SaaS Metrics School
Episodes
How to Track Digital Labor in Your SaaS P&L
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #364, Ben Murray breaks down how SaaS finance teams should structure their chart of accounts to properly track inference costs, productivit...
Where Tech Funding Is Flowing in 1Q26: AI Infrastructure, Vertical SaaS, and Enterprise Wins
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is your SaaS company competing for funding in a market that's already decided AI wins? The Q1 2026 data is in — and the numbers are decisive. If you...
Why Feeding Raw Data to AI Is Killing Your FP&A Accuracy
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are you feeding raw financial data straight into AI and wondering why the results are inconsistent — or worse, just wrong? AI is only as good as the...
The SaaSpocalypse Is Overblown: 4 Reasons Your SaaS Company Isn't Dead Yet
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone's saying AI will kill SaaS — but is the SaaSpocalypse actually real, or just the latest wave of disruption that enterprise software has sur...
3 Ways AI Could Kill Traditional SaaS
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is the “SaaSpocalypse” real—or just another wave of disruption you need to navigate? If you’re building or scaling a SaaS company, the rapid r...
CFOs We are Implementing AI Backwards
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Are finance teams implementing AI the wrong way? In episode #359, Ben Murray argues that many CFOs and finance leaders are approaching AI backward—f...
What Started the SaaSpocalypse?
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What sparked the recent “SaaSpocalypse” conversation across social media, news outlets, and investor circles? In episode #358 of SaaS Metrics Scho...
Here's Why AI is Not Killing SaaS
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is AI killing SaaS? Ben argues the opposite. In episode #357 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray explains why AI isn’t replacing SaaS companies — i...
Top FP&A Solutions Used by Software Companies
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #356, Ben shares the results from the FP&A category of his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey, highlighting the top financial planning a...
Top Invoicing Solutions Used by Software Companies
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #355, Ben breaks down the top invoicing solutions used by SaaS and AI companies based on his 7th Annual Tech Stack Survey. With 57 differen...
Top Accounting Solutions Used by Software Companies
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #354, Ben shares the results from his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey and reveals the top accounting solutions used by software, SaaS, an...
Moving Beyond Spreadsheets to Calculate Your SaaS Metrics
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Calculating SaaS metrics sounds straightforward—until you actually try to do it. In episode #353, Ben Murray breaks down why SaaS metrics are so dif...
Stripe, MRR, and the Retention Metrics Nobody Warned You About
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #352 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben explains why SaaS and AI founders need to get control of their Stripe data early — before transaction vo...
The Difference Between Bookings, Invoices, and Revenue
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #351 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben breaks down one of the most misunderstood areas of SaaS finance: the difference between bookings, invoices...
Can You Actually Prove the ROI of Customer Success?
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Justifying investment in customer success is far harder than justifying spend in sales and marketing. In episode #350, Ben walks through a practical f...
The Pitfalls of Using Your CRM to Report Official ARR Numbers
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Many SaaS teams try to use their CRM to report ARR and MRR, but this creates serious risks—especially in forecasting, retention analysis, and d...
Why a Perfect SaaS P&L Can Still Hide Serious Problems
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #348 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray responds to a thoughtful LinkedIn comment that challenged a common assumption: that a well-structur...
The Hidden Complexity Behind ARR Disclosures
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #347 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray explores the lesser-discussed nuances behind ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) disclosures. Building o...
Common ARR Disclosure Mistakes And How to Avoid Them
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #346 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down the most common mistakes SaaS and AI companies make when disclosing their ARR (Annual R...
Why ARR Is So Often Misstated: 5 Questions to Get It Right
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Defining ARR is getting harder—not easier—as SaaS, AI, usage-based pricing, and hybrid business models evolve. In episode #345 of SaaS Metrics Sch...
How Public Tech Companies Are Categorizing ARR
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #344 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray shares insights from his research into how public tech companies define and disclose ARR in press r...
Demystifying SaaS Revenue: A Hierarchy for Predictability & Valuation
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #343 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray demystifies SaaS revenue by breaking down the core revenue types that software, SaaS, and AI compan...
Where is Your Cost of ARR Trending This Year?
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #342 of SaaS Metric School, Ben breaks down the Cost of ARR metric and explains why it’s one of the most practical and revealing go-to-ma...
The ROSE Metric is Your Key to Durable Growth in 2026
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #341 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray explains why revenue per FTE is a misleading metric for modern SaaS and AI companies and introduces...
CFO Confidence at a 4 Year High
28 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #340 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben breaks down what rising CFO confidence—now at a four-year high—means for SaaS and AI operators plannin...
