has lacked UX and workflow innovation for two decades, setting up Atomicwork's mission to eliminate context switching.54:37–59:47 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Just-in-Time Enablement and AI-Native Delivery Models Sreedhar explains 'just-in-time enablement' where AI anticipates reps' needs in their natural workflow instead of forcing them into search repositories.59:49–1:05:09 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 The Founder-Investor Dynamic and Partnering with Neon Fund Siddhartha asks both founders about their decision to partner with Neon Fund. Both founders recount personal stories of accessible, empathetic investor support during tough moments.1:05:10–1:12:00 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Operating as an AI-Native Company from Code to QA Siddhartha asks about the threat of foundation models eating vertical SaaS. Kiran explains how Atomicwork operates as an AI-native org, using custom GPTs for QA and automated decision-making.1:12:02–1:18:26 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Accelerating Product Discovery and Rapid Prototyping with AI Sreedhar explains how LLMs have compressed product discovery and prototyping cycles from months to days before design assets ever reach Figma.1:18:28–1:22:15 · Siddhartha pushing back 0/10 Deep Workflow Orchestration vs Generic Enterprise Chatbots Sreedhar and Kiran address why simple custom GPTs cannot displace end-to-end enterprise workflows that require policy checks, ticketing, approvals, and shipping orchestration.1:22:15–1:24:22 · Siddhartha pushing back 1/10 Market Expansion and the Rise of Lean, High-Value SaaS Siddhartha queries whether the market is shrinking. Kiran rejects the doom framing, explaining that while team sizes may shrink, the number of high-value SaaS companies will expand from 20k to 50k.

speaking balance: gold is Siddhartha, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Siddhartha 88% · guest 12%0:00 · Siddhartha 88% · guest 12%3:00 · Siddhartha 35.8% · guest 64.2%3:00 · Siddhartha 35.8% · guest 64.2%6:00 · Siddhartha 100% · guest 0%6:00 · Siddhartha 100% · guest 0%9:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%9:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%12:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%12:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%15:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%15:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%18:00 · Siddhartha 14.9% · guest 85.1%18:00 · Siddhartha 14.9% · guest 85.1%21:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%21:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%24:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%24:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%27:00 · Siddhartha 9.8% · guest 90.2%27:00 · Siddhartha 9.8% · guest 90.2%30:00 · Siddhartha 74.2% · guest 25.8%30:00 · Siddhartha 74.2% · guest 25.8%33:00 · Siddhartha 33.3% · guest 66.7%33:00 · Siddhartha 33.3% · guest 66.7%36:00 · Siddhartha 100% · guest 0%36:00 · Siddhartha 100% · guest 0%39:00 · Siddhartha 100% · guest 0%39:00 · Siddhartha 100% · guest 0%42:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%42:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%45:00 · Siddhartha 99.8% · guest 0.2%45:00 · Siddhartha 99.8% · guest 0.2%48:00 · Siddhartha 17.2% · guest 82.8%48:00 · Siddhartha 17.2% · guest 82.8%51:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%51:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%54:00 · Siddhartha 80.4% · guest 19.6%54:00 · Siddhartha 80.4% · guest 19.6%57:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%57:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%1:00:00 · Siddhartha 30.5% · guest 69.5%1:00:00 · Siddhartha 30.5% · guest 69.5%1:03:00 · Siddhartha 99.7% · guest 0.3%1:03:00 · Siddhartha 99.7% · guest 0.3%1:06:00 · Siddhartha 0.5% · guest 99.5%1:06:00 · Siddhartha 0.5% · guest 99.5%1:09:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%1:09:00 · Siddhartha 0% · guest 100%1:12:00 · Siddhartha 99.5% · guest 0.5%1:12:00 · Siddhartha 99.5% · guest 0.5%1:15:00 · Siddhartha 64.2% · guest 35.8%1:15:00 · Siddhartha 64.2% · guest 35.8%1:18:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%1:18:00 · Siddhartha 99.9% · guest 0.1%1:21:00 · Siddhartha 13.9% · guest 86.1%1:21:00 · Siddhartha 13.9% · guest 86.1%1:24:00 · Siddhartha 53.8% · guest 46.2%1:24:00 · Siddhartha 53.8% · guest 46.2%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 1:23:55 Rejecting the SaaS market shrinkage thesis

Kiran dismisses Siddhartha's query about market shrinkage, rejecting the doom narrative and asserting that value creation will dramatically increase across 50,000 lean companies.

