OPEXEngine

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Product Led Growth: What No One Tells You About That You Really Need to Know

OPEXEngine

One of the best things about the software industry is its unwavering belief that there is always a better way. No mousetrap that can’t be built better. This creates an intoxicating energy that flows through the industry’s consciousness.

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Unlearning the Growth vs. Costs Myth

OPEXEngine

How some companies use this timeless tension as a catalyst for outperformance. At a Glance Caught in the bind of running vs. changing the business, many companies feel they need to “choose” between either margins or growth. Top-quartile companies can achieve both.

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Top 4 SaaS Valuation Metrics at Different Growth Stages

OPEXEngine

According to Bessemer ’s State of the Cloud 2021 as of this January, there were a total of 527 private unicorns (a unicorn is a private company with a valuation over $1B), with a total cumulative value of more than $1.9 trillion dollars.

Metrics 98
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Cutting R&D to Grow GTM Spend : Is it Happening Across Software Companies?

OPEXEngine

During Office Hours with Lee Kirkpatrick , Lee recalled managing a startup through a downturn. The business cut R&D spending to conserve cash. By prioritizing sales & marketing, the company successfully lengthened its runway to increase revenue, which eased the subsequent fundraising.

Trends 52
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Embedded vs. Integrated Payments: The Ultimate Guide

The terms embedded and integrated sound pretty similar. And they are, in some ways. Both have to do with getting payment capabilities closer to the process they're associated with and improving the customer experience. But there are important differences.

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CFOs to combat downturn with more automation

OPEXEngine

CFOs should think about automation as an “additional teammate” in their financial departments as they look to push digital transformation initiatives forward in the new year.

Finance 52
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Five Pillars of PLG with Carilu Dietrich

OPEXEngine

Editor’s Note: On a monthly basis Tomasz Tunguz hosts Office Hours with guests within the SaaS and Tech world. On October 19th he invited Carilu Dietrich from Atlassian to speak.

Cloud 52
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SaaS “Industry-Centric” Business Models

OPEXEngine

“Industry-Centric” SaaS business models offer an alternative SaaS company categorization to the “Customer-Centric” SaaS model, which is defined based on the “go-to-market” strategy used by a management team.

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OPEXEngine SaaS Conversations Recap

OPEXEngine

KPIs to drive alignment between R&D spend and corporate business goals. . Our August SaaS conversation focused on high performance in R&D, with OPEXEngine CEO and Founder Lauren Kelley hosting Bain Expert Partner Rob Levy for an energizing discussion on this critical topic.

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2022 – Year of Big Capital for SaaS Companies

OPEXEngine

2021 was an incredible year of growth and investment for the SaaS industry. Companies achieved all-time high valuation multiples while investors poured massive amounts into SaaS.

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The Definitive Guide to Dashboard Design

Why does dashboard design matter? Because it can be the difference between users embracing your product or ignoring it altogether. Avoid common pitfalls by mastering these dashboard design best practices.

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CFOs eager to gain cash flow visibility

OPEXEngine

Dive Brief: Three out of five financial leaders (62%) expect their financial reporting to come under greater scrutiny during the next year as they brace for the possibility of an economic downturn, according to a study by accounting cloud software provider BlackLine.

Finance 52
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Q2 compared to Q1:  What are the trends for SaaS?

OPEXEngine

It’s October—start of Q4 for many, or end of Q3 for some. The 2021 planning process is kicking off or already underway at most companies. Plus, most companies are currently finalizing their Q3 numbers.

Trends 96
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Is Your Sales Organization Ready for a Recession?

OPEXEngine

Editor’s note: According to a new Bain brief, there are 3 time-tested principles to navigating changing market conditions, or a recession and using data and analytics to thrive.

Scale 59
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How Modern SaaS Finance Teams Can Reduce Customer Churn

OPEXEngine

Usually, customer churn rate is every SaaS company’s worst enemy. But in this article, we’re going to show you how to not only deal with churn effectively but also how you can use your customer churn data as a valuable tool to build your business.

Finance 52
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Zeroing in on Cloud Technical Risk for Targeted Customer Impact

Need to get business and technical stakeholders aligned on cloud investments? Get practical guidance from the AWS experts at CloudGeometry to stay ahead of risks to cloud security, cost, and reliability – and keep customers loyal and confident.

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How Modern SaaS Finance Teams Can Reduce Customer Churn

OPEXEngine

Usually, customer churn rate is every SaaS company’s worst enemy. But in this article, we’re going to show you how to not only deal with churn effectively but also how you can use your customer churn data as a valuable tool to build your business.

Finance 52
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Is 60 the New (Rule of) 40? Setting a New Standard of Software Excellence

OPEXEngine

Elite software companies are beating the gold standard of performance and pointing the way for others to follow. Even with recent stock market fluctuations, the growth and profitability of leading software companies remain strong by historical standards.

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How to Strategically Score Customer Health to Drive Startup Growth

OPEXEngine

To outline a hands-on, effective approach to customer health scoring, Underscore VC sourced insights from the Customer Success Core.

Startup 91
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Engineering Planning During Uncertain Economic Times

OPEXEngine

It’s no secret that the current uncertain economic climate is taking a toll on our work and personal lives.

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Contact vs. Company Intent Signal Data

Intent signal data comes in two types: either companies or individuals signaling interest in products like yours. Which kind of data delivers more advantages to B2B marketers? It depends. Get this infographic to learn about the advantages of intent-based leads and how you can most effectively use both types of data.

