The SaaS Academy

Understanding Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) goes beyond the simple unit cost metric. In my latest SaaS Metrics School episode, I break down why your CAC's foundation in the SaaS P&L is vital for precision in sales and marketing efficiency metrics. 📝 Key Points Covered: 🔹Comprehensive CAC Expenses: Identifying and including all sales and marketing expenses. 🔹Accurate Cost Centers: Properly attributing expenses to maintain solid financial reporting. 🔹Fully Burdened Costs: Avoiding miscalculations by considering all wage and non-wage expenses. 🔹Linking CAC to Broader Metrics: Ensuring your metrics team has a smooth process for CAC Payback Period, LTV ratio, and more. A well-calculated CAC simplifies metric analysis and due diligence, setting your SaaS up for success. Watch the episode to deepen your understanding of CAC and strengthen your financial metrics. https://lnkd.in/gwW92drM #SaaS #CustomerAcquisitionCost #CAC #SaaSFinance #FinancialMetrics #SaaSCFO #StartupGrowth #SaaSMetrics #SalesEfficiency #MarketingMetrics #P&L #BusinessFinance #SaaSAnalytics #SaaSFounders #Entrepreneurship #GrowthMetrics #Efficiency #CostCenters #SaaSTips #SaaSEducation #StartupFinance

For founders navigating the early stages of fundraising, Richard White, CEO and founder, shared invaluable lessons on The SaaS CFO Podcast. 💡 Richard emphasized the strategic benefits he gained from raising $1.5 million in smaller tranches—connecting with numerous investors and building a strong network along the way. 🤝💸 Interestingly, Richard noted that his approach, which didn't involve using a traditional pitch deck, might be best suited for repeat founders or those with an established network. ✨ He highlighted that the initial capital he raised was based on his past experience and a compelling idea, not elaborate presentations. This strategy, while unique, showcased how founders can leverage past credibility to secure early funding. 🚀 Listen to the full episode on The SaaS CFO Podcast for more insights on unconventional fundraising tactics and lessons for startup success. 🎙️✨ Episode 169 is now available, links down below 👇 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gWdAFwDC Apple: https://rpb.li/tgVFdD Spotify: https://rpb.li/7pwzP5 #SaaS #Fundraising #Startups #Entrepreneurship #FounderAdvice #VentureCapital #StartupTips #NetworkBuilding #InvestorRelations #GrowthMindset #TechLeadership #CapitalRaising #Podcast #InnovativeFunding #StartupSuccess #TheSaaSCFO #PodcastEpisode #LeadershipInsights #BusinessGrowth #SaaSLeaders #NoPitchDeck

In episode #244, I address a student question from my SaaS Metrics Crash course. When we attend tradeshows, how do we measure the ROI? - MQL, SQL, Pipeline Creation - Treat your leads like cohorts Have you downloaded my 5 Pillar SaaS Metrics Framework? Download it here: https://lnkd.in/gjP4ueay #SaaS

Switching to the capital side, Richard White, CEO and founder, shared fascinating insights on his company's unique fundraising journey on the latest episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast. 💡 With a total of $27.3 million raised to date, including a recent $17 million Series A, Richard's approach was anything but conventional. 🚀 Starting in the optimal fundraising climate of 2020-2021 and being part of the YC W21 batch, Richard detailed how his team raised the first $10 million through eight separate tranches over approximately six to nine months. ⏱️💸 The average check size was around $70K—a deliberate strategy to build a network of supportive investors who could open doors to key partnerships and insights into industry verticals like sales SaaS and major partnerships with firms such as Zoom. 🤝💼 Catch the full conversation on The SaaS CFO Podcast for more strategic fundraising insights and lessons from a dynamic journey. 🎙️✨ Episode 169 is now available, links down below 👇 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gWdAFwDC Apple: https://rpb.li/tgVFdD Spotify: https://rpb.li/7pwzP5 #SaaS #Fundraising #Startups #SeriesA #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #TechStartups #YCAlumni #GrowthStrategy #Podcast #FounderJourney #InvestmentTips #StrategicPartnerships #SaaSLeaders #CapitalRaising #InnovativeFunding #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #StartupFunding #TheSaaSCFO #PodcastEpisode

