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Q1 flash update: Startups are back on offense

It feels rough out there, at least from the headlines. But despite broader market volatility (liberation day anyone?),...
From survival to strength: Startups reaccelerate growth into 2025

We now have full year data and can say for sure: growth is back. After the low of 2023, 2024 showed real acceleration...
2025 Whisper numbers: The era of efficiency is here

Whisper numbers for 2025 signal a new chapter for startups: growth is reaccelerating, but this time with a sharp focus...
Q324 Flash update: Growth reacceleration holds steady

This quarter’s flash report shows more of the same from last quarter, and the forecast indicates a steady finish for...
Q224 flash report: Growth is trending up

Our flash reports use real data from a representative sample of enterprise software startups and public companies to...
Q124 flash update: Efficiency reaches new heights

Scale’s quarterly Scale Studio Flash updates use our proprietary data platform, Scale Studio, to analyze a...
Where is the growth coming from? A data-driven look into 2024

The theme of 2024 is cautious optimism. With improved ARR growth rates across the board and two consecutive quarters of...
The end of the tech recession?: 2023 ends with first quarter of accelerating growth in two years

Scale’s quarterly Scale Studio Flash Updates use our proprietary data platform, Scale Studio, to analyze a...
2024 Whisper Numbers: The Year of Efficient Growth

As we kick off the 2024 annual planning season, we’re sharing an early view of what we’re seeing in early-stage...
“Year of efficiency” in review: How companies reduced burn rates in 2023

At the beginning of 2023, we saw CEOs and founders across the board herald the beginning of the year of efficiency....
The bleeding has stopped: Growth ticked up for the first time in 6 quarters

Scale’s quarterly Scale Studio Flash Updates use our proprietary data platform, Scale Studio, to analyze a...
Growth ticks down again in Q223: Scale Studio Flash Update

Scale’s quarterly Scale Studio Flash Updates use our proprietary data platform, Scale Studio, to analyze a...
Slowdown Mirrors Public Markets: Flash Update Follow-Up

We can clearly see above that public tech companies are seeing similar drop-offs in NDR to private SaaS startups. The...
Growth slows beyond expectations in Q1: Scale Studio Flash Update

Q123 data indicates that the growth slowdown is continuing - and most companies failed to meet even the conservative...
Scale Studio Flash Update: Economic Gravity Pulls on Software Startups

With the bulk of 2022 behind us, attention now turns to planning for 2023. The topic of conversation in every boardroom...
Scale Studio Flash Update: Median Growth Steady, But Pullback in Growth of High Flyers a Warning Sign

Scale Studio Flash Updates analyze a representative sample of enterprise software startups to measure industry growth...
Scale Studio Flash Update: Steadiness Amidst Market Turbulence

Scale Studio Flash Updates analyze a representative sample of enterprise software startups to measure industry growth...
Four Vital Signs of SaaS: The Definitive Metrics & Benchmark eBook

This eBook distills 20 years of SaaS metrics in to one, definitive guide complete with benchmarks of growth,...
Rule of 40 Does Not Compute for Early-Stage Startups

Startups should ignore the Rule of 40 in the early going. It comes down to two factors that together are pretty convincing.
Scale Studio Flash Update: 4Q Saw Continued Strong Performance

Preliminary Scale Studio data on 4Q shows strength across enterprise SaaS as companies accelerate into 2022.
Growth Time: $70M in ARR Left on the Table?

Dale Chang unpacks "perfect execution" in this look at growth trajectories for startups that hit $1M in ARR.
Scale Studio: 2021 Themes and 2022 Preview

Recapping the key 2021 trends that set the backdrop for 2022 startup performance and annual plan attainment.
Look Five Years into Your Future with this ARR Projection Tool

A founder's tool to generate 5-year growth projections based on an early-stage SaaS startup's current ARR
From $0 to $1M: Renewal Rate vs Retention Rate

Renewal and Retention rates both use customer cohorts, but those cohorts are different and tell you different things about customer behavior.
2022 Whisper Numbers: Growth Rolls On (With an Asterisk)

Here's the data we're sharing with our portfolio companies as they develop 2022 annual plans.
Scale Studio Flash Update: Enterprise Saas Growth Continues

And the bar gets even higher: Early Q3 data indicates that year-on-year ARR Growth in Q321 continues to accelerate. New data from Scale Studio.
From $0 to $1M: The New Gold Standard for Growth

Remember the Triple Triple Double Double Double? Better start thinking “quintuple”. New growth data on top $1M ARR startups.
Annual Planning for Early-Stage Startups (Tools and Templates)

Scale Studio has an Annual Planning Tool that generates a first draft annual plan for next year using just 4 data...
From $0 to $1M: Stepping on the (Scaling) Pedal Too Soon

When is the right time to go all-in on scaling your startup? Scale analyzed 2,000 quarters of SaaS startup data to answer that important question.
From $0 to $1M: The Magic of 0.7

The relationship between money spent on Sales and Marketing and revenue generated from it is captured by the Magic...
From $0 to $1M: The Magic Number

How much growth is generated by the dollars you’re investing in Sales and Marketing? Getting started tracking sales efficiency using the Magic Number.
From $0 to $1M: What’s the Difference Between Churn and Renewal?

Churn and Renewal are the yin and yang of customer retention metrics. Here's a quick look at how to use both metrics.
From $0 to $1M: A Common Mistake with Churn Metrics

Here's a look at one common mistake getting the Churn calculation to accurately reflect a company's business model.
From $0 to $1M: Tracking the Growth of Every $1 in Sales

How effective is your company at upsell and expansion? Annualized Net Retention is a key SaaS metric for tracking how every $1 in sales grows over time.
Scale Studio Flash Update: Re-Acceleration Continues

Q2 marked another quarter of strong performance where the majority of our portfolio companies met or exceeded plans and continued to accelerate growth.
From $0 to $1M: Does the Rule of 40 Matter Early On?

Is the Rule of 40 useful for early-stage startups? We look at the answer using data on Rule of 40 performance at different revenue levels.
Scale News: The Business Of Relationships After COVID

The Scale team returns to the office this week ready to build relationships with entrepreneurs however and wherever works best.
From $0 to $1M: Early Stage Burn Rates

Data on early-stage profitability among SaaS startups. And an easy way to calculate cash burn rate runway using Operating Margin.
From $0 to $1M: What’s the Best Growth Metric?

You just made your first big sale. Now what’s the best metric to use to track growth and win over VCs? Here’s a look at the options.
From $0 to $1M: The Crystal Ball for Growth

Net New ARR is the growth metric that gives you the best view into your future growth. Here is data on "good, better, best" startup growth rates.