---
type: idea
title: System of Record + Agents = Future of Software
created: 2026-02-26
status:
  - used
origin_sources:
  - "[[26-02-26  x.com  Thread by @matt_slotnick]]"
related_auto: []
used_in:
  - "[[The Repricing of Enterprise Software]]"
---

## Claim
I think the future is largely going to be a mix of systems of record and agents that work through the systems of record. Historically most software that we have seen has been a system of record. Think about sales force or Microsoft Excel or databases like Snowflake, etc.

A system of record could be spun up but I think enterprises still prefer more secure kinds of environments. Anyway I think software is not going anywhere but the way they are priced might have to change because from being a growth driver like Snowflake or data breaks or like sales force, these go from being drivers and engines of growth to just being plumbing now in an increasingly agent tech stack. To work through these systems of record you need human workers and agents, and the pricing has to differ because you cannot really price the systems of record by seat because you don't need human beings to go through the systems of record as much.

Software inevitably is moving away from seat-based pricing to work-based pricing or a workflow-based pricing. Agents will probably be priced by the tokens they are processing and probably a markup on top of the tokens they are processing. This really changes the way we need to think about software and it will be interesting to see the companies that make systems of record plus agents that have a full stack. Today most companies operate in either of these one places and they find it difficult to operate between the two. We probably have read a bunch of articles that talk about how systems need to be able to take work where the agents need to be able to access them and vice versa. The challenge I feel is going to be how do we even price these things going forward? There's something to think ab[[2026-02-26 | ]]out. 
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