At SaaStr, the operational landscape has shifted dramatically with the integration of AI. The team, consisting of three humans and over 21 agents, has seen a significant transformation thanks to 10K, our AI VP of Revenue. Initially conceived as a straightforward dashboard, 10K has evolved into a powerhouse, managing most of our outbound, inbound, and revenue operations. This AI marvel executes between 35,000 to 40,000 API calls daily across various applications.
Interestingly, none of our previous vendors imposed charges for these API calls. However, the tide is turning as Salesforce, Atlassian, and HubSpot introduce fees for agent access. One estimate suggests that maintaining 10K in its current operational capacity could cost us as much as 0,000 annually.
Salesforce, HubSpot and Atlassian Are All Charging for Agent Access
Salesforce has begun notifying users about impending charges for agent access, while Atlassian has already implemented this pricing model, contributing to its growth. HubSpot appears to be focusing these charges on their first-party agents for now, sparing third-party agents like 10K from immediate fees, a situation I find preferable.
The rationale behind these changes is clear. Vendors operating on a seat-based model are experiencing contraction due to the rise of agents. For instance, we utilize just one API seat at Salesforce, rather than the multiple seats that would have been necessary in a traditional setup. If I were managing a long-established B2B company facing similar challenges, I would likely arrive at the same conclusion regarding pricing adjustments.
In the B2B landscape, price increases have generally proven effective. Customers may voice their frustrations over consecutive hikes, yet many choose to remain loyal. Companies like Bending Spoons have thrived by acquiring platforms like Evernote, significantly raising prices while retaining a substantial customer base.
“So many B2B leaders from Atlassian to Salesforce to HubSpot are charging now for agents to access their systems of record. How far will they go is the big question. Seat contraction is a big issue. But overcharge the agents … and agents will go elsewhere if they can. And… https://t.co/j3SLJUX2i4 pic.twitter.com/FJnmCvkuEK — Jason ✨👾SaaStr.Ai✨ Lemkin (@jasonlk) October 5, 2026
One Estimate: 0,000 a Year to Keep Running 10K the Way We Run It
While we await precise pricing details from each vendor, preliminary estimates suggest that maintaining 10K as we currently do could cost us around 0,000 annually. As a company not in the Fortune 10, we are unlikely to absorb such expenses or quadruple our vendor payments for API access.
This situation partly stems from our previous lack of constraints; 10K operated without any API call charges, allowing us to utilize them liberally, akin to fuel at a remarkably low price. The cost of 40,000 daily calls is negligible when considering modern database pricing, such as that offered by Supabase.
10K’s First Suggestion: Mirror the Data to a Postgres Instance
In anticipation of the new metering, Amelia directed 10K to monitor its API usage over a week. The analysis revealed that many of these calls could be reduced significantly. As a short-term solution, 10K proposed mirroring our system of record into a Postgres database, thereby minimizing direct vendor calls. This setup could be established promptly.
While this approach incurs costs—maintaining both a system of record and a mirror that requires synchronization—it presents a stark contrast in pricing. A Postgres instance with no API limits versus a potential 0,000 annual fee is a compelling choice for any agent. This scenario highlights a significant risk for systems of record, and 10K was quick to suggest this strategy upon learning of the impending pricing changes.
Marketo Gave Our Agent 10 to 20 Minutes of API a Day
We have previously encountered extreme limitations, as experienced with Marketo, which restricted our agent’s access to just 10 or 20 minutes daily due to API constraints. This critical application became untenable, prompting us to migrate away from it. I anticipate that metered pricing will elicit a similar response from agents, albeit at a slower pace.
We Might Not Pick Any of Our Current Stack Starting From Scratch
Choosing to remain with our existing vendors is one consideration, and the Bending Spoons model may continue to hold for a while. However, selecting new solutions presents a different challenge. I doubt any agent would endorse a system of record that imposes substantial charges for API access. If we were to start anew today, fully aware of potential agent access costs, it’s likely we would avoid our current stack altogether. I’m not convinced that incumbent vendors recognize the opportunity this creates.
Conversely, some vendors are adopting a more accommodating stance. Dharmesh Shah frequently emphasizes HubSpot’s commitment to not charging for general agent access, though I suspect many in revenue roles may disagree with this perspective. At a recent sponsor and VIP event during Dreamforce, the CEO and CTO of Aurasell expressed their intent to avoid additional charges for agent access, advocating for maximum usage of their platform.
Muse Is Free and Does Work We Used to Buy K to 0K Apps For
Muse, subsidized by Meta, likely incurs costs of a few dollars per user monthly for its virtual machines, yet it provides integrated LLMs, a database, and memory. We utilize Muse for customer and competitor tracking, and we are beginning to run advertisements through it—services that previously required investments in ,000 to 0,000 B2B applications.
Interestingly, David from our team has opted to build his own sales workflows in Muse independently, leveraging his existing Meta account for ease of access. Amelia spent weeks identifying a use case for Muse, which recently expanded to include ad capabilities, specifically for the Facebook platform. She is now conducting comparative analyses against Claude and Replit for our advertising needs, with results to be shared in an upcoming episode.
The Cloud Index Is Up 18% and Seat-Only Vendors Are Still Getting Crushed
As we progress through the year, the cloud index has risen by 18%, despite a general downturn in B2B software stocks. The market is bifurcated; vendors reliant solely on per-seat sales without agent capabilities are struggling, while companies like Okta, Atlassian, and Cloudflare thrive due to their AI and agent-friendly offerings.
22,000 Paid Attendees, and Half Changed Jobs in 16 Months
Amelia recently conducted outreach to our paid ticket holders and analyzed the data through ZoomInfo and Clay. The dataset comprises over 22,000 paid attendees from SaaStr AI Annual events spanning 2025, 2026, and early 2027, excluding free passes, sponsors, and speakers. It’s worth noting that these attendees traveled from various locations, indicating a commitment to the event, even as the focus on AI has evolved.
- AI-native titles and companies are up 4x in one year. Between May 2025 and May 2026, the prevalence of attendees with AI in their titles or at AI-centric companies surged fourfold.
- 25% of our sponsors are hiring a go-to-market engineer. This was true as of the morning of our recording.
- CEOs own AI, then GTM leaders, then COOs. This ranking reflects 10K’s findings regarding the ownership of AI within these organizations.
- 49.7% of executives changed jobs in the last 16 months, and 63% of CMOs did. Historically, we’ve known that our event buyers, typically CMOs, often transition before the next Annual. This data quantifies that trend.
- More than 75% of AI-native attendees had never been to SaaStr before. I would have estimated a more balanced mix, with half being pre-AI B2B executives transitioning into new roles.
The recent news cycle reflects similar trends, with high-profile executive exits, such as the CEO of MongoDB departing a million pay package after just 11 months for a leadership position at Meta. Additionally, Snowflake’s inaugural sales leader has transitioned to Cognition, which recently surpassed billion in ARR.
Jack Altman from Benchmark highlighted the potential benefits of this executive mobility during a discussion on 20VC. If executives are this adaptable, it opens avenues for recruiting talent that may have been previously inaccessible. Amelia has also noted that sponsors frequently seek her assistance with hiring, underscoring the demand for talent in this evolving landscape.
What We Changed This Week
- 10K now tracks its own API calls, a practice we had previously overlooked.
- We are reducing the calls identified by 10K as unnecessary.
- The Postgres mirror is under consideration for any vendor whose agent pricing approaches the 0,000 estimate.
- We are continuously enriching our buyer list, acknowledging that many of last year’s CMO buyers have transitioned to new roles.
- Muse is currently being tested for ad capabilities against Claude and Replit.
