Curative CEO says company ditched a $600k-a-year Salesforce contract after vibecoding a CRM in 2 months (www.businessinsider.com)

Curative CEO Fred Turner announced that the company has canceled its $600,000-a-year Salesforce contract after successfully developing its own CRM solution in just two months using what he calls "vibecoding." Turner believes this shift is emblematic of the broader "SaaSpocalypse," where businesses are spurning traditional SaaS models in favor of bespoke software built on AI capabilities. Curative plans to slash about 80% of its SaaS expenses this year and invest heavily in AI, especially tools provided by Anthropic, which have already seen their costs increase sixfold as the company discovers more applications for AI in their operations. This move is significant for the AI/ML community as it highlights a growing trend where organizations are leveraging AI to create tailored solutions that may outperform established SaaS products, potentially reversing longstanding industry norms. Curative’s use of an AI agent named Gwen to negotiate contracts exemplifies this shift, reducing contract costs from $1,500-$2,000 to about $70. By scaling contract negotiation capabilities, Turner envisions completing up to 20 times more contracts than before, emphasizing the transformative potential of AI in operational efficiency and cost management. While Salesforce executives argue that demand for their services remains robust, the divergence in strategies raises important questions about the future of SaaS in the AI era.