Change of Control Provisions in Customer Contracts Can Kill Your Exit
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #339 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben explains how change of control provisions in customer contracts can quietly derail due diligence, fundrais...
How to Call BS on Your 2026 Sales and Marketing Budget
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #338 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben explains how to quickly sanity-check your sales and marketing forecast for the upcoming year using one hig...
Demystifying SaaS Revenue: A Hierarchy for Predictability & Valuation
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #337 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben breaks down why software revenue categorization is a foundational requirement for strong finance, accounti...
My Top 3 Go-to-market Efficiency Metrics You Should Track
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #336, Ben Murray breaks down his top three go-to-market efficiency metrics that every SaaS and AI operator should master. He explains when ...
Should Your Customer Success Team Count Towards CAC?
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #335, Ben answers a common operator question: Should Customer Success be included in the cost of customer acquisition (CAC)? He explains ho...
How Leading Public Tech Companies Report AI Value Creation
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #334, Ben Murray breaks down how leading public SaaS and tech companies are reporting AI-driven value creation across their earnings calls....
Should Expansion Revenue Be Included or Excluded From LTV
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #333, Ben answers a foundational SaaS metrics question: Should expansion revenue be included in your Lifetime Value (LTV) calculation? Ben ...
Why Your Low Margin AI Company Must Be 6x Larger Than SaaS Peers
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #332, Ben Murray explains why AI companies with high inference costs and lower gross profit margins must scale dramatically faster—up to ...
The Real Economics of SaaS versus AI Companies
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #331, Ben breaks down the true financial and economic differences between a SaaS company and an AI company. Inspired by a tweet claiming th...
Don't Forget to Allocate Your CAC
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #330, Ben explains one of the most common and costly SaaS finance mistakes: failing to allocate CAC between new and existing customers. Thi...
Do You Know the Difference Between SaaS Math and AI Math?
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #329, Ben Murray, The SaaS CFO, breaks down the growing debate around SaaS economics versus AI economics. A recent post claimed that “Saa...
When Should Founders Fire Themselves as the CFO?
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At what point should a founder stop running finance and accounting and hand the numbers to an expert? In episode #328, Ben Murray walks through the in...
The Dirty Secrets Behind SaaS Gross Margins
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your gross margin might not be telling the truth. In episode #327, Ben Murray exposes the seven “dirty secrets” that distort SaaS gross margins —...
Legal Readiness Can Make or Break Your SaaS Exit
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about raising capital or selling your SaaS company? Your legal readiness can make or break the deal. In episode #326, Ben Murray breaks down ...
Are SaaS Metrics Really Dead?
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“SaaS metrics are dead.” You’ve probably seen that post on LinkedIn or X lately. In episode #325, Ben Murray cuts through the noise to explain w...
Your Implementation Team Could Be Killing Your Gross Profit Margin
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your implementation and professional services teams could be quietly eroding your gross profit margin — and most SaaS leaders don’t even realize i...
Should Your Implementation Team Be Coded to COGS or OpEX?
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where do professional services belong on a SaaS P&L—COGS or OPEX? In episode #323, Ben clarifies how to code implementation, onboarding, custom ...
Essential SaaS Metrics for a Series A Raise
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Raising a Series A? Your story matters—but your SaaS metrics may close the deal. In episode #322, Ben outlines the investor-ready metrics founders m...
Is LTV Flawed with Multi-year Contracts?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is the traditional LTV formula giving you misleading results when you have multi-year SaaS contracts? In episode #321, Ben Murray unpacks a listener’...
Aggregate Metrics Are Dangerous to Your SaaS Health
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At what stage should SaaS companies start segmenting their metrics? In episode #320, Ben Murray breaks down when and how to segment your SaaS metrics ...
How Does Net Revenue Retention Impact Your Valuation?
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does Net Revenue Retention (NRR) really move your company’s valuation multiple? Absolutely — and the difference can be worth tens of millions of d...
Gaps in Your MRR Schedule Wreak Havoc on Retention
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even small errors in your MRR schedule can have a massive impact on your retention metrics, and in due diligence, that can destroy investor confidence...
Great SaaS FP&A Requires These 4 Data Sources
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To build a world-class FP&A process in a SaaS or AI business, you need more than great dashboards—you need clean, reliable data from the right s...
Renewal Rate vs. Retention: What SaaS Leaders Must Know
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is renewal rate just another way of saying retention? Not exactly. In episode #316, Ben Murray breaks down the difference between renewal rate and the...
Defining AI ARR to Your Board and Investors
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every Board, investor, and potential acquirer is asking the same question: How are AI initiatives driving revenue? In episode #315, Ben Murray shares ...
