Answer. Usage-based 43 percent, outcome-based 24, flat subscription 24, per seat 20, not charging 8 (base 148 YC founders). Outcome pricing leads only in enterprise software at 47 percent; fintech prices by usage at 70 percent. Usage revenue is recognized on consumption the customer controls and outcome revenue on a definition the contract controls; neither is ARR the way the comps assume.
Source. YC Founder AI Report, September 2026 refresh. Open Future Forum, Enterprise AI Buying and Budget Index. Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21576019. Bases are unique people per instrument; bases under 40 are directional.
External comparator. ICONIQ, July 2026: 52 percent AI gross margins; consumption and outcome pricing growing. External figures are context only; the source is not affiliated with this page and does not endorse it.
Questions to ask.
- Split revenue by pricing model in the model
- Read the customer’s budget clarity as demand risk
- Check who signed in the top ten accounts
- Stress the renewal on the CFO’s payback date
Last refreshed September 2026. First-party data for this seat is collected from October 2026; until then this page interprets the September editions and contains no new survey data. Part of The Sept Reports for dealmakers.
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About Murray Newlands
Murray Newlands is the founder of Open Future Forum and the host of its executive dinner series and research program. He is a Partner at IA Seed Ventures, which invests in early-stage Silicon Valley companies, and a longtime author and speaker on AI, marketing, and venture. He writes on AI, venture, and enterprise strategy at murraynewlands.substack.com. More at openfutureforum.com/about and murraynewlands.com.
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