I wrote this post from my podcast with Founder AI Stories Podcast by Satya & Rashmi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHBVOohj1Uc&list=PLh1k_46oND7LboALnTMC-7ZlrJXmETGOp&index=1
Looking back at my entrepreneurial journey that began in 2007, I've witnessed several technological waves reshape how businesses operate. From the early days of web technologies to the mobile revolution, web3, and now AI, each wave has presented unique opportunities and challenges for founders.
The startup landscape in 2007 was vastly different. There was excitement but also a lack of clarity about how to build and run a startup. The market dynamics were uncertain, and in hindsight, timing is critical when entering a new market. Today, we face similar uncertainties and opportunities with AI.
What makes the current AI revolution particularly interesting is that it's not just another technology—it's a new form factor for human-computer interaction. Similar to how laptops and mobile phones became interfaces that transformed how we interact with technology, AI is emerging as the next interface revolution.
"AI is coming as a super form factor for everything whether you are building out a tool, launching a program, teaching people, or doing anything—AI is going to be part and parcel of our life."
We're moving toward a world where most interactions will happen through agentic interfaces—you won't need to learn complex systems; you'll simply interact with an AI agent that handles the complexity for you. This will dramatically lower barriers to technology adoption, especially in sectors that have traditionally resisted digitization.
One of the most significant shifts I see coming is in how businesses, particularly in markets like India, will relate to software:
"A lot of Indians always want to own something—the ownership thing. We have an ownership mindset. Even if you say rent it, I want to buy it."
This cultural preference for ownership over subscription has limited SaaS adoption in many markets.
With AI agents, we're moving toward a model where businesses can "own" their AI solutions rather than just subscribing to them. When costs drop from $1,500 a year to $250 a year, businesses can deploy AI solutions that they can truly customize for their specific needs.
"We are going to be in that world where we will have hundreds and thousands of agentic software created for users in their own way. There will be somebody who will create it or find a way to create it, but I will be able to go to the market, deploy it, own it, optimize it, improve it, customize it for my business segment, and I'm going to live with it."
The development timeline for digital products is collapsing dramatically. What used to take months can now be accomplished in days:
"What used to take four, five, six months to develop a product is now taking 14 days."