SaaStr AI Annual 2026 Closing Q&A: Schmoozing Is Dead, Growth Is the Only Metric That Matters

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The closing Q&A at SaaStr AI Annual 2026 (May 12-14) ran 90 minutes with no script. Key takeaways: schmoozing-based sales is dead as AI agents handle relationship management, agents are hitting 120%+ of human performance across multiple go-to-market functions, and growth is now the singular metric that matters — companies that aren't growing in AI era can't hide behind efficiency improvements. The event itself ran at 132% of last year's revenue, but SaaStr disclosed they had to rebuild their entire customer base for AI, suggesting the old SaaS audience is being replaced.