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Recession Planning & Maintaining Growth

OPEXEngine

Will there be a recession? Will private SaaS valuations be affected by the drops in the stock market? Will fundraising be tougher for all tech companies, or just certain types of companies? These are questions that we have been hearing from SaaS CFOs across the spectrum. .

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The Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO) SaaS Metric

OPEXEngine

The Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO) reporting requirement arose from the adoption of ASC 606. This SaaS metric is defined as the sum of Deferred Revenue and Backlog. Deferred Revenue for SaaS companies is the contractual obligation to deliver the SaaS product for the period invoiced.

Metrics 59
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A B2B SaaS CFO’s guide to Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

OPEXEngine

It’s no secret that acquiring new customers is expensive. In fact, according to several sources, it can cost up to 7x or more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. So why even bother?

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Q2 2020 Results for SaaS Companies – A Mixed Bag

OPEXEngine

Second quarter numbers are in and results are mixed. Overall, companies were up for first half results 2020, but second quarter was tough. COVID impacted sales for most companies in April and May, with many companies reporting sales coming back in June.

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The Definitive Guide to Embedded Analytics

Data-driven decisions are no longer reserved for the few. Everyone needs data insights from the applications they use every day. Learn how embedded analytics is boosting user adoption, creating apps people love, and changing the game for software and SaaS providers.

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What KPIs are producing the highest SaaS valuations in today’s market?

OPEXEngine

Even when the market is repricing and falling, key growth metrics remain fundamental targets to maintain or grow company value because they remain highly correlated to higher valuations, even in this market.

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Member Spotlight – Sage

OPEXEngine

Member Spotlight Series: An Interview with Dominic Ballinger, Director of FP&A and Integration at Sage. The coronavirus pandemic has forced companies to pivot, refocus, and overcome challenges they couldn’t have imagined.

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Shining the Light on R&D

OPEXEngine

R&D is the backbone of any SaaS company, yet to many CFOs, it is still a black box. Most companies track R&D as a % of revenue, and maybe a few metrics about activity, but few CFOs can answer the question of what’s the ROI on their R&D investment.

Finance 59
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Doing Digital Transformation Right: How CFOs Can Improve Performance and Empower People

OPEXEngine

Three-quarters of SMB (small and medium business) decision-makers understand that using digital technology effectively is key to business success in today’s digital era.

SMB 64
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The SaaS Payments Journey: Important Steps to Consider

For many SaaS companies, becoming a Payfac is an opportunity to benefit from a new revenue stream and gain more control over the customer experience, so no hiding what’s behind the curtain here. We’ve outlined the journey from SaaS to full-blown Payfac.

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Predictive Revenue Forecasting Possible with Usage-Based Pricing

OPEXEngine

For centuries, “giving the customer what they want” has been a winning strategy. It is not surprising then why usage-based pricing has been a successful pricing strategy for so many firms. By allowing end users to opt in and pay as they consume, companies have found substantial growth can follow. Simply removing the friction and “adoption risk” has been enough for some to surpass their expectations. However, like all new strategies, predictable revenue forecasting can be a challenge.

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How to Build a High-Performing Remote Team During a Pandemic

OPEXEngine

For many of us in tech, we’re going 9+ months strong working from home. We miss seeing colleagues in person, there may be distractions galore in a home office, and there’s no clear end in sight. How can leaders keep employees engaged and effective during these challenging times?

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The Tech Talent War Is Global, Cross-Industry, and a Matter of Survival

OPEXEngine

With software and technology becoming mission-critical for businesses throughout the economy, CEOs in every industry are recognizing that their ability to compete comes down to one thing: having the right talent.

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Product Led Growth: What No One Tells You About That You Really Need to Know

OPEXEngine

One of the best things about the software industry is its unwavering belief that there is always a better way. No mousetrap that can’t be built better. This creates intoxicating energy that flows through the industry’s consciousness.

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Intent Signal Data 101

Intent signal data helps B2B marketers engage with buyers sooner in the sales cycle. But there are many confusing terms used to describe intent data. Read this infographic to better understand three common areas of confusion.

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How Private Equity is Winning in Software

OPEXEngine

State of the Market. Private equity blew the doors off in 2021 as trillions in pandemic-related stimulus produced a historic surge in dealmaking and exits. Non-buyout private investing categories like growth equity and venture also saw huge increases in activity. .

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How Private Equity is Winning in Software

OPEXEngine

State of the Market. Private equity blew the doors off in 2021 as trillions in pandemic-related stimulus produced a historic surge in dealmaking and exits. Non-buyout private investing categories like growth equity and venture also saw huge increases in activity. .

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4 Reasons SaaS Startup CFOs Need a Tech Stack Built for a Subscription Business

OPEXEngine

Over the last three years, start-ups have raised funding every 15 months. As your SaaS company grows in complexity and expectations, you reach a point where manual processes waste time away from analysis, and you struggle to collect and act on your growing range of financial and operating data.

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What’s Your Magic Number for Sales and Marketing Efficiency?

OPEXEngine

Like the benchmarking of any key metric, you will drive operational efficiency and better use of your resources, when you see the variance between your company and your peers at the same stage and with a similar business model.

Scale 52
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3 Ways Innovators Can Capitalize on Embedded Payments

Software companies are looking, feeling, and acting more like merchant service providers. This can be sobering for financial institutions, but don't be fooled. FIs still have crucial roles to play. Learn how FIs are investing their resources to stay game.