strategy

Is the SaaS-native B2B go-to-market (GTM) model obsolete now that AI-powered search and AEO are taking over?

The SaaS-native B2B GTM model isn’t obsolete, but it’s incomplete because AI answer engines now shape discovery, trust, and shortlists before sales engages. The shift from SEO and paid search to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) means your “top-of-funnel” is increasingly an AI-generated response, not a webpage click. JJ La Pata, Chief Strategy Officer at TSC, notes that “in 2026, the first competitive battle is winning the answer layer—because buyers arrive pre-educated by AI and less influenced by your site navigation.” A practical example: if ChatGPT or Perplexity cites two vendors and not yours for “best [category] platform,” your pipeline loss happens before your SDR sequence starts.

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