Private equity firms have quietly raised the bar on what metrics they need to see in a SaaS before they’ll conisder putting in an offer. I sat down with Einar Vollset from Discretion Capital to break down the 6 moats buyers now require before they'll even consider a deal — and why it matters even if you never plan to sell. 🔗 Links in the video: TinySeed SaaS Institute: https://tinyseed.com/institute Discretion Capital: https://discretioncapital.com/ The SaaS Playbook: https://saasplaybook.com/ Episode 836 | The 5 A.I. Moats Acquirers Value Most: https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/episodes/episode-836-the-5-a-i-moats-acquirers-value-most 🎞️ Watch Next: AI is Crushing Big SaaS: https://youtu.be/7e9P_CAJxWc Stop Adding Lazy AI to Your SaaS: https://youtu.be/sIqHAtaqMw8 Which Business Buyers Will Pay the MOST for YOUR Business: https://youtu.be/saYUXJQ1QLc About Me: I’m Rob Walling. I’ve been building, growing, and acquiring SaaS companies for nearly two decades. I’ve started six companies (five of them bootstrapped) and exited multiple times, most notably selling Drip in 2016. I’ve invested in over 200 startups, and my focus is on helping founders build multimillion-dollar companies without the pressure of the traditional "unicorn or bust" venture capital model. 🚀 Scale Your SaaS with TinySeed If you are a B2B SaaS founder looking for funding, mentorship, and community, check out the accelerator I co-founded. We designed it specifically for bootstrappers. Apply to TinySeed: https://tinyseed.com 🤝 Join the Community at MicroConf I co-founded MicroConf to create a space for non-venture-backed startups. Connect with thousands of other founders, watch world-class talks, and find the support you need to grow your business. Explore MicroConf: https://microconf.com 🎙️ Listen to Startups for the Rest of Us Check out my podcast, where I’ve shared insights on bootstrapping and growing startups for over a decade. With over 800 episodes and 15 million downloads, it’s the longest-running podcast for software entrepreneurs. Listen here: https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com 📚 My Books on Startups & SaaS I’ve written several books to provide tactical advice on launching, growing, and selling your software company: The SaaS Playbook- My guide to building a multimillion-dollar startup without venture capital. https://saasplaybook.com Exit Strategy: The entrepreneur's guide to selling your business without regret (co-authored with Dr. Sherry Walling): https://exitstrategybook.com Start Small, Stay Small: A developer's guide to launching a startup: https://startsmall.com/ The Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Sh*t Together: How to handle the psychological pressure of being a founder (co-authored with Dr. Sherry Walling): https://saasplaybook.com/order/p/entrepreneursguide-ebook 👋 Connect with Me Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/robwalling LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwalling Website: https://robwalling.com