An ad-based model misaligns an agent, incentivizing it to influence users against their own interests. Instinct is pursuing a "blanket transaction take rate," similar to Apple Pay. The agent remains free for the user, ensuring its actions are solely on their behalf, while merchants pay for the distribution.

AI enables a fundamental shift in business models away from selling access (per seat) or usage (per token) towards selling results. For example, customer support AI will be priced per resolved ticket. This outcome-based model will become the standard as AI's capabilities for completing specific, measurable tasks improve.

OpenAI's model router is a strategic pivot to monetize its vast free user base. By routing high-value queries (e.g., shopping, legal advice) to powerful agentic models, OpenAI can take a cut of resulting transactions. This avoids intrusive ads while capturing value from commercial intent.

The creator of the Clara AI girlfriend believes the ultimate business model isn't subscriptions, but leveraging deep personal context to act as a purchasing agent for the user. The AI's intimate knowledge enables it to 'buy you things,' creating a commerce-driven revenue stream.

Muse isn't just a product; it's a potential platform with three distinct revenue streams. It can charge subscriptions for power users, command premium ad rates due to high-intent signals, and take a transaction fee for facilitating purchases on partner sites like Expedia.

The dominant per-user-per-month SaaS business model is becoming obsolete for AI-native companies. The new standard is consumption or outcome-based pricing. Customers will pay for the specific task an AI completes or the value it generates, not for a seat license, fundamentally changing how software is sold.

The traditional per-seat SaaS model is becoming a "tax on productivity" in an agent-driven world. As companies buy agents to do work instead of software for humans, the model shifts. Sam Altman's comment that every company is now an API company reflects this move from user-based pricing to value-based, programmatic access.

The rise of AI agents enables a move away from traditional per-seat SaaS pricing. Instead of selling access to a tool, entrepreneurs can sell a specific, guaranteed outcome delivered by an agent (e.g., a daily brief of competitor activity), transitioning to an outcome-based revenue model.

In the age of AI, software is shifting from a tool that assists humans to an agent that completes tasks. The pricing model should reflect this. Instead of a subscription for access (a license), charge for the value created when the AI successfully achieves a business outcome.