April 7, 2026
A note from Ben Smith about what he’s hearing day to day…
Just this week, I was on a call with a startup founder who said:
"We’re still growing, but with capital tightening, every hire now has to be a revenue driver. We can’t afford passengers."
This is the shift we’re seeing:
Hiring in AI & SaaS is becoming leaner and more strategic. Fewer "nice to have" roles, more focus on sales, growth, and operational efficiency.
With a big focus on ROI, means longer decision cycles. Each hire is a big deal, trying to find those candidates who can to do more with less.
Growth isn’t stopping! Its shifting towards efficiency, revenue and agility. This week, Rachel Reeves announced that the UK’s growth forecast has been revised down from 2% to 1% - a significant shift that will undoubtedly impact investment, hiring, and expansion strategies across industries. But what does this mean for the AI & SaaS ecosystem in the UK?
