AI Generated Apps vs SaaS: Which Moats Still Work in 2026

Synopsis

Anthony Eden, founder of DNSimple (16 years competing against Google, Microsoft and Amazon), separates SaaS moats that are evaporating from those that still work in 2026. Features, integrations and high switching costs are no longer defensible; collaboration, network effects, regulated environments (medical, safety, compliance), operational excellence, and capex-heavy infrastructure (DNS, payments, IP management) still are. He argues SaaS will bifurcate, with positioning deciding which side a business ends up on.

Ideas in this episode

• Vertical SaaS for a specific industry

  Anthony Eden argues vertical SaaS moats in regulated environments (medical, safety, compliance) and capex-heavy infrastructure still work in 2026, while features, integrations, and switching costs no longer defend against AI-generated apps.