By: Jennifer Pistone
If Darwin were consulting for startups today, we’re pretty sure he’d say, “It’s not the strongest business that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Businesses are going to face a dynamic landscape this year and whether it’s evolving technology or shifting industry demands, one constant remains, and that’s the fact that adaptation is key. Those who adapt survive, while those who don’t risk becoming the next Blockbuster, fondly remembered but tragically outdated. I had the pleasure of interviewing Guy Pistone, CEO and co-founder of Valere, who shared insights on how his company is tackling this in 2025. His plans include investing in employees’ education and certification, forming strategic partnerships to bolster expertise and exposure, and building competency in new verticals, even through exploratory or pro bono work.
Building Expertise for Tomorrow
Why Workforce Upskilling Matters
Employees are the number one asset to any company; why not invest in their development? Guy sure is. Valere is making a major push to level up employee expertise in AWS cloud services this year. The focus is on AWS cloud certification and advancing expertise in artificial intelligence and technical cloud skills. By Q1, 40 employees will have certifications in AI, technical cloud skills, and related infrastructure. AWS is one of the most in-demand platforms, powering enterprises worldwide, and continues to expand its offerings. The goal this year is to achieve Tier 2 AWS Partner status. This is no small feat, requiring a combination of certifications, usage tracking, and client project contributions.
As Guy emphasized, “Upskilling is essential. In a service business, your people drive the output. Hiring is hard; retaining and developing talent is critical.” At Valere, engineers are becoming machine learning specialists through a mix of certifications, hands-on research, and real-world projects.
This isn’t just a tech company mantra. Any organization can apply this logic. Upskilling transforms your team into a competitive advantage by enhancing workforce expertise all the while strengthening employee loyalty in an age when hiring challenges persist.
Beyond education, Valere is focused on teaching employees to integrate AI tools into their workflows. Guy sees this as critical to remaining competitive, “Teaching employees to find tools that augment their work, like leveraging third-party AI tools, is invaluable.” These tools, such as OpenAI and AWS Bedrock empower employees to tackle more strategic challenges by automating repetitive tasks.
The Vertical Expansion Playbook
Beyond building on top of employee tech expertise, Valere has also dedicated teams working on enterprise solutions in healthcare, retail, and fintech. The idea here is to understand the ins and outs of these industries, whether its healthcare compliance or retail inventory systems. By collaborating with industry experts, his hope is to develop a strong foundational knowledge base that could be used to identify common challenges across different sectors, enabling them to work alongside current and future clients to come up with innovative AI solutions and build them more efficiently. His exact words were,
“Another priority is strengthening our competencies in healthcare and fintech while expanding into retail. We aim to truly understand industries deeply, starting with retail, working on highly impactful projects to innovate in these verticals. This helps us collaborate better, grasp client goals faster, and offer innovative solutions that translate directly to value for our clients.”
The AI Agent Revolution Is Here
Companies not experimenting with AI now are already behind. SaaS products reliant on static data without actionable AI are at risk of disruption. If you own a SaaS business or know someone who does, if there’s anything you’re going to take away from this article, it’s this, the future lies in agentic workflows. Instead of tools like Monday.com merely notifying users about follow-ups, AI agents could handle those tasks automatically. Rather than relying on users to interpret and act on notifications, these intelligent systems would take proactive steps to complete the work. For instance, instead of reminding a sales rep to email a lead, the agent could draft, send, and even track the email, saving time and ensuring no task is overlooked.
For instance, a network of agents in a sales environment could collaboratively handle lead generation, outreach, and follow-ups, with each agent specializing in specific tasks to optimize the overall process. By working together, these agents can achieve outcomes more effectively and efficiently than isolated tools ever could.
For those concerned about AIs taking over everyone’s jobs, note that not every agent seeks to replace the human element. Rox, for example, illustrates how agents can amplify human potential rather than supplant it. Designed for sales teams, their agent automates tasks like research, email drafting, and meeting preparation, allowing salespeople to focus on what they do best: building relationships and closing deals. In fact, Rox found that keeping the human seller in the loop tripled performance compared to fully automated workflows.
As Guy Pistone noted, “Competitors offering AI-driven task execution will disrupt traditional SaaS. This shift to ‘agentic workflows,’ where multiple AI agents collaborate to optimize outputs, is key.” We need to reimagine productivity through collaborative AI systems that handle complex tasks autonomously or work alongside humans to enhance outcomes.
Businesses need to identify the data-driven actions their users already perform and build AI to automate these workflows. This approach not only transforms operational efficiency but also redefines how humans and technology collaborate. The key takeaway? Don’t let your SaaS company go extinct. Offer your clients the luxury of convenience before someone else does it for you. Companies that integrate AI strategically, whether through individual agents or coordinated networks, will define the next era of productivity and innovation. Those who take bold steps now will shape the industries of tomorrow, leaving others to fade into irrelevance, much like the cautionary tale of Blockbuster in a Netflix world.
Facing 2025 with Confidence
For businesses looking to stay competitive, the roadmap is clear… adapt, invest, and innovate. Start by upskilling your workforce to ensure they’re equipped to navigate the complexities of modern technology. Form strategic partnerships that expand expertise and open doors to new opportunities. Embrace AI as a transformative force capable of reshaping workflows, enhancing productivity, and enhancing human potential.
In Guy’s words, “Upskilling talent ensures your team can adapt and excel. It’s about fostering, not just hiring, talent.”
For leaders and innovators, this approach offers a way to not only survive but thrive as technology and market demands accelerate. Will your business be ready?
For more insights on similar topics, follow Guy Pistone and Valere, or visit us at Valere.io.