Per-Seat Pricing Is Dead: Kevin Surace on What Replaces It

September 8
43 mins

Episode Description

Is everything you know about software pricing about to change? In this episode of Predictable B2B Success, Vinay Koshy interviews Kevin Surace, tech innovator, CEO of Appvance, and inventor with patents licensed by Apple and Amazon. They discuss why the per-seat SaaS model is becoming obsolete and what is replacing it.

Find out how Kevin Surace navigated the transition from seat-based pricing to results-based models, tackling the psychological and organizational challenges businesses face. By citing examples from billion-dollar companies, AI-native platforms, and his own investments, Surace shows that selling 'outcomes' has become an essential ability for B2B software companies.

Why do the majority of companies weaken their own AI launches? What questions should you put to a company that describes itself as "AI native"? If the future of software is going to be a simple text box, what becomes of the current complex interfaces and the jobs associated with them?

If you are a founder who is having problems with pricing or who would like to know how AI is changing business, then you should join us to find out why an outdated business model might be the greatest risk in the SaaS industry today.

Some topics we explore in this episode include:

  • Why moving away from per-seat pricing is essential to future-proof your business.
  • How to implement outcome or usage-based models: Pricing based on measurable business value or actual use can better align your offerings with customer needs.
  • How AI can automate QA: Leveraging AI reduces manual work and costs in software testing while increasing efficiency.
  • How to deal with resistance from an organization: Study the methods for managing and overcoming fear-driven opposition from those teams affected by automation.
  • To win the support of executives: Focus on executive leaders to accelerate acceptance of transformative AI solutions.
  • How to distinguish true AI from "AI washing": Use practical questions to identify genuine AI products versus imitators.
  • Set a benchmark for productivity equal to ten times the current level: make sure that investments in AI result in significant and measurable improvements by setting a goal of achieving a tenfold increase.
  • Leveraging the Right Market Timing: Know when the market is ready for your innovation so you don't launch it too early or too late.
  • Embracing Next-Generation Interfaces: Plan for future product positioning by considering AI-powered, natural-language, or on-demand interfaces.
  • Practical steps for SaaS founders to develop and implement new pricing strategies that capture customer value and protect revenue by incorporating customer feedback.


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