AI-Driven Industry Rebuilds Are the Next Frontier for GTM

Apr 1, 2026 · The GTMnow Podcast
🎧 PodShort 49 min squeezed to 3 AI SprinklerAS Revenue Operations New
Episode artwork
Ed Sim
Founder and General Partner at Boldstart
The GTMnow Podcast
49 min squeezed to 3
Full episode from The GTMnow Podcast
Quotable Moments

I know that most things can go wrong when you invest. And the earlier you go, the more things that can go wrong. Let's say 9,999 things can go wrong, but if one thing goes right, what does it take and how big can it be?

Ed SimFounder and General Partner at Boldstart
00:42

What AI can really impact is like, instead of going into a vertical or an industry and supporting them with software, you can almost like rebuild the industry with AI. Like it's complete reimagining and rebuilding.

Paul IrvingGeneral Partner at GTMfund
08:18

I think the what is hot right now, besides kind of everything agents, is the fact that everyone is feeling like this is the biggest opportunity that they've ever seen and will ever see in their entire lives, but also feeling absolutely horrified and scared every second at what is happening.

Ed SimFounder and General Partner at Boldstart
47:52
Key Insights
  • There are two main ways to approach making money or building a company: either go big and scale broadly, or go niche and specialize.
  • Consistently publishing a weekly newsletter helps to synthesize one's thoughts and stay updated on evolving market trends, acting as a crucial internal and external knowledge-sharing tool.
  • When assessing a company as an operator, it's beneficial to adopt an angel investor's perspective, considering broader market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and long-term potential beyond immediate functional responsibilities.
  • The 'Jet Stream' analogy describes two distinct company types: those building complex, deep technical products that require significant time, and those that can directly enter a high-demand, consensus-driven market, where speed and agility are paramount.
  • The biggest opportunities in the current AI era lie in identifying and leveraging 'domain complexity' that cannot be easily simplified or automated, allowing companies to rebuild entire industries rather than just supporting existing ones with software.
  • The '5 Ps' framework for inception investing focuses on: People (passionate founders), Product (unique technical insight), Pain (addressing a burning problem), Passion (endurance through challenges), and Potential (the ultimate scalability and impact).
  • In the AI-native world, the bottleneck for growth has shifted from engineering to organizational absorption; engineering teams can now ship code so rapidly that the challenge becomes how quickly employees, sales, marketing, and customers can absorb and utilize new features.
  • The current market presents both the greatest opportunity in history and simultaneously induces significant fear and horror due to the unprecedented speed of change, requiring constant adaptation and a blend of strategic foresight and tactical agility.
Metrics Mentioned
  • 489 weeks (Ed Sim's 'What's Hot in Enterprise IT' newsletter has been published for 489 consecutive weeks.)
  • $500 million (Three other companies in the same space recently raised $500 million in funding.)
  • 9,999 (Hypothetically, 9,999 things can go wrong when investing, especially in early stages.)
  • $250 million (The current fund size of Boldstart.)
  • 22 companies (The number of healthcare companies in a recent YC batch, making it the largest vertical in that batch.)
  • $57 million (Surf AI recently announced a $57 million funding round.)
  • 27 solo founders (Number of solo founders in a recent YC batch, one of the highest in a long time.)
  • 600K ARR (Year 1) (Clay's revenue in its first year.)
  • $4.6 million (Year 2) (Clay's revenue in its second year.)
  • $30 million (Year 3) (Clay's revenue in its third year.)
  • $100+ million (Past Year) (Clay's revenue in the past year.)
  • 2 people instead of 7 (A head of marketing hired 2 people instead of the typical 7 for a role, attributing the efficiency to AI automation.)

RevBots.ai View:

  • AI Sprinkler teams should focus on domain complexity to avoid commoditization.
  • ARM-stage companies leverage AI agents to rebuild industries, not just optimize processes.
  • SaaS Hoarders risk falling behind by not addressing organizational absorption challenges.
  • Tab Hoppers must adopt AI-native thinking to compete in fast-moving markets.
🎧Full Episode:The GTMnow Podcast →