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How SaaStr Fund-Backed RevenueCat Went from a $1.5M Round at $7M Valuation in 2018 to $500M+ Today

SaaStr

The numbers validated this quickly: 2018: 100 apps, $1M tracked revenue 2020: Series A at $15M 2021: 6,000+ apps, $1B+ tracked revenue, Series B at $300M valuation SaaStr Fund’s bet wasn’t just on the founders or the technologyit was on the inevitable shift toward subscription-first mobile business models.

Payments 261
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HubSpot Co-Founder and Chairman Brian Halligan on SaaS Markets, Board Meetings, and AI’s Impact

SaaStr

“The universe slammed SaaS down at the beginning of 2020, then splashed it way up, then slammed it down again. Existing distribution channels: While startups are racing to build distribution, incumbents already have it However, the business model disruption around AI pricing remains a challenge for larger players to navigate.

AI 284
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5 Interesting Learnings from Circle at $2.3 Billion in “ARR”

SaaStr

When rates were 0% in 2020-2021, this model generated minimal revenue. This creates extreme business model volatility that no SaaS founder would accept. The Great IPO Awakening: What 2025’s Surprisingly Hot Market Means for B2B Companies The B2B / SaaS Takeaway : Variable revenue models can be dangerous.

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How Layoffs in Startupland Differ Between B2B & B2C Companies

Tom Tunguz

B2B companies have reduced headcount to a greater extent than at any time since 2020. In 2020, B2C companies cut 8.8x The current wave of layoffs, a difficult component of the innovation boom/bust cycle, differs from the previous years’ dynamics. the number of B2B employees. in 2021, & 6.9x

B2C 321
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Research Report: The State of Community Management

This year marks their 11th Edition, which shows that, among other things, that the industry has made considerable progress in translating the generative business model of communities into financial benchmarks.

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CEO Systems: 5 Key Lessons for Scaling Through Every Growth Phase with HashiCorp CEO Dave McJannet

SaaStr

The last IPO of the 2020-2021 era was HashiCorp in December 2021. He’s known for his systems-thinking approach to company building and has helped scale multiple businesses from zero to public company status. This specific threshold serves as a critical signal that your business model has legs.

Scale 173
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Why VCs Need Unicorns Just to Survive

SaaStr

Because the (maybe semi-sad) thing for VCs is, only Unicorns make the business model work : Say you have a $200m VC fund (not that large, but basically our current fund, as an example). — Jason BeKind Lemkin (@jasonlk) November 30, 2020. If you understand this, at least you’ll understand why VCs are the way they are.