Forget SaaS 2025 Is the Year of AI Agents, and It’s Time to Claim Your Piece
Introduction
Remember when selling software meant burning it onto CDs, sliding them into clunky boxes, and hoping your customer’s Windows 98 machine wouldn’t crash halfway through install?
Good times. 🍷
Then came SaaS Software as a Service and the world flipped. Instead of buying a CD, you bought access to software over the internet. No install discs, no headaches. SaaS grew into a monstrous $300+ billion industry. Companies minted millionaires (and billionaires) overnight.
But here’s the thing:
SaaS? It’s about to look like floppy disks compared to what’s next.
2025 is the year of something way bigger, faster, and infinitely more scalable.
It’s called Agents as a Service (AaS) and if you get in early, it could be your ticket to millionaire (or even billionaire) territory.
In this article, we’ll break down:
- What Agents as a Service even means (spoiler: it’s like SaaS on steroids),
- Why it could replace SaaS entirely,
- A step-by-step roadmap to profit from this wave even if you’re starting from scratch.
- And a real-life case study of someone already making $50,000+ a month with this model without any crazy venture funding.
By the way, no I’m not trying to sell you a course, a $499 eBook, or a VIP Discord server. (Shocking, right?)
I’m just here to hand you the blueprint while everyone else is still busy making YouTube shorts with fake Lambos.
Pro Tip: Stick around to the end where we also unpack the future of vertical vs. horizontal agents and why some agents might soon be building other agents. (Yeah, it’s getting sci-fi fast.)
Ready to dive in? Let’s unlock your 2025 unfair advantage.
How We Got Here: From SaaS to Agents
Before we talk about where we’re going, let’s geek out for a second about where we’ve been.
Back in the early 2000s, buying software meant a trip to the store (or ordering from a mail-order catalog if you were fancy). You’d get a shiny CD, jam it into your drive, pray it didn’t scratch, and manually install every update.
(And yes, if you lost the CD key? Game over.)
Then came the Ajax revolution.
With the rise of XMLHttpRequest (the nerdy magic behind Ajax), developers realized they could build interactive software directly inside a web browser. No installation needed.
Click, load, use. SaaS was born — and it exploded.
SaaS transformed the way we used tools. Instead of owning clunky software, businesses rented sleek, always-updated services.
HubSpot? Salesforce? QuickBooks? All SaaS giants.
And the result? A $300 billion+ industry that dominated the 2010s.
Fast-forward to today.
A bigger revolution is brewing and it’s powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4o, Claude 3, and whatever OpenAI’s cooking up next.
These models aren’t just passive software anymore — they think, respond, reason, and act almost like humans.
Key shift:
- SaaS = Tools that humans use.
- Agents = Tools that act like humans for you. (You barely lift a finger.)
You don’t even need a fancy browser anymore. (Remember my last video on GPT-40? Yeah, soon your AI agents will be handling tasks while you binge-watch Attack on Titan.)
In short:
- SaaS = Humans drive the car.
- AaS (Agents as a Service) = You hand the keys to an AI chauffeur who drives, parks, refuels, updates Spotify, and even picks you up a latte.
And that’s why in 2025, Agents as a Service is the biggest business model shift since SaaS itself.
The Business Model: Agents as a Service (AaS)
Alright, here’s the part where the old gods of SaaS start to sweat.
Introducing: Agents as a Service (AaS).
Think of it as SaaS but if SaaS grew sentience, learned to hustle, and fired half your sales team before lunch.
What is Agents as a Service?
At its core, Agents as a Service is simple:
Instead of giving companies tools that people still need to use (like HubSpot or Salesforce), you give them AI agents that actually do the work for them.
Example:
HubSpot (SaaS): Gives you a CRM where your marketing team schedules emails, manages leads, follows up manually.
Agent CRM (AaS): An AI marketing agent that uses the CRM for you — it finds leads, schedules calls, follows up, and updates the CRM without human help.
