SaaS Metrics School

In episode #179, I address revenue retention and variable revenue streams. This can be tricky if our variable revenue offers no consistency. Period of measurement is key. - Variable revenue streams - Period of measurement - Cohort analysis - Month 13 Grab my retention template in this free course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/pl/2148292708

In episode #178, I address the proper time to use the Rule of 40. There are a lot of opinions here on when to implement this metric. Some say above 25M in ARR. Some say 50M ARR. - What is the Rule of 40? - Your funding environment matters - When to use this metric - When is it a red flag Rule of 40 post: https://www.thesaascfo.com/rule-of-40-saas/

In episode #177, I address the 4 things you can do to pass 90% of SaaS peers in financial maturity. - Your Chart of Accounts - The Proper SaaS P&L - Department Coding - Revenue Recognition Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #176, I address the structure of your SaaS P&L. This is my top requested coaching session from founders and finance teams. You must get this right. - Your chart of accounts - Your revenue section - Your COGS section - Your OpEx section - Department coding - Rev rec SaaS P&L template: https://www.thesaascfo.com/saas-pl-explained/

In episode #175, I address the hotly debated topic of customer success expense. Where do we code wages and bonuses? To get this right, we must first define the role of CS in your SaaS company. - What is the role of CS? - Code in COGS, OpEx, or potentially both Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #174, I address bookings, renewals, and expansion. These data points can get confusing if we don’t define them correctly. - When is a renewal a booking? - When is a renewal NOT a booking? - Does renewal impact expansion MRR? Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #173, I address a student question this week in my SaaS Metrics Foundation course. We must understand our GRR, benchmarks, and how third parties will judge our SaaS business. Check out episode #59 on gross revenue retention for more details. - What is GRR? - Valuation impact - Benchmark data sources Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #172, I address revenue streams and MRR schedules. This is no joking matter. Our metrics and valuation depend on clean data. - Common SaaS revenue streams - MRR schedules - Combining MRR schedules Grab my template to create your MRR schedule in this free course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/gmbMDsYN/checkout

In episode #171, I address the number one SaaS data mistake. Poor or no tracking of bookings data. Check out episode #25 for a bookings breakdown. - What is the source of truth? - Tips and tricks - ACV, TCV, revenue categories - New vs. expansion Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #170, I address revenue classifications on our SaaS P&L. We must keep clear and distinct revenue categories. - SaaS revenue categories - One-time versus recurring - Subscription services Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #169, I address the financial close process. AKA, closing your books. This must be done timely and accurately every month. If not, you lose financial transparency and decision-making ability. - The slow close - The impact of taking forever to close your books Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #168, I address the four common mistakes with your accounting. I see this over and over in my client and coaching base. Learn from their mistakes. - Your chart of accounts - Your SaaS P&L structure - Your department coding - Your revenue recognition SaaS CFO Template Lessons: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/gmbMDsYN/checkout Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #167, I address a common founder issue. Running financially blind. I’ve seen a lot of bad data and financials lately. Even after reviewing 100’s SaaS financial statements, there are financials where I couldn’t even take a guess as to how good or bad the company is performing. - Running financially blind - 4 key data sources - Where to start first to improve visibility Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #166, I address a common discussion lately. Time tracking. It’s important to get your headcount roster coded correctly. However, we don’t want over allocate. - HRIS data - Wearing multiple “hats” - Time tracking Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #165, I address the tech stack being used in SaaS companies. I just released my 5th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Report. It covers 21 software categories and debt financing - 21 software categories - debt financing - 535 participants - It’s not a market map Download the report here: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/

In episode #164, I address an important topic that has come up a lot lately. The clarity and definition of your revenue streams. Don’t comingle them! - SaaS revenue streams - Your chart of accounts - Your revenue metrics Free templates course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/gmbMDsYN/checkout Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #163, I address a common financial setup mistake that prevents you from making informed financial decisions. - Big bucket of expenses - Financial structure - Cash burn Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #162, I address the advisors you need when exiting. Don’t go it alone! Transactions are very complicated. - Investment Banker - Tax CPA - Accounting CPA - Corporate M&A Attorney - Going it alone? Contact me for my rolodex: https://www.thesaascfo.com/contact/  

