Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is always moving.

The daily Scrum rushes updates into production. Sprints start as soon as they end. Priorities shift between debugs and new releases. A feature moves from beta to early access, time to General Availability oscillates between next month and this week, product marketing messages back and forth as departments rally for launch, and when the Go-To-Market campaign finally goes out, the questions and demo bookings flood in.

Meanwhile, a new AI model just dropped. And there's a report due by Friday.

The demands are endless. But your capacity is not. Something has to give.

Software-as-a-Purpose is the start of a new conversation about how Software-as-a-Service operates. Here's what it means for the industry:

What is Software-as-a-Purpose?

Software-as-a-Purpose (SaaP) is a modern business model where purpose is the primary driver behind the decision-making and operations of a SaaS company. Purpose, in this case, is defined simply as: "the compassionate motivation behind the success of the business."

It's derived from the etymological root, meaning, "to put forth."

Software-as-a-Purpose essentially asks SaaS companies, What do you want to put forth into the world?

What's the goal of Software-as-a-Purpose?

Software-as-a-Purpose isn't about replacing SaaS or ignoring the realities of running a SaaS company. Employees need a liveable wage, customers need the best product on the market, shareholders need return on investment.

Software-as-a-Purpose is about creating a framework that empowers SaaS companies to achieve three outcomes:

  • Sustainable growth
  • Safe and inclusive workplaces
  • Community and giving back

Companies that adopt the SaaP approach understand that purpose doesn't just feel good. When harnessed strategically, it becomes a competitive advantage.

Software-as-a-Purpose in practice

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to Software-as-a-Purpose, but some examples include:

  • Business decisions are weighed against ethical and environmental policies
  • The vision for the culture is defined, with clear dependencies and measurable KPIs
  • Community-building is harnessed as both a competitive strategy and a support system

A traditional SaaS company might offer volunteer days because they believe in community giving. But how many people on the team regularly use them? What's the impact on the business?

A Software-as-a-Purpose company takes the idea of volunteer days one step further, such as by designing a corporate volunteering program that advances a good cause and a company goal simultaneously.

Volunteering in their company's niche becomes protected time in the calendar. There's a roster, a knowledge-sharing channel, a metric for success. The team experiences their customers' pain points first-hand, learns to problem-solve with limited resources, and earns trust and credibility in the industry.

As they report back, their insights shape decision-making across the business, from product to marketing to sales and customer success, in a way that customer engagement alone could never achieve.

They're no longer speaking to an Ideal Client Profile (ICP). They're speaking to a community that they're known, respected, and invested in.

The intention is the same. The execution runs deeper.

Software-as-a-Service vs Software-as-a-Purpose

Most SaaS companies already believe in the principles of Software-as-a-Purpose. Sustainability, inclusion, community. The 'human touch' that AI can't replace.

But the current business model isn't designed to hold those principles without cracking under the pressure. When budgets tighten, political climates shift, or competition fiercens and you needed that new feature yesterday, even the best-intentioned teams can struggle to put on a fundraiser or manage team burnout effectively.

Software-as-a-Purpose isn't about upending your working model. It's about finding opportunities to integrate purpose into the success of your business just as seamlessly, and strategically, as you integrate AI into your daily workflows.

The core components of running the business are the same. The priorities are shifted.

Ultimately, if your purpose can be removed or deprioritised for the sake of the business, you're a SaaS company with noble intentions. In Software-as-a-Purpose, your purpose is inseparable from the success of your business.

Why do we need another acronym?

Software-as-a-Purpose is a new term. The conversation is not:

SaaS needs a better system.

Software-as-a-Purpose, at its core, is about putting your people first. The team that built the product. The customers who invested in your product. The commercial partners that embedded their tool in yours. The community you belong to, whether it's your supporters, the industry you service, or your physical neighbours.

But the term 'Software-as-a-Purpose' is less important than the practice of what it stands for. So, no, you don't have to call yourself a Software-as-a-Purpose company at all.

But you can choose to act like one.

The future is unwritten

Software-as-a-Service doesn't have to work the way it does now. And that's the real opportunity: to ask yourself and the people around you, "What is a better way forward for the SaaS community?"

Would it look like tighter deadlines, faster outputs, and an AI-reduced team that works through Saturdays?

Or would it look like long-term growth, manageable workflows, and a well-supported team delivering meaningful work that not only moves the needle for the business, but for the lives of everyone it touches?

The future isn't set in stone. It's carved by what you do today. What will your next move to be?  

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