No humans in the loop = less cost, faster results, bigger scalability.
Businesses love saving money and skipping the whole “hire 12 more interns” phase. 📉
Why AaS Could Destroy SaaS
Here’s why Agents as a Service isn’t just an upgrade — it’s a complete paradigm shift:
In other words:
→ SaaS sells you a hammer.
→ AaS builds the damn house for you.
Companies don’t just want tools anymore they want results.
Agents give results on autopilot.
Bonus Insight: Easier to Build Than You Think
Here’s the kicker building Agents is often easier than building SaaS.
Why?
Because most SaaS apps are basically just fancy databases under the hood:
- Zendesk? A database of support tickets.
- QuickBooks? A database of financial transactions.
- HubSpot? A database of leads and emails.
With Agents, you skip building bloated user interfaces.
The agent plugs directly into those databases, talks to APIs, and does all the hard lifting without you needing a giant dev team coding endless dashboards.
Less code.
Faster MVPs.
Way less pain.
Way more money.
Vertical vs Horizontal Agents Explained
Choose your fighter: precision tool or all-purpose framework?
When you dive into the world of AI agents, you’ll quickly notice there are two very different beasts you can build:
Vertical agents and Horizontal agents.
Understanding the difference is crucial if you want to build something valuable — and not waste 6 months building an agent no one can use.
What Are Vertical Agents?
Vertical agents are like sniper rifles laser-focused on a single, clearly defined job in a specific niche.
Think:
- A legal assistant agent trained specifically for law firms
- A construction project manager agent
- A compliance agent for financial services
- A voice AI agent just for solar sales teams
These agents are pre-trained on a general process within a domain, so they can start delivering value fast. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.
Example: Harvey AI is a vertical agent built just for legal workflows. It knows legal terms, contract review processes, and doesn’t try to write poetry in its free time.
What Are Horizontal Agents?
Horizontal agents are more like swiss army knives — they’re flexible, customizable, and can be molded to fit any role, across any industry.
But flexibility comes with effort.
You (or your dev team) will have to:
- Define workflows from scratch
- Build datasets
- Customize behaviors
- Do prompt surgery like a brain surgeon in dark mode at 2AM
It’s powerful, but you better know what you’re doing.
Example: AgencySwarm, CrewAI, LangChain, and other frameworks that can build any agent but only if you guide them well.
Vertical vs Horizontal The Graph That Explains Everything
Picture this:
X-axis = performance
Y-axis = time/effort required
- Vertical Agents: Quick to deploy, quick wins. But they plateau. Hard to deeply customize once pre-trained.
- Horizontal Agents: Start slow, require more effort. But scale massively over time because of full control and deep customization.
So Which Should You Build?
Here’s the truth bomb:
If you’re just getting started go vertical.
Why?
- Faster time to value
- Easier to pitch (specific industry = specific pain point)
- Less technical debt
- You can charge more, quicker
And this isn’t just theory. The speaker in the video Arseniy runs a real AI agency and straight-up says:
“We’re not even considering building horizontal platforms right now — 99% of people should focus on vertical agents.”
Quick Reality Check
Vertical agents can’t do everything, and they’re less adaptable when your client’s process deviates from the norm.
But 80% of companies don’t want crazy customization.
They just want an agent that shows up, does the work, and doesn’t ask for PTO.
Real-World Examples of Vertical AI Agents
Proof that Agents aren’t just hype they’re raising millions (and printing cash).
If you’re still wondering whether this whole “Agents as a Service” thing is legit or just another buzzword sandwich — let’s talk cold, hard examples.
These aren’t hypothetical unicorns or theoretical VC pitches.
These are real companies that have gone vertical… and are already crushing it.
1. 11x AI SDR & Sales Rep Agents
What they do:
11x is building agents that completely automate the sales development rep (SDR) role.
We’re talking lead gen, appointment setting, pipeline management — all without a human ever touching a CRM.
