From Wellington to Auckland

Kia ora,

TL;DR: SaaSpocalypse Now Wellington brought the community together for practical learning, honest peer discussion and our inaugural Total BadSaaS Awards. Next up: SaaSpocalypse Now Auckland on 15 October, plus workshops on agentic engineering, AI-era recruitment, finance and AI security.

SaaSpocalypse Now: clearer on the shift!

We’re still buzzing from the conversations at SaaSpocalypse Now Wellington. The big theme of the day was clear: SaaS is changing fast. But there’s a huge amount we can learn from each other — where AI is genuinely useful, what is changing in our markets and operating models, and what each of us needs to do next.

We opened with a clear challenge: AI is already reshaping customer expectations, how software is built and how efficiently businesses can operate. The message was not to panic, but to get deliberate about the response.

Key takeaways from the day

• Build AI capability before you try to reinvent the business.
  Winning market strategies will require us to reimagine our businesses, particularly at leadership level. A practical baseline of experience and capability with AI is the starting point.

• Redesign operating models around strategy and learning.
  To adapt faster, teams need to be open to a different mix of risks, optimise for learning, and use AI in ways that genuinely improve how work gets done.

• Protect and strengthen what makes you hard to replace.
  Strong customer data, embedded workflows, vertical focus, trusted relationships and durable metrics may become even more important sources of advantage.

• Small, focused teams have a real opportunity.
  The new environment favours teams of four to six people that move quickly and build portfolios of niche products customers love. 

There is no single playbook. For one company, the next move may be a pivot; for another, a leaner operating model, stronger distribution, a move towards service delivery, or a portfolio of smaller products. The key is having a clear point of view on what you are protecting, where you can create an advantage, and how you will execute.

Your feedback and what’s next
The feedback was hugely positive: the combination of practical learning and real community connection landed strongly. As one delegate put it: “Reconnecting with our amazing SaaS community and having honest conversations at our tables: great format!” Another valued the “actionable models, case studies and inspiration we can apply in our startup.”

You also told us what you want next: more regular local meet-ups and workshops across Aotearoa, practical learning for specific functions and stages, online ways to stay connected between events, and structured opportunities to meet peers tackling similar challenges.

We’re taking that on board. KiwiSaaS will keep creating practical ways for the community to compare notes, build capability and turn shared learning into action.

Wellington’s Total Bad SaaS Awards winners

Congratulations to the winners of our inaugural Total BadSaaS Awards; Eleanor Barnes (DataTorque), Ben Gleisner (Cogo), Erika Butters (Volition), Cara Graham (Dot Loves Data), Troy Hammond (Talent Army) and Jessica Matthewson (Storbie).

Presented at SaaSpocalypse Now Wellington, these awards recognised the people behind the work that moves our community forward. The stories were smart, generous, impressive and, in a few cases, usefully chaotic. More importantly, they were a reminder that our community is built by people who keep showing up, sharing what they know and making things happen.

Congratulations to all our finalists and winners, and thank you to everyone who nominated a brilliant member of the community.

Auckland SaaS leaders: get clear on what’s next

Half-day conference

SaaS is changing fast. The market, the operating model and the expectations on every function are shifting and waiting for certainty is not a strategy.

SaaSpocalypse Now Auckland is a focused half-day for SaaS leaders who want to understand the shift, compare notes with smart peers and leave with a more deliberate plan.

Following the conversations in Wellington, we’re bringing the key evidence, ideas and practical lessons to Auckland, tailored for a room of leaders working through what comes next.

In one morning, you’ll explore:

• Where your next advantage could come from

• How to build a business that can move faster

• What your function needs to push into next

• A practical view of what leading, lagging and ready-for-more can look like across GTM, Product & Engineering, and People & Ops.

This is not a sit-and-nod session or a replay of Wellington. It’s a chance to pressure-test your thinking with people who understand the context, and take useful next steps back to your team. 

You’ll be in the room with leaders from companies including Auror, Lumin, Orion Health, Pushpay, Tradify, AoFrio, EROAD, Serato, Fuel50, CONQA, FileInvite, Melodics, Devoli, Kindo, JAVLN, Ideally, Timely, Help Genie, LOIS, Levno, APLYiD, Birdeey and Geodde.

