80% complete for 90% less
June 23, 2026
Brian Lee
Many businesses find themselves either only using a fraction of a tool's capabilities or having to combine features from multiple SaaS products just to complete a task.
We want to introduce you to the concept of "8090."
What is 8090? It's about delivering 80% of the required functionality at a 90% cost reduction. Originally conceived by Chamath Palihapitiya and launched through the 8090 incubator, this idea remains powerful, especially with the rise of AI. Startups are rapidly disrupting established sectors by building new products quickly, offering a necessary subset of features for much less than what large companies continually demand.
While Grassland Ventures doesn't adhere strictly to the "8090" model, it strongly aligns with the philosophy behind many projects we have supported throughout the years.
In today's climate of increasing SaaS expenses, slowing growth, and budget restrictions, companies are reacting in two ways: utilizing internal teams to develop and maintain their own versions of essential features from existing SaaS tools, or partnering with new organizations that are actively disrupting the dominance of large SaaS providers. By leveraging in-house expertise, streamlining operations, and sometimes forging strategic partnerships, businesses are discovering innovative ways to maximize output with fewer resources.
Building the Features that Matter and a Lasting Partnership
Great ideas often arise from the challenges we face, whether in work or life. Take BudSense, for instance. In 2018, during Canada’s federal cannabis legalization, David and John Thomas were at the forefront of innovation. While managing multiple dispensary locations, they spotted gaps in the technology offered by existing providers and saw an opportunity. By partnering with Grassland Ventures, they were able to develop BudSense.
BudSense was built to address a specific need within the Thomases' business, one they couldn't quite solve with existing SaaS solutions (given that the existing options pricing didn’t quite align with the features they truly needed). Today, BudSense is used by over 900 legal cannabis dispensaries across North America. The next goal? Global expansion.
How the 8090 Method can Propel you Forward
Working with startups to large enterprises, time and time again we have seen organizations use only 2 of 10 features of SaaS products while still paying for the whole package.
The 8090 method is all about delivering on the key features your organization needs. Working together, our team can help you build in-house tools or alternatives to the SaaS products you love and use, helping you attain long-term savings.
The best part? You have full control over what’s built and how it’s built – whether it’s for your organization or your customers. Instead of relying on products that no longer fit your needs, you get to shape the tools that help you do what you do best.
How Leo's Hospitality Management Group is Streamlining Allergen and Beverage Management
Mike Ash and Matt Pinch at Leo's Hospitality Management Group saw a problem, but existing solutions in the market weren’t geared up to meet their needs and had high subscription costs.
When Leo's brought a challenge to Grassland Ventures, our teams collaborated to create a solution that not only met their internal needs but also opened up an opportunity for them to provide valuable technology to their competitors in an underutilized market.
In 2017, 27.3% of Canadians aged 12 and older (roughly 8.4 million people) reported having allergies (Statscan). You or someone you know might be among them. When people with food allergies dine out, they often struggle with outdated PDFs that list allergens in a confusing, hard-to-read format – or one that requires you to zoom in and scroll through a wall of text.
To solve this, the team at Leo’s had a plan: What if customers could access this information easily, right at their fingertips, in a way traditional menus often can't provide?
The challenge? Nothing on the market quite fit their needs, or the options were too expensive for a small business. The key features they needed were often buried within much larger, more costly platforms.
That’s where Grassland Ventures came in. Together, we created All-Day, a lightweight platform designed to simplify allergen and beverage management. With an easy-to-use backend, management and restaurant staff can quickly upload menu items, manage allergen details, and update customers on the latest beverage offerings.
For Leo’s, All-Day wasn’t just a solution to their own needs – it was also a chance to develop and license a product that saves them and can save others from costly platforms. Building something specifically for their needs has opened the door to licensing the platform to other restaurant groups.
By focusing only on the essential features, Grassland delivered exactly what the Leo’s group needed, without the high costs.
At Grassland Ventures, we focus on building tailored solutions that help our partners achieve a smooth, fully integrated tech experience.
While we didn’t coin the term “8090,” we love to put it into practice to help you reach your goals. Whether you need technology or products that serve your business, your customers, or both, we've got you covered. Reach out today to see how we can help!