Use case:
They’re gunning to replace platforms like Salesforce and Apollo not just by offering tools, but by doing the job for you.
The bag they raised:
- $50 million in Series B
- $74 million total
- Valued around $350 million
Arseniy’s take:
“Honestly… $74 million feels like overkill. They’re still just calling OpenAI’s API like the rest of us.”
Takeaway:
If they can raise that kind of money with basic LLM wrappers, imagine what you can build without needing a single cent of VC cash.
2. Carmen Agent for Construction Project Managers
What it does:
Carmen is laser-focused on helping construction PMs handle their admin chaos timelines, checklists, follow-ups, and more.
Why it works:
Because it’s not just “a project manager bot.”
It’s a construction-specific, role-specific admin AI and that vertical focus is what makes it powerful.
Takeaway:
The narrower the niche, the stronger the pitch. “Project Management Agent” is vague.
But “Admin Agent for Construction PMs”? 💰 That sells.
3. Norm AI Compliance Agent
What it does:
Norm helps regulatory compliance teams evaluate whether documents, content, or actions meet legal and industry standards.
Why it matters:
It saves time, eliminates risk, and automates the most mind-numbing part of compliance.
(If you’ve ever done SOC 2 prep, you know the pain.)
Takeaway:
Vertical agents shine in industries where risk mitigation = money saved.
Legal, healthcare, finance? Perfect playgrounds.
4. Devin — The AI Developer Agent ($500/mo)
What it does:
Devin writes code, debugs, updates repos, and plays full-stack engineer… for $500/month.
And yes it works inside Slack.
It’s like hiring a junior dev that never sleeps, doesn’t complain about Jira tickets, and ships on time.
💡 Takeaway:
Developers laughed at AI agents in 2022. In 2025, they’re reviewing pull requests from bots.
Common Pattern:
All of these agents:
- Target a specific industry or function
- Handle end-to-end tasks, not just suggestions
- Use existing APIs or CRMs (they don’t reinvent the wheel)
- Scale like software, but act like employees
So yeah if you were waiting for a “real” success story to justify building vertical agents… you just got four.
What You’ll Need to Build a Vertical AI Agent
No VC funding? No problem. Here’s your real starter kit.
Alright, so you’re convinced.
Agents are the future. SaaS is shaking in its boots.
You’re ready to build your vertical AI agent empire.
But before you go full Tony Stark in your basement, you need to know the three real ingredients that make this work.
1. Data Your Secret Weapon
In AI, input = output. Garbage in, garbage out.
The quality of your vertical agent is completely determined by the quality of the data you feed it.
- Gold standard: Internal, proprietary, messy, boring company data.
- Worst case: Public data that OpenAI models already memorized in 2023.
If you want agents that are smarter than a basic chatbot, you need access to:
- SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)
- Internal documents
- Customer support logs
- Sales scripts
- CRM records
Pro tip:
If you don’t have access yet, sell first, build later. Get your first client to provide internal data during onboarding.
Takeaway:
Your real AI moat isn’t code.
It’s proprietary data.
2. Industry-Specific Expertise
Building random general-purpose agents is a death sentence.
You need deep insight into how a specific industry actually operates.
You need to know:
- What workflows are bottlenecks?
- What’s tedious but critical?
- Where humans slow down processes the most?
Reality check:
If you don’t have this expertise yourself, partner with someone who does.
Split equity, split revenue, whatever it’s worth it.
Example:
You don’t need to know how construction cranes work.
You just need to know what admin pain points construction PMs complain about over beers.
Takeaway:
Vertical agents are about solving real problems, not just flexing AI skills.
3. Resources (But Probably Not the Kind You Think)
Good news:
You don’t need to raise $10M or join some flashy accelerator.
Better strategy:
- Start with your own time, effort, and brains.
- If you must raise funding, do it to accelerate scale, not to build your MVP.
