RS362: Hidden Multipliers with Jason Cohen

What happens when AI changes the rules of building a software company? According to Jason Cohen, the answer isn't to predict the future. It's to build around things that remain valuable no matter how technology changes.

In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig Hewitt talks with Jason Cohen, founder of WP Engine and SmartBear and author of Hidden Multipliers, about growth, strategy, positioning, and building durable businesses in an age of AI. Jason explains why founders should focus on the transformation customers actually want instead of simply adding AI to their products, why repositioning a product can dramatically increase its value, and how to identify the special combination of strengths, customers, and opportunities where your business can win.

Craig and Jason also dig into what kinds of jobs AI is likely to replace, why human creativity and personality remain incredibly valuable, how Jason develops the ideas behind his writing, and why copying someone else's successful framework rarely works without adapting it to your own company culture.

Whether you're building a bootstrapped SaaS company, leading a growing startup, or trying to figure out where your business fits in an AI-driven world, this conversation is full of practical ways to think more clearly about strategy, growth, and competitive advantage.

Highlights from Craig and Jason’s conversation:

How to make strategic decisions in an uncertain market

What customers will still value in the age of AI

Why AI should solve customer problems rather than simply be added to products

How positioning can dramatically increase a product's value

Why senior developers benefit more from AI than junior developers

What chess teaches us about AI and human creativity

Why human personalities still matter in content and marketing