 Hardest push from Siddhartha ▶ 46:40 Challenging the definition of market stickiness

Siddhartha pushes back on Sreedhar's concept of market stickiness to clarify whether it means survival across technological eras or simply high switching costs.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 37:00 Explaining the operational reality of renewal leakages

Sreedhar walks through the exact mathematical inflection point at Host Analytics where renewal leakages began canceling out new ARR, explaining how the customer success discipline was born.

 Siddhartha holds their own ▶ 31:20 Synthesizing second-time founder behavioral patterns

Siddhartha contrasts first-time and repeat founders based on his venture observations at Neon, drawing out specific strategic differences in team building and market selection.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicSiddhartha as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementSiddhartha pushing backWhy
Welcoming Kiran Darisi and Sreedhar Pedineni to the Podcast 4300 Siddhartha opens by introducing both guests and setting the stage with historical context on Freshworks and Gainsight. The guests reflect warmly on why they chose to start again after massive exits.
Transitioning from Engineering CTO to Go-to-Market CEO 3510 Siddhartha asks Sreedhar how moving from CTO to CEO transformed his perspective. Sreedhar explains his initial naivety regarding pipeline generation, buying centers, and sales cycles.
Unlearning SMB Playbooks for Enterprise SaaS at Atomicwork 3510 Kiran details the stark contrasts between Freshworks' SMB inbound playbook and Atomicwork's outbound enterprise motion, including hiring profiles and security posture.
Team Dynamics and Deliberation in Repeat Entrepreneurship 4200 Siddhartha notes the pattern that repeat founders are far more selective with team assembly and problem selection than first-timers, which the guests confirm.
Building Scalable Platforms Instead of Niche Point Solutions 3410 Kiran explains why building an enterprise platform with deep configurability is far more sustainable than building another point solution.
The Genesis and Heavy Lift of Category Creation at Gainsight 3610 Sreedhar breaks down the hidden grind of category creation at Gainsight, explaining how retention forecasting emerged as a critical pain point when initial ARR equaled upcoming renewals.
Choosing Category Disruption Over Category Creation at GTM Buddy 3510 Sreedhar articulates why GTM Buddy intentionally chose category disruption rather than category creation, avoiding the trap of becoming a big fish in a tiny pond.
Assessing Market Stickiness and System-of-Record Moats 4411 Siddhartha pushes on market sizing and whether stickiness refers to surviving the AI transition. Sreedhar clarifies that ecosystem integrations protect systems of record like Salesforce.
Revitalizing Enterprise Service Management in the Modern Era 3510 Kiran explains that enterprise service management has lacked UX and workflow innovation for two decades, setting up Atomicwork's mission to eliminate context switching.
Just-in-Time Enablement and AI-Native Delivery Models 4500 Sreedhar explains 'just-in-time enablement' where AI anticipates reps' needs in their natural workflow instead of forcing them into search repositories.
The Founder-Investor Dynamic and Partnering with Neon Fund 3100 Siddhartha asks both founders about their decision to partner with Neon Fund. Both founders recount personal stories of accessible, empathetic investor support during tough moments.
Operating as an AI-Native Company from Code to QA 4510 Siddhartha asks about the threat of foundation models eating vertical SaaS. Kiran explains how Atomicwork operates as an AI-native org, using custom GPTs for QA and automated decision-making.
Accelerating Product Discovery and Rapid Prototyping with AI 3500 Sreedhar explains how LLMs have compressed product discovery and prototyping cycles from months to days before design assets ever reach Figma.
Deep Workflow Orchestration vs Generic Enterprise Chatbots 4510 Sreedhar and Kiran address why simple custom GPTs cannot displace end-to-end enterprise workflows that require policy checks, ticketing, approvals, and shipping orchestration.
Market Expansion and the Rise of Lean, High-Value SaaS 3421 Siddhartha queries whether the market is shrinking. Kiran rejects the doom framing, explaining that while team sizes may shrink, the number of high-value SaaS companies will expand from 20k to 50k.

