SAAAAS stands for Software And Advice As A Service. You haven’t heard of it before because I’ve just made it up. You might think you have, because there is already an acronym — SAAS — that stands for Software as a Service. This is the business model where you write a piece of software that solves a problem, turn it into a platform, and charge people a subscription to use it. Xero, which I use to manage my bookkeeping, is a good example.
SAAS offerings work well for both parties. I get my accounts in order for a reasonable fee and Xero gets a steady income stream. These businesses can be extraordinarily profitable. Canva, which lets people do simple graphic design for everyday purposes without having to learn Photoshop, is a case in point. Founded in 2012, it took Canva several years just to secure its first investment, yet it has grown into a remarkable business. Its revenue reached $3.5 billion in 2025, though its forward-looking annualised recurring revenue was estimated at $4 billion by year-end. Photoshop’s parent company, Adobe, is in a different league entirely — its annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 came in at $23.77 billion.
Adobe does, however, have its challenges at the moment. Some are specific to the company, but one is a general pressure facing many businesses: AI. If you need an image, you can now ask an AI to create one for you. The results are hit and miss, of course, but they are getting better. At Adobe MAX in October 2025, Adobe announced its latest Firefly image model along with a browser-based video editor and a ChatGPT integration — a sign of how seriously even the industry giant is taking the competitive threat. It has already reached the point where someone interested in graphic design might think twice about how much time to invest in learning Photoshop. It’s not yet clear, though, that bolting AI onto a SAAS platform is enough to save it.
AI can write code as well as draw pictures, which means it is now possible to create software for very specific purposes — tailored to your particular business. I’m doing exactly that myself, using it to speed up formulation work and the writing of cosmetic safety assessments and stability study reports in my lab. Could I sell that code to others doing similar work? Possibly — but I suspect they’re already doing the same thing themselves.
The real opportunity, I think, lies in using software that can now be created more quickly to improve the service you offer to customers. I have Xero, but I still need an accountant to make sure my books are in good order — and he has access to my Xero account to make that easier. I pay him more than I pay Xero. Something similar could work in my own field: a platform where product development clients define the kind of product they want, and the software generates a project plan for my lab to bring it to life in the real world. A service that combines advice, software and service delivery.
SAAAAS.