Ben Lorica is joined by Evangelos Simoudis for a wide-ranging check-in on how AI is reshaping mobility, enterprise software, and corporate strategy.<br>Subscribe to the Gradient Flow Newsletter 📩 https://gradientflow.substack.com/<br>Subscribe: Apple · Spotify · Overcast · Pocket Casts · AntennaPod · Podcast Addict · Amazon · RSS.<br><br>Detailed show notes and transcript, can be found on The Data Exchange web site.

The SaaSpocalypse Is Coming — But Don't Count Out the Incumbents

The Data Exchange with Ben Lorica

Alright, so we're back with my regular check-in with Evangelist Simoudis. His blog is at corporateinnovation.co. We are recording this on June 11, 2026, and we're going to cover three topics, roughly 10 minutes each. Topic number one, AI and mobility. Evangelist, go!

So, good morning. It's good to see you again. Good to work with you. I was listening on the road quite a bit, and I had the opportunity to use both Waymo and Uber.

And first of all, and I write about the fact that when we talk about robot taxes, it's about customer experience. It's not about the autonomous vehicle per se. I mean, the vehicle is important, but it's about the customer experience.

So, I recently, as I said, because of these troubles, I had the opportunity to compare the two. And the first point I will make is that when we compare the two, we really need to compare Uber Comfort with Waymo.

It is unfair to be comparing Uber X with Waymo, right? Two different products. Now, when we talk about customer experience, as I think some people know, right-hailing is a low-margin business.

So, when you want to offer customer experience, you have to wonder about where does AI make a difference in that experience, and for what part of the experience can the company charge a premium, right?

So, when I think about the customer experience that the user, the traveler looks at, we have, the traveler talks about the ETA. How quickly can a vehicle come to me, right? And here's what I will say that Waymo still lacks, and this is where you see the power of the Uber network, right?

The SaaSpocalypse Is Coming — But Don't Count Out the Incumbents

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

The SaaSpocalypse Is Coming — But Don't Count Out the Incumbents

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.