Episode 813 | SaaS Predictions for 2026 (+ Reflections on 2025)

Episode 813 | SaaS Predictions for 2026 (+ Reflections on 2025)

Author: Rob Walling December 30, 2025 Duration: 28:06
How will AI, SEO, and market shifts change SaaS next year? In this solo episode, Rob Walling revisits his predictions for 2025, what he got right, what he totally missed and shares nine new predictions for 2026. He reflects on trends shaping bootstrapped SaaS, from the rise of AI-first startups to the challenges facing horizontal SaaS founders.  Interested in Sponsoring this Podcast? If your product or service helps SaaS founders, bootstrappers, or indie entrepreneurs, you can reach thousands of listeners each week through Startups for the Rest of Us. Email us at sponsors@startupsfortherestofus.com Topics we cover:  (1:09) – Lessons from common SaaS plateaus and the Core Four framework (4:39) – Rating his 2025 predictions: what came true (and what didn’t) (12:46) – Prediction #1: Horizontal SaaS will face major headwinds (15:56) – Prediction #2: Overreliance on SEO will hurt SaaS founders (16:26) – Prediction #3: Top brands will dominate as AI narrows discovery (21:04) – Prediction #4: The AI VC bubble won’t burst in 2026 (21:47) – Prediction #5: Open source AI models will double in usage (22:28) – Prediction #6: A major no code platform will struggle or shut down (23:33) – Prediction #7: M&A for small SaaS startups will accelerate (24:31) – Prediction #8: Bitcoin will hit a new all-time high (25:31) – Prediction #9: Stripe will not go public (again) (26:26) – Reflections on MicroConf and TinySeed milestones Links from the Show:  MicroConf US – Portland, April 2026 Rob Walling YouTube Channel Apply to TinySeed TinySeed Portfolio The SaaS Playbook by Rob Walling If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & Review: iTunes | Spotify

Rob Walling hosts Startups For the Rest of Us, a long-running conversation focused squarely on the realities of building a company without massive venture funding. This isn't about Silicon Valley fairy tales; it's a practical, ground-level view of entrepreneurship. Each episode delves into the specific journeys of founders who are starting, acquiring, or growing their SaaS businesses, emphasizing the path of bootstrapping. You'll hear the unvarnished details-the strategic decisions, the unexpected obstacles, and the hard-won victories that define the daily life of a founder. The discussions are built on real stories, offering tangible lessons from both struggle and success. For anyone who has ever felt that the typical startup narrative doesn't reflect their own resource-constrained reality, this podcast provides a necessary and relatable perspective. It’s a deep resource for actionable advice and genuine camaraderie, connecting you with the experiences of those navigating the same challenging terrain. Tune in for honest conversations that cut through the hype and focus on building sustainable businesses.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Startups For the Rest of Us
Podcast Episodes
Episode 797 | TinySeed Tales s5e5: Should I Raise More Funding? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:25
OutboundSync just hit $35k MRR—but the decisions are only getting harder. In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling and Harris Kenny dive into the messy middle of SaaS growth, where every opportunity comes with a tr…
Episode 795 | TinySeed Tales s5e4: The $20K Milestone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:27
Harris hit $20k MRR. It’s real. What’s next? In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling celebrates with Harris Kenny after OutboundSync crosses $20k MRR ahead of schedule. They talk about why hitting a milestone can…
Episode 794 | From Struggling Side Project to Life-Changing SaaS Exit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
B2C, low price point, one-time payments… not the typical recipe for a life-changing exit. In this episode, Rob Walling talks with longtime listener Zamir Khan, founder of VidHug (now Memento). Zamir’s story broke a lot o…
Episode 793 | TinySeed Tales s5e3: Building Momentum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:16
What happens when momentum hits and your biggest challenge becomes keeping up? In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling catches up with Harris Kenny, founder of OutboundSync. Revenue is growing, the team is moving…
Episode 791 | TinySeed Tales s5e2: Growing Pains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:16
In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling reconnects with Harris Kenny, founder of OutboundSync, to explore the rapid evolution of his SaaS business just months after transitioning from agency work. Harris shares ho…
Episode 789 | TinySeed Tales s5e1: From Agency to SaaS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
Welcome to Season 5 of TinySeed Tales, the documentary-style series where we follow one SaaS founder’s journey over 12 months to hear about the wins, the missteps, and everything in between. In this season premiere, Rob…