In SaaS, metrics don’t just measure performance — they shape behavior. One of the most common mistakes teams make is relying too heavily on lagging indicators, while under-investing in the KPIs that actually drive future results. What Are Lagging Indicators? Lagging indicators measure outcomes after they’ve already happened.
Due diligence doesn’t create problems — it reveals them. The best SaaS companies prepare early, not when a transaction is already live. Here’s what really matters.
Leading a sales organization is often misunderstood. Many assume it’s about targets, pipelines, and pressure. In reality, great sales leadership is first and foremost about people. At its best, leadership is about making others successful. Creating clarity, setting direction, removing obstacles, and building confidence. Great sales leaders invest time
The best SaaS companies are built by leaders and employees who think and act like shareholders. Not because everyone holds equity, but because ownership is a mindset that drives better decisions, sharper focus, and long-term value creation. This mindset was a critical success factor when we built Mintra into
Partner sales can be a powerful growth lever in SaaS—but only if the model fits your product, market, and maturity. Below are the most common approaches, and how companies organize around them. 1. Referral partners Partners generate leads; you close the deal. * Best for: Early-stage SaaS, simple products
We turned Mintra from a consulting-led business into a global SaaS company. This is what we learned. Focus matters more when building SaaS than when running a consulting business. Consulting rewards breadth. SaaS punishes it. In consulting, saying yes often makes sense. New clients, new use cases, new adaptations
Exit structures shape behavior long after the deal is signed. How consideration is paid—upfront, over time, or tied to future performance—often matters as much as headline valuation. Below are the most common exit and earn-out models, each with distinct trade-offs in risk, control, and incentives. Straight
In cognitive science and behavioral economics, loss aversion refers to a cognitive bias in which the same situation is perceived as worse if it is framed as a loss, rather than a gain. Daniel Kahneman’s work on loss aversion shows that losing $100 hurts more than gaining $100 feels
EBITDA shows operating performance. EBITDAC shows true cash-generating ability. EBITDAC = EBITDA before interest, depreciation, amortization, and capitalization. For acquirers, this matters because capitalization policies can materially distort EBITDA: * costs capitalized instead of expensed * aggressive activation of development, software, or project costs * EBITDA inflated by accounting choices, not economics EBITDAC
Daniel Kahneman described this as loss aversion: the tendency to experience losses as significantly more painful than equivalent gains are pleasurable. This makes leadership difficult. In management teams and boards, saying yes is easy. Yes to new initiatives, projects, and bets. Saying no—or shutting something down—is harder. That’
When investing, it’s critical to look beyond the idea and the numbers. The leadership team matters most. Strategy will change. Markets will change. But a strong leadership team determines whether a company adapts—or stalls. In Good to Great, Jim Collins puts it simply: “First who, then what.” Get
For years, we competed head-to-head with our rivals. Then we chose to open Trainingportal and invite those same competitors in. We chose to build a marketplace rather than protect a closed channel. We chose to put customer needs ahead of our own comfort. It was not the easiest