SaaS Future Prediction: API-First Companies Embracing MCP Will Replace Closed Agent Vendors
garrytan · x · 2026-08-25
Garry Tan shares a prediction on two future paths for SaaS companies:
- API-First: Companies act as headless APIs, exposing MCP and Skills for external agents.
- Closed Agent: Companies charge high API fees and push their own agents.
While most companies gravitate towards #2 due to the fear of being replaceable, this creates opportunities for "Agent Native" #1 companies to replace them. A quoted critic argues that SaaS vendors pushing agents instead of MCPs are "self-centered," as users want to get tasks done efficiently, not "live inside the product."
Related event: Open SaaS Firms Embracing MCP to Beat Closed Agent Vendors(2 posts)→
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