Top Financial Metrics Tracked by Usage-based Companies
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many usage-based companies like Twilio don’t disclose ARR as their North Star metric. So, what do they track instead to communicate growth and effic...
5 Metrics Every SaaS Leader Must Master
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are hundreds of SaaS metrics, but which ones truly matter for SaaS leaders who want to scale, raise capital, and maximize company valuation? In ...
Oracle Stock Jumps Over 30% Based On This One Metric
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Oracle’s stock recently jumped 37% — and the driver wasn’t just revenue growth or earnings per share. The market reacted to one SaaS metric: RPO...
SaaS COGS Explained: Get Gross Profit Right
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your SaaS COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) is one of the most important foundations in your SaaS P&L — and getting it wrong can distort your gross prof...
Understanding the SaaS Magic Number — Benchmarks, Nuances & Investor Insights
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The SaaS Magic Number is one of the most Googled SaaS metric posts — but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In episode #310, Ben Murray expl...
7 Metrics a Strategic Acquirer Wants to See in Your SaaS Business
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a strategic acquirer or private equity firm comes knocking, they’ll ask for more than your headline ARR number. In episode #309, Ben Murray sha...
Customer Concentration Risk Will Kill Your Fundraise or Exit
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When preparing for fundraising or an exit to private equity, one overlooked metric can derail your deal: customer concentration risk. In episode #308,...
What Gross Margin Should I Use in CAC Payback Period
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The CAC payback period is one of the most important SaaS metrics — and a top investor metric used in boardrooms, fundraising, and valuation discussi...
Are AI Companies Out Funding Pure-Play SaaS?
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is the AI funding boom overshadowing traditional SaaS? In episode #306, Ben Murray shares fresh fundraising data from over 8,000 tracked funding event...
Top SaaS Metrics When Scaling to $1M ARR
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What SaaS metrics and financial metrics really matter when you’re scaling toward your first $1 million in ARR? In episode #305, Ben Murray breaks do...
The Top 3 SaaS Metrics That Drive Your SaaS Valuation
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What SaaS metrics actually move the needle on your company valuation? In episode #304, Ben Murray shares his “Power 3” SaaS metrics — the three ...
How to Code Executive Expenses in Your SaaS P&L for Accurate Metrics
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Accurate expense coding is critical to building a clean SaaS P&L that drives investor confidence, valuation discussions, and clarity in internal m...
How to Align ARR Growth with Sales & Marketing Spend
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve added new ARR—but are you spending too much to get it? In episode #302, Ben Murray walks through two practical ways to align your ARR growt...
Is Revenue Recognition Messing Up Your Retention Numbers?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does your retention data feel off—or even meaningless—because of catch-up invoices, credit notes, or daily revenue recognition? In episode #301, B...
RPO Explained: The Overlooked SaaS Metric That Signals Growth
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RPO—Remaining Performance Obligations—might not be a term you hear often in private SaaS, but public companies are required to disclose it, and it...
How SaaS Companies Turn Usage Revenue into ARR
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do usage-based SaaS companies convert transactional or variable revenue into Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)? Episode #299 gives you a practical fr...
Want a Private Equity Exit? Start Tracking This Metric
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #298 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray dives deep into one of his favorite metrics: ROSE – Return on SaaS Employees. If you’re aiming ...
How to Handle Reactivation MRR in GRR vs NRR
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #297, Ben Murray tackles a common SaaS metrics question: How should reactivations be treated when calculating gross and net revenue retenti...
This Public Company Restated Its Headline ARR Number
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever seen a public company restate its ARR? In episode #296, Ben Murray dives into a real-world example from the London Stock Exchange—Cele...
Benchmarking Your CAC Payback: How Do You Compare to Top SaaS Performers?
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #295 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down how to benchmark your CAC Payback Period accurately—and why generic social media post...
Adapting CAC Payback Period for Usage-Based SaaS Models
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #294 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray dives into one of the most important metrics for SaaS operators and investors: CAC Payback Period—...
CARR Is the New ARR? A SaaS Operator's Guide to This Hot Metric
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #293, Ben dives into Contracted Annual Recurring Revenue (CARR)—a once obscure metric that's now becoming a standard in financial dashboa...
Should You Target 80% Gross Profit in SaaS? Let’s Break It Down
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gross profit is a core metric in SaaS—and 80% is the benchmark often thrown around. But is that still realistic in today’s landscape? In episode #...
How Much Should You Invest in Sales and Marketing This Year?
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #291 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down one of the most important—and often debated—questions in SaaS finance: 💰 How muc...
61% R&D Spend?! What SaaS Benchmarks Reveal by Revenue Size
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How much R&D spend is too much—or not enough? In episode #290 of SaaS Metric School, Ben Murray breaks down R&D spend benchmarks by company ...
