Rob Walling

So you had this on-prem software from 05 until you told me 2015 is when you launched a SaaS version. And The question that popped up in my mind around that is, 2015 feels late to launch SaaS. SaaS first became kind of in the zeitgeist in, I would say, like, 07 to 09. That MailChimp became a thing. Certainly there was SaaS before that, but it wasn't called that.

So you had this on-prem software from 05 until you told me 2015 is when you launched a SaaS version. And The question that popped up in my mind around that is, 2015 feels late to launch SaaS. SaaS first became kind of in the zeitgeist in, I would say, like, 07 to 09. That MailChimp became a thing. Certainly there was SaaS before that, but it wasn't called that.

I remember ASPs and whatever, the other acronyms. Basecamp. Basecamp, Salesforce. Salesforce.

I remember ASPs and whatever, the other acronyms. Basecamp. Basecamp, Salesforce. Salesforce.

constant contact you know they were around even a weber was like really early but i remember by like 2011 2012 like sas was that was a thing it was like going so i would think you know you having this on-prem would have have moved to sat and not moved but just deployed a subscription version earlier so what what was the delay and i'm not acting like you you launched it late but it's just in my head yeah that number so what what what took that time

constant contact you know they were around even a weber was like really early but i remember by like 2011 2012 like sas was that was a thing it was like going so i would think you know you having this on-prem would have have moved to sat and not moved but just deployed a subscription version earlier so what what was the delay and i'm not acting like you you launched it late but it's just in my head yeah that number so what what what took that time

How painful was that to go on-premises? Oh, it's painful. Was it brutal?

How painful was that to go on-premises? Oh, it's painful. Was it brutal?

I was going to ask if you still offer on-prem or if at a certain point, obviously, you know, if you still have a bunch of customers using it, paying you, you would let them keep going. But the idea of just going to help spot.com and the only thing you can sign up for is the SAS, you know, did you ever, you haven't done that. You still offer both. What's the thinking there?

I was going to ask if you still offer on-prem or if at a certain point, obviously, you know, if you still have a bunch of customers using it, paying you, you would let them keep going. But the idea of just going to help spot.com and the only thing you can sign up for is the SAS, you know, did you ever, you haven't done that. You still offer both. What's the thinking there?

No, I think that makes sense. I have a, may seem off topic, but I have a question for you about Laravel because you're written on, well, you're written on some custom PHP that you hacked together 20 years ago, but then I know at a certain point, you know, you integrated Laravel and you're pretty heavily involved in the community. Laracon, you know, I think you mentioned some of that earlier.

No, I think that makes sense. I have a, may seem off topic, but I have a question for you about Laravel because you're written on, well, you're written on some custom PHP that you hacked together 20 years ago, but then I know at a certain point, you know, you integrated Laravel and you're pretty heavily involved in the community. Laracon, you know, I think you mentioned some of that earlier.

Laravel just raised $57 million, like, I don't know, two weeks ago, maybe. What's your thinking on that and what that means for the future of Laravel?

Laravel just raised $57 million, like, I don't know, two weeks ago, maybe. What's your thinking on that and what that means for the future of Laravel?

I didn't know that. Oh, what a trip.

I didn't know that. Oh, what a trip.

So now I want to ask you something that I asked you offline. And it was about kind of what's your biggest fear, you know, today, looking ahead, you've run this business for 20 years. And you mentioned it was it was like, how can AI potentially impact this? You want to talk us through thinking?

So now I want to ask you something that I asked you offline. And it was about kind of what's your biggest fear, you know, today, looking ahead, you've run this business for 20 years. And you mentioned it was it was like, how can AI potentially impact this? You want to talk us through thinking?

That makes sense. What just out of curiosity, like, what's the first one or two AI features you're adding?

That makes sense. What just out of curiosity, like, what's the first one or two AI features you're adding?