🚀 Thrilled to share highlights from my recent conversation on The SaaS CFO Podcast with Richard White CEO and Co-Founder of Fathom, where we dove into the journey of building Fathom and explored the AI-driven revolution in SaaS. Here are some key takeaways from Episode 169: ✉️ Key Takeaways: 🔹User-Centric Product Development: Prioritizing user satisfaction, reliability, and product usage ahead of monetization has been a game-changer for Fathom. This approach has yielded an impressive NPS score of 82, demonstrating the value of focusing on what users truly need. 🔹Innovative Fundraising Strategy: Fathom successfully raised $27.3M through a strategic mix of small checks and a significant Series A led by Telescope Partners. A unique aspect of their approach included a $2M crowdfunding round, allowing their enthusiastic user base to invest directly and align with the company’s growth. 🔹AI at the Core: The integration of GPT-4 level notes has greatly improved the user experience and key operational metrics. Fathom is now pushing the boundaries further by developing AI-powered insights for customer-facing teams, converting vast amounts of call data into actionable intelligence. 🎧 Tune in to Episode 169 for the full conversation! Watch and Listen Here: ▶️ YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gWdAFwDC 🎵 Apple: https://rpb.li/tgVFdD 🎵 Spotify: https://rpb.li/7pwzP5 #SaaS #AI #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #Podcast #UserExperience #TechInnovation #StartupJourney #CustomerFeedback #GTMStrategy #ProductDevelopment #Crowdfunding #AIProduct #NPS #BusinessGrowth #SoftwareDevelopment #RemoteWork #TechIndustry #VentureCapital #Innovation

Are you scaling your SaaS business beyond the $10M ARR milestone? This is where tracking the right metrics becomes game-changing. 📈 In my latest SaaS Metrics School session, I break down the Five-Pillar SaaS Metrics Framework—essential for sustainable growth and efficiency as you scale. From understanding the full picture of your Growth and Retention metrics to diving into Gross Profit, Financial Profile, and Efficiency, this framework helps you keep your company on the right path. 🔑 Plus, learn about the four critical data sources you need for robust, repeatable metrics: Financial, Bookings, Payroll/HRIS, and Customer/Revenue data. This data integration isn’t just a task—it’s the backbone of your SaaS analytics. If you’re ready to level up your SaaS metrics game, check out my video and download the comprehensive SaaS Metrics Framework. Your investors and board will thank you. 😉 Watch the episode here: https://lnkd.in/ghAZwT9d #SaaS #SaaSMetrics #ARR #GrowthMetrics #Retention #GrossProfit #RuleOf40 #Efficiency #EBITDA #SaaSFramework #UnitEconomics #SaaSProfitability #CustomerRetention #NRR #GRR #ScalingSaaS #FinancialMetrics #SaaSCFO #InvestorMetrics #BoardReady #BusinessScaling #SaaSTips

Are we seeing the demise of Point Solutions 😟 No, not yet! According to early results from my 6th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey. Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of chatter about the re-emergence of ERP and the decline of point solutions. Not so fast! Participant preference still favors best-of-breed point solutions. This is the 6th year running where participants want point solutions over ERP. What are your thoughts? If you work in SaaS, be sure to participate in my 6th annual survey at the link in the comments. If you don't see the link, just tag me. Work in SaaS? Participate in my tech stack survey here: https://rpb.li/sRD #SaaS

📊 Preparing for Due Diligence? Here's What Acquirers Need to See First! When you're aiming for an exit or new investment, understanding what potential buyers prioritize is crucial. One of the most valuable assets you can present is a detailed MRR schedule. Why? Because it provides a comprehensive view of your recurring revenue by customer and month, enabling acquirers to evaluate key metrics like gross revenue retention and net revenue retention. 📌 Key takeaway: Ensure your MRR schedule is up-to-date and segmented appropriately to simplify the due diligence process and showcase the health of your business. 🔗 Dive deeper into why this is essential and how to prepare: https://lnkd.in/g2zqw2_8 #SaaS #MRR #DueDiligence #SaaSMetrics #RecurringRevenue #CustomerRetention #GrossRevenueRetention #NetRevenueRetention #SaaSFinance #FinancialPlanning #AcquisitionStrategy #ExitStrategy #SaaSBusiness #InvestorRelations #RevenueManagement #SaaSExit #BusinessMetrics #SaaSCFO #SaaSTips #LinkedInLearning

In episode #243, I’m addressing a student question from my SaaS Metrics Foundation course. Should we offer discounts on annual subscriptions? - What’s your retention? Cohort retention? - Month 13 renewal rate? Have you downloaded my 5 Pillar SaaS Metrics Framework? Download here: https://lnkd.in/gjP4ueay #SaaS

📊 Topic Highlight: What metrics drive a SaaS business in its early stages? Fynn shares that new logo acquisition is the current focus at 18 months in. As the company grows, he anticipates shifting equal, if not greater, attention to net dollar retention, vital for sustainable long-term success. 🚀 What’s next for Schematic? Exciting plans for Q4 include expanding support for diverse pricing models, such as the highly requested credit burndown model seen in platforms like OpenAI, and enhancing developer experience. 🎧 Don’t miss this insightful discussion on metrics, growth, and product evolution! Episode 168 is now available, links down below 👇 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gYrAjG73 Apple: https://rpb.li/tgVFdD Spotify: https://rpb.li/7pwzP5 #SaaSCFO #Podcast #SaaS #GrowthMetrics #StartupJourney #NewLogos #NetDollarRetention #BusinessGrowth #DeveloperExperience #SaaSInnovation #Entrepreneurship #TechLeadership #ProductDevelopment #StartupTips #TechFounders #SaaSProduct #CustomerSuccess #ScalingSaaS #B2B #SaaSLeaders #Q4Planning