🎙️ podcast Analysis January 21, 2026 The a16z Show

Enterprise Software: AI Agents Shift Decision-Making from IT Buyers to Automated Systems

Enterprise Software Data Center Infrastructure Semiconductors
Tickers
3 Picks
Conviction HIGH
Risk Profile 3.2/10 (MODERATE RISK)
Horizon 12-24 months
Signal Snapshot Core Theme: Enterprise Software

SaaS vendors adding AI features to existing interfaces

AI agents bypassing traditional IT procurement workflows entirely

AI coding adoption; consumption pricing; regulatory reform

Executive Summary

A16Z's Martin Casado identifies a fundamental disruption brewing in enterprise software procurement: AI agents are beginning to make infrastructure decisions previously controlled by IT teams and central buyers. This shift threatens to reshape a multi-trillion dollar market where human decision-makers have historically controlled vendor selection and technical architecture choices. Casado observes that developers using AI coding tools like Cursor or Claude Code are no longer consulting IT-approv...

Key Investment Opportunity

ServiceNow Consumption Model Transition

ServiceNow's workflow automation platform positions it to benefit from AI-driven consumption patterns while maintaining business process defensibility

...and 1 more investment opportunities

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