In episode #161, I address the time needed to accurately prepare your SaaS metrics. I talk to many founders who have kicked off an informal exit process. They need forecasts and metrics ASAP for due diligence. Often, it is too late to help. Ideally, we have 6 months to get your data in order. - Time needed to prep your data - Ideally, we have 6 months Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #160, I review growth rates that are considered VC fundable. I find growth rates to be very subjective based on the audience. Are we talking to VC or PE? Let’s not get caught up in the hype. I cover the growth rates posted by Jason Lemkin in a SaaStr post and Benchmarkit.AI growth rates. - Lemkin’s view of growth rates - Benchmarkit.ai growth rates - Bootstrappers, let’s not get caught up in the hype SaaStr post: https://www.saastr.com/look-no-vc-wants-to-fund-a-startup-with-so-so-growth-except-maybe-your-existing-investors/ Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Episode 159 – How to Handle Unknown Churn in Your Reporting In episode #159, I address a reader's question. This is very common for SaaS companies that target mid-market and above customers. You send the renewal invoice but don’t hear back from the customer. Is this churn? When should I report it as churn? - Churn reporting when you don’t hear back from the customer Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #158, I share my SaaS CFO KPI checklist. I'm holding a free training on this checklist on Jan 17. Register at the link below. - My steps to spin up SaaS metrics - SaaS metrics checklist Register here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/pl/2148142066 Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #157, I address bookings and budgets or forecasts. You really cannot create a proper forecast or budget without bookings targets. This is similar to my days in the airlines where we needed the capacity plan first. Otherwise, how do we know what resources we need to support our targets. - Bookings alignment - Revenue - Headcount planning - S&M efficiency metrics Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #155, I address an article in CFO Dive about tech companies wanting operational CFO’s. - What is an operational CFO? - How does this help? Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #155, I address SaaS valuation drivers. Of course, a lot of opinions here but ICONIQ named their five value drivers based on the current market. - 5 drivers of valuation ICONIQ’s report: https://www.iconiqcapital.com/growth/insights/2023-growth-and-efficiency-series Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #154, I address the latest data points in revenue per FTE. ICONIQ Growth just published a great metrics report which times nicely with Jason Lemkin’s thoughts on revenue per FTE and scaling your SaaS. - ARR per FTE - Scaling your SaaS ICONIQ’s report: https://www.iconiqcapital.com/growth/insights/2023-growth-and-efficiency-series Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray  

In episode #153, I tackle bookings data. I see problems over and over in how SaaS companies track or don’t track bookings data. - New ARR - Expansion ARR - Contraction ARR - Renewals - Feed S&M metrics Primer on software bookings: https://www.thesaascfo.com/the-saas-bookings-report/

