Redefining Time To Value When AI Does The Work For You

InnovationRedefining Time To Value When AI Does The Work For YouByOsman Koc,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 08, 2026, 10:00am EDTOsman Koç is the CEO of UserGuiding, a platform that helps teams improve user onboarding and build in-app experiences that drive adoption. getty​For years, SaaS people have been optimizing product experiences for speed (and fast results). We’ve been trying to reduce learning curves, build no-code tools, remove technical barriers and simplify in-app experiences with onboarding.All in all, the goal was always the same: decrease friction and shorten time to value (TTV). The faster users could complete a meaningful action, the more likely they were to adopt the product.For a long time, that worked, but generative AI has changed the equation. When an AI tool can produce drafts, designs, summaries and analyses instantly, TTV approaches zero. The output appears immediately, and the task is technically “done.”So, if value can be generated instantly, what exactly should we be optimizing for?​What Time To Value Meant In Traditional SaaSTTV, in simple terms, measures how quickly a user completes a meaningful action inside a product. The specific action and timeline vary across products and segments, but fundamentally, TTV shows how quickly users interact in a meaningful way.Before, that interaction required active participation. Users had to configure settings, input information, make choices and move through a structured process before reaching a meaningful outcome. Even when onboarding was optimized and friction was reduced, some level of cognitive and practical effort was needed. That effort was also a part of the value formation process. By working through the steps themselves, users developed a clearer understanding of how the product functioned and how it could fit into their wor...