2026-01-13 09:33:09

There is an interesting hypothesis about the investment logic of AI-empowered software companies: If DocuSign operated with 7 employees instead of 7,000, it could still maintain high profitability, and the motivation for user migration would also be greatly reduced. Theoretically, significantly streamlining team size through intelligent automation while maintaining product experience and operational capabilities is revolutionary for the SaaS model.

But in reality, we haven't seen leading software companies truly do this. Most vendors are either standing still or only using AI to improve efficiency in marginal areas—either due to organizational inertia or concerns about AI replacing human labor. Once someone successfully takes the lead, other players will have to follow. When this critical point will arrive is worth watching.

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LeekCutter

· 11h ago

Reducing 7,000 people to 7 sounds great but is unrealistic. If it really happens, the team will collapse immediately. The nice way to put it is AI efficiency improvement; the harsh way is blaming the machine. But machines can't write business contracts either. Everyone is waiting to see who will be the first to fall. Haha, this critical point might take several more years. Big companies care about face; they would rather sell blood than risk large-scale layoffs first. Public opinion pressure is too much to bear. Let's see which small company will take the first step. Surviving is the true Silicon Valley dream.

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LiquidationKing

· 11h ago

This is not a theoretical issue, it's a human nature problem... No one wants to lay off their own team, and besides, any company daring to do so would have been sued by employees long ago.

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CompoundPersonality

· 11h ago

All just on paper... How do those 7 people at DocuSign serve customers well? SaaS relies on this industry. I'm afraid when that day comes, no one will dare to be the first to try. Who can afford to gamble?

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AirDropMissed

· 11h ago

The theory sounds great, but in reality, all the big companies are just pretending to sleep, and no one dares to truly cut staff or lay off employees. I'll only believe it when someone actually manages to run a company with 7 people. Right now, it's all just armchair strategizing. Basically, they're afraid of losing control, preferring to keep more people on payroll rather than risking AI-related issues.

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