In episode #152, I tackle a recurring theme in SaaS P&L and chart of accounts set ups. It’s your COGS, or cost of goods sold area. - Traditional COGS departments - The first step you should take Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #151, I tackle a message that came in through my blog. This reader was tasked to develop a SaaS revenue model that would monitor and forecast results on a daily basis. - Should I track revenue on a daily basis? - Monitoring revenue on an actual basis - Forecasting revenue on a daily basis Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #150, I tackle another annual planning topic. The dance between your pipeline and your ARR commit number. Depending on your average sales cycle, your first quarter and secondar bookings target could already be set in soft stone. - Average sales cycle - New ARR - Expansion ARR Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #149, I tackle an annual planning topic. The annual budget or operating plan is a bit of a dance. Like anything in finance, it’s a bit art and science. One thing that’s for certain. You can’t start the year by missing your plan. - ARR target - Profit or EBITDA target - Don’t miss this! Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #148, I have the privilege of coaching SaaS businesses from large to small. The fundamental concept of SaaS metrics remains the same. We may need to slice and dice more by ICP or product line, but the same mechanics apply. - Gross CAC - CAC unit metric - Segmentation Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #147, I address the health of your recurring revenue. These metrics are a must-have for any recurring revenue business. - What is retention? - What is a renewal? - When does the renewal rate metric apply? Blog Post on Renewal Rates: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-calculate-your-renewal-rate/ Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #146, I address the timestamp on a customer cancellation. This is a very common question. Customer Success often tracks this differently than finance. But the date impacts our metrics. - What date should I use? - Impact on metrics Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #145, I address headcount allocations. It’s very common to allocate headcount expense in early-stage SaaS companies. But we have to support the allocation with proper logic and reasoning. - Should I allocate headcount? - Allocating engineering time - COGS vs. OpEx Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #144, I address pilot and POC revenue. It’s important to separate this from your “normal” customer revenue and bookings. - Bookings - Revenue - Metrics Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #144, I talk retention and ARR targets. My template and lesson below are very helpful for your Customer Success and Account Management teams to set targets. - Retention targets - Expansion ARR targets - Many variables affect this analysis Video lesson and template (under the retention module): https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/gmbMDsYN/checkout Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #142, I talk gross profit in SaaS. Gross profit or gross margin is a fundamental financial topic that every SaaS founder, CFO, and operator must understand. - What is gross margin? - Important to calculate by revenue stream - When should I be worried? Blog post: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-calculate-saas-gross-margin/ Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #141, I take a look at the latest SaaS public company trends. Today, let’s look at implied ARR per FTE trends. - ARR per FTE trends - Why is this important? Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #140, I take a look at the latest SaaS public company trends. Today, let’s look at net revenue retention. - Public NRR trends - Private company NRR benchmarks Benchmark your company at Benchmarkit.ai How to calculate net revenue retention: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-calculate-net-dollar-retention/ Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #139, I address org efficiency and scaling. Eventually, you need good employee and contractor efficiency to reach profitability and improve your odds of scaling big. This is there the ROSE Metric comes into play. - Org efficiency - ROSE Metric ROSE metric template and post: https://www.thesaascfo.com/saas-rose-metric/ Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray  

In episode #138, I address the challenge of scaling past $10M in ARR. This is an interesting stat from SaaStock. There are so many business components that get you to $10M ARR. One key component will be your financial infrastructure so that you can make better decisions with your available capital. - 0.4% stat - Your financial roadmap to scaling - Discount code to SaaStock USA in Austin (SAAS-CFO-20) Register for SaaStock USA here: https://www.saastock.com/saastock-usa/ 5 Pillar Framework Download: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ahm6BxeweIsNieQozrN1KCw6zPVaiQ?e=7NXTRr (use Incognito if it doesn't work) ---------------------- Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #137, I address a common financial trait from my experience helping SaaS companies from the $3M ARR to $15M ARR range. It’s org efficiency. - What is org efficiency? - Why is org efficiency important? - Revenue per FTE - ROSE Metric Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #136, I address the jargon of SaaS. ACV and ARPA are important concepts to understand and track in your business. What if legacy users on different contracts? - What is ACV? - What is ARPA - Segmenting our customer base Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #135, I address a student question about software discounts. We love to discount software. Even back in my on-premise, perpetual days, we were always discounting software. Discounts are okay but we need an approval policy in place. - Discount approval process - Tracking discounts - Impact on gross margin

In episode #134, I address SaaS valuations. You need to be roughly aware of where you fall in the valuation spectrum. This helps when you are speaking to potential buyers and sellers. Be sure to check out my in-depth software M&A update episode at the link below. - Where do you fall? Software M&A update episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/4q23-software-m-a-update/id1579374247?i=1000634899770 Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #133, I address employee expense coding. Since our SaaS P&L is comprised of mostly employee expenses, we must code these correctly. - Wages, taxes, benefits - Where do I code pizza parties? Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #132, I address contractor coding. It’s very common to use a lot of contractors in early stage companies. But we must code these expenses correctly. - Contractor - Coding by department Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #131, I address the CFO’s utopia of quote to cash. What really happens when we land a customer? - Bookings - Invoicing - Rev rec - Cash collection Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

In episode #130, I address the world of dates in subscription businesses. Such simple data but often overlooked and not tracked. We need dates to drive correct invoice dates and revenue recognition periods. - Contract dates - Invoice dates - Dates and revenue recognition Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray