Rory O'Driscoll(@rodriscoll):Companies are starting to think about next year's AI budgets, and the big question is what happens to overall spending. There are two forces at play. 1. There are maybe 5% of companies who tokenmaxxed earlier this year and are now “tokenminimizing” like crazy. Coinbase is the poster child here and is pointing to a 50% reduction in spend from the peak. 2. And then there are the toedippers, the 95% of companies who have just started on AI. If even 25% of those companies start to expand, their growth will swamp the reduction from the tokenmaxxers. Tokenminimizers vs toedippers will be what decides FY27 budgets.

2026.08.19 14:12

Companies are starting to think about next year's AI budgets, and the big question is what happens to overall spending. There are two forces at play. 1. There are maybe 5% of companies who tokenmaxxed earlier this year and are now “tokenminimizing” like crazy. Coinbase is the poster child here and is pointing to a 50% reduction in spend from the peak. 2. And then there are the toedippers, the 95% of companies who have just started on AI. If even 25% of those companies start to expand, their growth will swamp the reduction from the tokenmaxxers. Tokenminimizers vs toedippers will be what decides FY27 budgets.