VC: AI time savings don't improve margins until someone decides what to do with the freed capacity
alex_verem · x · 2026-10-02
Investor mardehaym highlights a common trap: a portfolio company can save time with AI and still see no margin or cash-flow improvement, because nobody has decided what to do with the freed capacity.
- Faster work still needs an operating decision: serve more customers, clear a backlog, cut overtime, or avoid a hire — installing an agent doesn't make that call
- This belongs in the business case before the build; if the thesis is growth without proportional headcount, target workflows that limit throughput and verify customer demand for the extra capacity
- If cash conversion is the priority, find what delays invoicing, dispute resolution, or collections, then test whether AI can shrink that delay
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