Harder problems requiring deep industry insight are the new opportunities.
What used to be somewhat hard is not hard anymore, like pure workflow systems. The classic startup of a new SaaS replacing your finance process is gonna be tough. What I’m seeing more and more is people going after harder problems. Harder problems require deeper product insight and market knowledge. Ironically, in the world of AI, the clearer choices actually are worth it. All the bashing on SaaS was based on average workflow, but SaaS still has the database, privacy, enterprise scalability, customer support. You can plug any workflow on top, but that means you have to understand the industry deeply.
— The Hidden Patterns, with Ben Orthlieb · The Keynote on AI