What Did SaaS North 2025 Reveal About AI & Canadian Business?

In this episode of the Ask AI podcast, host Chris McLellan welcomes David Tyldesley, co-founder of Cube Business Media and organizer of SaaS North, Canada’s leading SaaS conference.

Topics explored in this conversation:

How artificial intelligence is transforming the SaaS industry by shifting from features and capabilities towards 'Results as a Service' (RaaS)

The growing automation of automation

The reality behind the "One Person Unicorn"

What happens to SaaS when companies buidl instead of buy

The growing trend of building AI-native tools in-house, and how AI agents are changing workflows

Why live events are becoming more valuable in an AI-driven world

How the SaaS North team used AI to deliver an experience that was previously impossible

Is supporting human transformation an opportunity to help SaaS thrive?

The critical mindset that company leaders need to thrive through this technological shift

Recorded on the heels of SaaS North 2025, this episode offers insights on the future of SaaS, trust building, and strategic AI adoption.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
04:17 Events & trust
07:18 SaaS To RaaS
09:09 Automation of automation
10:40 Build vs. Buy
12:22 Critical leadership skill
13:39 Finding problems
17:10 Agents and workflows
18:58 Impossible experiences
19:33 What Zapier said
21:51 Adding services to SaaS
22:50 Gumloop return to Vancouver
24:13 Closing thoughts

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