Theses 12 / 20 WATCH published 05 Apr 2026 · updated 06 Sept 2026 · v33

The Agent Runtime Layer

A new computational layer is crystallising between models and applications — the agent runtime. This is where orchestration, tool use, memory, and identity live. The question of who controls this layer is the central competitive battleground.

+55.8pp
Basket vs S&P 500since published — the verdict number
Basket absolute+71.5% · 4 instruments
S&P 500 same period+15.7%
Call directionWatch

No directional call — this basket is the thesis’s instrument panel.

InstrumentPriceTodaySince publishedvs SPY90d
DDOGDatadog 236.00 +2.3% +102.6% +86.8pp
NETCloudflare 333.94 +2.9% +57.7% +41.9pp
MDBMongoDB 393.42 +4.5% +54.3% +38.5pp
SPYS&P 500 — benchmark 762.60 +1.1% +15.7%
Basket: Instrument panel: where the runtime layer accrues if the thesis holds

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2 theses are currently moving against us — Microsoft Has Lost the Plot, +33.5% since published; The SaaS Apocalypse, +49.5% since published. They stay on the board. We update priors on evidence, not on evidence we went looking for.