Most vertical agents start lean:
- A few hundred bucks for OpenAI credits
- Some gumption
- Maybe a basic Notion doc + API keys if you’re feeling fancy
Pro Tip:
Focus on delivering real value to 1–2 customers first.
Case studies are worth 10x more than a pre-seed round.
Takeaway:
Forget fundraising as a goal.
Build something clients can’t live without. The money will follow.
How to Build, Price, Launch, and Scale Your Vertical AI Empire (Without Losing Your Mind)
Alright, time to get tactical.
You’ve got the vision, the data, and the industry knowledge. Now how do you actually build this thing?
Good news: there are three main ways to bring your vertical agent to life:
1. Frameworks: The Speedrun Route
Frameworks like AgencySwarm, CrewAI, LangChain, and Autogen let you skip the messy low-level coding.
They handle the basics (agent memory, reasoning, tool use) so you can focus on your agent’s logic and use case.
- Pros: Faster MVPs, great for first-timers.
- Cons: Still need some dev chops (Python and basic API wrangling).
2. Platforms: Outsource the Heavy Lifting
Platforms like Google Vertex AI, Bedrock Agents, and Verta AI let you stack agents without worrying about infrastructure.
- Pros: Scalability without hiring a DevOps wizard.
- Cons: Costs can sneak up and body slam you at scale.
(Ask Chase from the interview he started on platforms before templating everything smart.)
3. Custom Coding: Ultimate Control (Big Brain Mode)
If you’re a seasoned dev, you can ditch frameworks and platforms entirely and custom-build agents from scratch.
- Pros: Total freedom, cheaper at large scale.
- Cons: Takes time, requires serious technical muscles.
How to Price Your Vertical Agent (Without Screwing Yourself)
Pricing isn’t just picking a number out of a hat.
Here are four proven models
- Licensing: Simple monthly fee. Great for MVPs. Easiest to sell, but risks underpricing.
- Usage-Based: Charge per API token or interaction. (Great if your agent gets hammered 24/7 by users.)
- Outcome-Based: Get paid per result (appointment booked, lead closed, etc.). This one can skyrocket your revenue.
- Hybrid: Mix base fee + usage bonuses. (Pro move, but harder to sell to cautious clients.)
Pro tip: Start with licensing early to get cash flow, then pivot to outcome-based once you have proof it works.
Your Roadmap to Profitable Launch
1. Pick a Niche:
Choose an industry you know or where you have insider help.
2. Find a Pain Point:
Target recurring problems that traditional automation tools (like Zapier) can’t handle.
3. Sell First, Build After:
Get a client commitment before you write one line of code.
4. Build a Minimum Viable Agent:
Solve one narrow, painful bottleneck. MVP = survival.
5. Productize Smartly:
After your first few installs, template everything you can (config files, prompts, tools).
6. Measure with Evals:
Track your agent’s performance relentlessly. Iterate or die.
7. Scale or Fail:
Once you hit repeatable success, scale fast. More agents, more niches, more revenue.
Real Case Study: Chase’s $50K+/Month AI Business
Chase, from the interview, didn’t start with millions.
He started with deep industry knowledge (solar sales), basic tech skills, and insane hustle.
Now? His AI voice agents manage:
- Lead intake
- CRM updates
- Appointment scheduling
- Full conversation flows (in English and Spanish!)
He templatized his work, sells SaaS-style subscriptions, and pulls $30K–$100K monthly — without needing a warehouse of humans.
Future of Agents: Vertical vs Horizontal
In the short term, vertical agents dominate because they solve clear, immediate pains.
But in the long run? Horizontal platforms will rise — enabling anyone to spin up a vertical agent with one prompt and continuous self-improvement.
(Think agents building agents. Yeah, it’s getting that meta.)
In 2025, the real winners will combine both: vertical precision now, horizontal scale later.
Final Thought
SaaS minted the last generation of tech millionaires.
Agents as a Service will mint the next.
The question is: are you going to watch it happen… or build your way into it?
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