Only a handful of tickets remain! If you want to be part of the conversation, now is the time to secure your place or you will miss out. Special thanks to Atlas Digital, Digital Garage and Hudson Gavin Martin for their support.

Thursday 15 October
9:00am-1:30pm
124 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter
Register now

How Re-Leased went all-in on agentic engineering

Public webinar

Most SaaS engineering teams are experimenting with AI coding agents. But how do you turn that experimentation into software shipping faster?

Join Re-Leased CTO Tony Schollum for a practical look at how the team rolled out agentic coding across its engineering function, where the bottlenecks moved, and what engineers and agents each do best. You’ll come away with a clearer view of what it takes to move from AI experimentation to a more agentic engineering model.

For CTOs, VPs and Heads of Engineering, engineering leaders, principal engineers and product leaders working through how agentic development changes the way they plan and deliver.

Wednesday 4 November, 1.00–1.45pm · Online · Free public webinar
Register now

Recruitment in the AI Era: how are we hiring now?

Members online workshop

AI is changing the hiring process fast, from candidate applications and screening through to assessments, interviews and the tools teams use behind the scenes. But what is actually working and where does AI create more noise than value?

Join Vanessa Radich, Head of People & Culture at Appetise, and Neha Bhardwaj, Chief of Staff at Drumbeat, for a practical, peer-led discussion on how SaaS companies are adapting. We’ll compare notes on testing for genuine capability, using AI well in the hiring workflow, and deciding whether AI fluency should be an explicit hiring criterion.

Thursday 5 November, 10.00am–12.00pm · Online · Free for large KiwiSaaS members ($5m+ ARR)
Register now

Future of Finance with AI

Members workshop

AI is reshaping finance teams, but where is it genuinely improving performance and what should be on your radar next?

Join fellow finance leaders for a practical morning of real-world SaaS examples, quickfire demos and honest discussion. Hear how teams are applying AI in finance, the wins and challenges they are finding, and how they are measuring its impact on growth and performance.

Facilitated by Georgia Burns (Auror) and David Clearwater (KiwiSaaS), with presentations from Matt Dold (Oxygen), Olivia Dyet (Empathix) and Jono Baker (Halter), plus an AMA panel featuring Ana Wight (Partly), Guillem Bonavia (Shuttlerock) and Nick Steevens (DataTorque).

Wednesday 11 November, 9.00am–12.00pm · Auckland · $25 for KiwiSaaS members ($5m+ ARR); $50 for Kiwi Finance Leaders in Tech members
Register now

AI Security for SaaS Scaleups

Members workshop

AI is opening up powerful new possibilities for SaaS teams and new security risks that need practical attention. From prompt injection and agent permissions to retrieval poisoning and supply-chain risk, what does proportionate action look like for your company today?

Join Simon Howard, Executive Director of Bastion Security Group, with Grant Anthony (Orion Health & HEALWELL.ai), Ben Wicks (Plexure) and Andre Groen (AoFrio), for a hands-on session built for SaaS technology and security leaders. Work through common attack paths, hear anonymised field examples and leave with clearer priorities for reducing immediate, high-impact risks.

Thursday 12 November, 9.00am –12.00pm · Auckland · Free for large KiwiSaaS members ($5m+ ARR)
Register now

Indigenous Tech Summit

Join 500+ Māori, Pacific and global Indigenous leaders for two days of keynotes and panel discussion from innovators across the globe.

Thursday 26 - Friday 27 November, 9.00am – 5.00pm · Wellington
Register now

Now hiring: fresh roles at KiwiSaaS companies

Currently, there’s 5 open jobs at AoFrio, 12 at EROAD, 37 at Gallagher, 6 at Serko, 16 roles at Tracksuit and 1 at Kindo.

Our 7 Weeks of SaaSmas kicks off at the start of November. Expect practical workshops, community events and SaaSmas parties across the motu.

Ngā mihi nui,

David Clearwater

Executive Director, KiwiSaaS