EP29: eCommerce SaaS Hot or Not — What’s Thriving and What’s Dying in 2025

In this episode of the ASOM Pod hosts John Roman (CEO of BattlBox), Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella), Bryan McDonald (Director of eCommerce at Oma's Pride), and Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer & Founder of Sendlane) explore all things SaaS and the evolving role of AI in eCommerce. From loyalty programs to personalization engines, the team breaks down how AI is reshaping the SaaS landscape and debates its potential to disrupt key areas like subscription billing, marketing automation, customer service, and affiliate marketing platforms. Bringing their signature mix of humor and sharp insights, the hosts challenge whether loyalty programs truly foster loyalty and explore how AI tools can optimize payment systems, inventory management, and personalized shopping experiences. They also dig into the limitations of current AI solutions and what the future might hold for brands adopting these technologies. What You’ll Learn: Are loyalty programs genuinely effective, or just a marketing gimmick? How AI is transforming subscription billing and personalization engines The evolving role of AI in marketing automation and customer service Why video reviews are becoming essential for younger generations Current limitations of AI-powered tools in e-commerce Predictions for AI’s future impact on SaaS platforms and affiliate marketing This episode is a must-listen for eCommerce leaders and marketers curious about how AI is reshaping the industry. Tune in for bold insights, practical takeaways, and a few spicy debates along the way! _______ Big thanks to Omnisend for sponsoring the pod! With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter! We drop weekly hot takes, totally unfiltered. Join us at ⁠⁠https://asompod.com⁠ _______ 00:00 Teaser Trailer 00:44 Welcome to The ASOM Pod 01:14 Introducing the Hosts 02:16 SaaS Hot or Not: Kicking Off the Discussion 03:28 Marketing Automation: Hot or Not? 06:27 Loyalty Programs: Hot or Not? 14:36 Reviews and Ratings: Hot or Not? 18:26 Subscription Billing and Management: Hot or Not? 20:58 Personalization Engines: Hot or Not? 23:33 Debating Personalization in AI 28:50 Challenges in AI-Powered Customer Service 33:38 Optimizing Payments and Checkout with AI 36:51 Revolutionizing Inventory and Order Management 39:00 The Future of Affiliate Marketing with AI 42:18 Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead _____ Follow Jimmy Kim at:  X:  https://www.twitter.com/yojimmykim  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yojimmykim IG: https://www.instagram.com/@yojimmykim  Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yojimmykim Follow Bryan MacDonald at: X: https://www.twitter.com/bryanomaspride LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-macdonald-ct IG: https://www.instagram.com/@anythingbutasalad Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anythingbutasalad Follow John Roman at:  X: https://www.twitter.com/@JohnMRoman Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roman/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/@johnnyromes Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmroman Follow Amer Grozdanic at:  X: https://www.twitter.com/@AmerGrozdanic Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amer-grozdanic IG: https://www.instagram.com/@amergrozdanic Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amergrozdanic Contact us at [email protected] for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information! Subscribe to our newsletter! We drop weekly hot takes, totally unfiltered. Join us at ⁠⁠https://asompod.com⁠ #asompod #businesspodcast #businessinsider #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #ecommercepodcast #ecommerce #ecommercebusiness #ecom #dtc #dtcpodcast #ecommercetips