What Top SaaS Performers Spend to Acquire a Dollar of ARR
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #289, Ben dives into one of his favorite SaaS metrics: Cost of ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue), also known as the SaaS CAC Ratio. This power...
Don't Make this LTV Mistake
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #288 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray tackles a frequent mistake SaaS operators make when calculating Lifetime Value (LTV) — treating i...
What Is Subscription ARR? 3 Common Definitions Explained for SaaS Operators
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of SaaS Metric School, Ben Murray dives deep into the often-confusing world of Subscription ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue). After anal...
Why SaaS Metrics Break Without Proper MRR Layering
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #286 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray breaks down one of the most common — and costly — mistakes SaaS founders and CFOs make when bui...
What’s a Healthy G&A Budget for SaaS? Benchmarks by ARR Stage
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #285 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray dives into one of the most overlooked levers in SaaS financial performance—G&A (General &...
How Verint Defines AI ARR and Why You Need to Know This
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #284, let’s break down AI ARR. As artificial intelligence transforms SaaS business models, a new metric is gaining traction: AI ARR...
Can a Properly Formatted SaaS P&L Increase Your Valuation Multiple?
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #283, I address some recent conversations with SaaS founders who implemented my SaaS P&L format. In one instance, it was key to a succe...
Are Public Tech Companies Defining ARR?
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #282, I cover some research I did for the SaaS Metrics Summit in NYC. Are public tech companies disclosing how they define ARR? - Is ARR de...
The Top 3 Metrics to Determine if You Have a Scaling Problem
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #281, I cover my top three metrics to determine if you have a scaling problem. This is a follow-up to episode #280, the growing versus scal...
Growing vs. Scaling? You Must Know the Difference
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #280, I just listened to a business podcast and must share the concept of growing versus scaling. This is such a critical concept for SaaS ...
What Metrics to Track from 5 to 10M ARR
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #279, I’m tackling the metrics to track in your SaaS journey. One you pass 5M in ARR , a SaaS CFO can do a lot with your operational and ...
What Metrics to Track from 3 to 5M ARR
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #278, I’m tackling the metrics to track in your SaaS journey. One you reach the 3-5M ARR range, things can get really interesting with yo...
What Metrics to Track from 1 to 3M ARR
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #277, I’m tackling the metrics to track in your SaaS journey. Things start to take shape in the 1-3M ARR range. - Use my 5 Pillar SaaS Me...
What Metrics to Track from 0 to 1M ARR
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #276, I’m tackling a subscriber question who is just starting their SaaS journey. There are definitely some building blocks to put into p...
You Must Define Your Type of Variable Revenue
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #275, I’m sharing revenue insights from helping a lot of SaaS companies with their finances. You must clearly define your major revenue c...
Can the Large Software Incumbents Survive the Agentic AI Competitive Threat?
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #274, I’m sharing some insight from a Mark Roberge talk in Tempe, AZ at PHX FWD. The software business is undergoing another major shift....
Don’t Believe the $5M ARR per Employee Hype
06 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #273, I’m sharing some insight from a Mark Roberge talk in Tempe, AZ at PHX FWD. Should we believe the ARR per FTE hype? - Is my SaaS bei...
Founders Please Close Your Books On Time
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #272, I address poor financial close practices. You must close your books on time to understand economic performance. - What day should you...
Billing Pauses Wreak Havoc on Your Revenue Retention
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #271, I address a student question from TheSaaSAcademy.com. And that’s billing pauses. How should we handle this with our revenue retenti...
Cohort Retention is NOT the Only Retention Method
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #270, I address the methods of calculating your retention. Contrary to those social media posts, cohort retention is NOT the only way to ca...
Am I a Software Co with Hardware or Hardware Co with Software?
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #269, I address a question from a recent conversation with a founder who was starting a software/hardware play. You must understand your bu...
Should Rev Ops Report to the CRO or CFO?
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #268, I address a debate that arose a recent SaaS CEO and CFO dinner in San Francisco. - What is Rev Ops? - CFO or CRO? Be in the know! Joi...
What is the Purpose of an MRR Schedule and Why You Should Care
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #267, I address the coveted MRR schedule. Done wrong, it causes a ton of headaches and can derail due diligence. - What is the MRR schedule...
Should I Count Payment Processing Revenue as ARR
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #266, I address a reader's question about payment processing revenue. There are two key points. Recording the revenue on your P&L, and ...
How to Calculate Services Backlog in Months
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #265, I address one of the four key professional services metrics. I received a message from someone who read my blog posts about this metr...