# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending September 6, 2024

Published: 5 September 2024
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/week-ending-september-6-2024

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK: ARR per FTE

Capital Efficiency is a new-fangled metric we all want to track in these LeanOps times. Benchmarking this - the median is [$143K per FTE](https://www.dropbox.com/s/8vbvyrv32e6uxlu/11%20-%20ARR%20per%20FTE.png?dl=0) according to the 2022 KeyBanc Private SaaS Report. With public companies, it's double that, according to [data from Maritech](https://www.meritechcapital.com/benchmarking/comps-table), and Kyle Polar from Openview [breaks this down to tell whether you're on the right track](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kyle-poyar_saas-finance-benchmarks-activity-7058793435348004864-2lQ9).

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8vbvyrv32e6uxlu/11%20-%20ARR%20per%20FTE.png?dl=0

## 2. COMPENSATION

Kruze Consulting [has a great article, with a calculator and awesome visuals](https://kruzeconsulting.com/blog/startup-ceo-salary-report/), covering startup CEO Salaries based on data collected earlier this year. YoY salary is beginning to recover (but the data is diluted over a longer time between stages). Sadly, the gender gap persists. The data tracks well with a [report from June](https://www.top10in.tech/top-10-in-tech/top-10-in-tech-what-to-know-for-week-ending-june-14-2024)

Link: https://kruzeconsulting.com/blog/startup-ceo-salary-report/

## 3. PITCH

Last week's [whopper guide](https://www.top10in.tech/top-10-in-tech/top-10-in-tech-what-to-know-for-week-ending-august-30-2024) on Raising was popular, so here is a little bit extra: Need to craft some super effective pitch decks? Take a look at this "[Pitch Deck eBook](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q30zdzvtx7cty8nsi6i9i/Pitch-Deck-eBook-Deck-Doctors-x-Hustle-Fund.pdf?rlkey=txyps4e876h98odnda3ivicwa&dl=0)" by Deck Doctors and Hustle Fund, covering all the pitch deck's greatest hits: problem statement, solution, market opportunity, business model, traction, and team. (Real-world examples and insights are also included.)

Link: https://www.top10in.tech/top-10-in-tech/top-10-in-tech-what-to-know-for-week-ending-august-30-2024

## 4. CAPITAL EFFICIENCY

Capital Efficiency is [back in Vogue](https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/27/capital-efficiency-is-the-new-vc-filter-for-startups/) (see #1 above and also #5 and #6 below)! According to Bessemer Venture Partners, [here are the benchmarks](https://www.bvp.com/assets/uploads/2022/01/atlas-scaling-to-100-million-gtm-9-min.jpg)for B2B SaaS to measure your payback against (full report [here](https://www.bvp.com/atlas/scaling-to-100-million-ramping-your-cloud-gtm-engine#Lesson-10-Let-CLTV-CAC-and-CAC-payback-be-your-guides)). Across all companies, [Engineering is consistently the largest department](https://www.dropbox.com/s/3z3v1arez18mqaa/10%20-%20Employees.png?dl=0), Customer Success and Product at about 10% and Marketing at only 7%. This slide also has median headcount by stage - which is a great metric to track.

Link: https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/27/capital-efficiency-is-the-new-vc-filter-for-startups/

## 5. SPEND

Question - How much do you plan on spending on your future operational plans? SaaS Capital has a wonderful [B2B SaaS Spending Benchmark report](https://www.saas-capital.com/blog-posts/spending-benchmarks-for-private-b2b-saas-companies/) to best forecast what to send on sales, marketing, CS, COGS, and R&D. And because 2024 will continue to be your year of LeanOps - here is [how to manage burn and extend your runway into 2024](https://www.enterprisetimes.co.uk/2022/11/08/how-to-manage-cash-burn-and-extend-your-runway/) from Capchase.

Link: https://www.saas-capital.com/blog-posts/spending-benchmarks-for-private-b2b-saas-companies/

## 6. ACCOUNTING

. Check [out this excellent guide from the SaaSCFO](https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-properly-structure-your-saas-accounting-foundation) that covers key aspects of SaaS Accounting, such as recognizing revenue, managing deferred revenue, and tracking key metrics. It emphasizes what can sometimes be a bit of a disconnect, which is the importance of aligning accounting practices with our SaaS-specific challenges to make sure we have the right SaaS financial reporting to support good business growth.

Link: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-properly-structure-your-saas-accounting-foundation

## 7. DEVSECAIOPS

This is not a real port-port-portmanteau. I just made it up (you're welcome). With AI transforming *every* landscape, AI security is unavoidable and a crucial problem for builders and integrators to solve. [This article dives into how enterprises are securing AI/LLMs](https://indiscretemusings.substack.com/p/deep-dive-into-the-security-for-ai), highlighting the shift towards security for AI (DEVSECAIOPS), with categories like governance, observability, and security leading the charge.

Link: https://indiscretemusings.substack.com/p/deep-dive-into-the-security-for-ai

## 8. FOUNDER-LED SALES

I've had some healthy discussions on this over the past few weeks: Founder-led sales is a well-documented part of the startup journey, especially in the early days and often with very inexperienced or more technical founders. [Here is a great article (with Engineering-based analogies)](https://www.heavybit.com/library/article/founder-led-sales-strategy)on how Founders can mentally re-frame and execute an excellent sales program. [Here is a great diagram that summarizes how this works as you scale](https://x.com/jjen_abel/status/1826066698811609398) - do not skip steps (especially Step 2)!

Link: https://www.heavybit.com/library/article/founder-led-sales-strategy

## 9. PERSONALITIES

No one wants high-performing assholes - and there is now data to prove it! [This article from The VC Corner explores how a founder's personality traits impact company culture, decision-making, and investor confidence](https://thevccorner.substack.com/p/the-impact-of-founder-personalities). Resilience, vision, and adaptability can make or break a startup. Also - good news for you cool people: "Hipsters," "Hackers," or "Hustlers" are twice as likely to succeed.

Link: https://thevccorner.substack.com/p/the-impact-of-founder-personalities

## 10. CASE STUDY

Expanding on number 8 above, here is a list of [10 Founder-Led Sales lessons learned](https://medium.com/racecapital/10-lessons-learned-from-founder-led-sales-for-startups-3b558fd06782) with a recent roundtable from Race Capital.

Link: https://medium.com/racecapital/10-lessons-learned-from-founder-led-sales-for-startups-3b558fd06782

## POD OF THE WEEK

Generative AI won't take over your job anytime soon, but [coding skills may become less critical in the future, according to Paige Bailey of Google](https://youtu.be/OrVgJMrZQhQ).

Link: https://youtu.be/OrVgJMrZQhQ