Statements from this episode (14)

Assertion Supported
Darisi: Building third helpdesk at Atomicwork after Zoho and Freshworks
“This is my third help desk in building, right? One, I did it in Zoho, which is an installable era where people install software to get things done. And I built Freshworks in a cloud era. Where the technology is actually booming, but still it took time, but I d…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 3:56
Disclosure
Darisi: Atomicwork currently spends zero dollars on Google digital ads
“We don't spend any money in Google digital ads.”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 25:43
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Darisi predicts future SaaS startups hit $100M ARR with 100-200 people
“I strongly believe at this point of time, my engineering team even won't be hundred people. So that will be very strong. I mean, view I have it in the size of the team who can able to deliver high value companies will be way, way smaller, right? So like you wi…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 29:06
Insight
Pedineni: Second-time founders are much pickier about problems and teams
“In case of second time founders, they are more conscious with choosing problems. They're more conscious with building teams. Right. And very picky about both of these things. Whereas first time founders are very, very eager to build the product and give it to …”
Siddhartha Ahluwalia Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 31:44
Insight
Darisi: Moving SaaS upmarket to enterprise requires overhauling all core systems
“The things it when you actually move from an SMB to a mid-market to an enterprise, all your systems should change. Your sales motion should change. Your GTM motion should change. I mean, the sales and your marketing messaging should change. Your engineering sh…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 33:22
Opinion
Darisi: Zero innovation occurred in ITSM over the past decade
“If you see for the last one decade, there is no innovation in the service management space, which is IT service management or an enterprise service management. If you take for last decade, there's still the leader is the youngest leader is two decades old, rig…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 51:02
Insight
Darisi: The $9-per-agent Google Ads SaaS playbook is dead
“The error is gone, right? So now you can't do like, okay, I will actually bet on digital sales. I can able to sell as nine dollar per agent subscription. Those days are gone, right? So those should be rethought about how you wanted to build digital sales. The …”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 53:45
Assertion Partly supported
Darisi: Freshworks built its initial product in three months using Rails
“To give a comparison at Freshworks, when we released the product, we released in three months because we actually ditched Java. We put Ruby on Rails because it is easy to bake in and actually release that entire product in three months, right?”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:02:11
Disclosure
Darisi: Atomicwork uses custom GPTs per module to generate test cases
“For a QA we actually have a custom GPT for each module to generate the test cases. So you don't need to know, like, how you need to do it, because it already know the past, it already know the context, you actually give them the Figma files or whatever. This I…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:07:26
Disclosure
Darisi created AI clones of himself for first-level developer review decisions
“I created my clones of me, Where your first part of the review conclusion can happen so that you don't need to wait for me to take a decision so that you can able to take a first level decision. Still, I will come review it, et cetera, but it saves time becaus…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:07:54
Insight
Darisi: AI workflow layers lack stickiness unless they own the underlying record
“You can actually build an application just a layer on top of a legacy systems where it can able to give you immense value, but you will be replaced because a new tool comes. So it's like there is no stickiness to it, right? So you are actually as good as a wor…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:10:15
Insight
Darisi: AI expands clickable product speccing beyond designers to founders
“So this is like a new category creation of product speccing, which was not there. It has been tuned towards only designers, which is like Figma, et cetera. Now it became to CEOs and also the product guys, anybody can able to do it, right? Very high fidelity, u…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:15:49
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Darisi: 50,000 companies will reach $100M revenue in the AI era
“The market is going to increase. For one reason, now you can see it's not G-Twenty K, it will be G-Fifty K companies who can able to do hundred million dollars of revenue because the build is actually becoming shorter and the technology is becoming more widely…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:22:25
Disclosure
Darisi: Atomicwork avoids per-seat pricing to sell an AI workforce instead
“That's why we don't have a seed pricing, right? Where we say that, oh, this many agents are there. SPEAKER_14: Okay. Kiran Darisi: We'll sell it kind of a thing. Kiran Darisi: We actually say that, okay, you no need to grow your team to manage the complexit…”
Kiran Darisi Sep 13, 2025 ▶ 1:23:08
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