Practical Founders Podcast · 2026-07-03 · 1h 3m
Nick Olsen is the Head of AI Innovation at Mainsail Partners , where he works hands-on with 25 scaling vertical SaaS companies helping them adopt AI in engineering and product. Before joining Mainsail, Nick spent 20 years helping build ResMan from a 3-person startup into a scaled software company serving the multifamily property management market. Today, Nick leads a team of engineers who embed directly inside portfolio companies to build AI systems alongside their teams. They don't just advise from the sidelines - they commit code, ship features, and help technical leaders redesign how modern software organizations operate. Nick explains why AI-first engineering is no longer a competitive advantage for SaaS companies - it's becoming the minimum requirement to stay competitive. The winners won't just write code faster. They'll build better products, make better decisions, and deliver dramatically more customer value with AI-native teams. Key Takeaways Table Stakes - AI-first engineering is no longer optional for serious SaaS companies. It's becoming the minimum operating standard.
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